Catawba Chief Blue was a natural leader
If not for the leadership of Gilbert Blue, chief of the Catawba Indian Nation for more than 30 years, it is doubtful that the tribe would exist as the cohesive, growing and historically rich entity it is today.
When Blue, who died Saturday at age 82, took over as chief in 1973, the tribe was not officially recognized by the state or federal government. It was scattered and plagued by joblessness and poverty.
But Blue became not only the tribe’s leader but also its ambassador, its most recognizable public face and its staunchest advocate. He guided the Catawbas through what likely was the most difficult and most important battle in its history, the battle to reclaim its lost land and heritage.
The tribe laid claim to hundreds of thousands of acres encompassing most of York County and parts of North Carolina. Initially, few took the claim seriously.
But after the tribe filed lawsuits against local, state and federal governments, and as evidence mounted that the claims were legitimate based on past land grants, work on a settlement began in earnest. The economic future not only of the Catawbas but also the entire region hung in the balance.
Former U.S. Rep. John Spratt, whose 5th Congressional District includes York, Chester and Lancaster counties, was one of the principal figures in the talks. He noted in eulogizing Blue that the former chief was both a shrewd and knowledgeable negotiator, but also a natural leader, a good speaker and great story teller.
Blue could entertain a crowd with his singing and guitar-playing skills one moment and then turn around and engage in the complicated talks about land grants and reservation rights the next. And he also was a familiar public figure in Rock Hill, usually decked out in a cowboy hat as he visited schools, clubs and a variety of local events to spread the Catawba culture.
Ultimately, the 1993 settlement gave the tribe federal and state recognition, established its reservation on 144,000 acres and gained the tribe $50 million in settlement money. With the stroke of a pen, the Catawbas became the only officially recognized Native American tribe in South Carolina.
Affairs did not always run smoothly during Blue’s long tenure. The tribe split over how the settlement money should be spent and over the delay in adopting a new constitution.
Nonetheless, Chief Blue remained a revered and popular figure in the tribe as well as the surrounding community. As current Catawba Chief Bill Harris noted, the tribe will forever owe a debt of gratitude to blue for his leadership.
We join the tribe and his many friends nationwide in mourning Blue’s passing.
This story was originally published June 14, 2016 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Catawba Chief Blue was a natural leader."