Spring 2026 · DeLand, Florida
The ReconstructionContinues
A formal gathering of Yamasee elders, community leaders, and builders committed to restoration through structure. We return to DeLand—where our ancestors built, traded, and thrived—to continue what was never abandoned.
A History of BuildingAgainst All Odds
This is not the first reconstruction. Our ancestors began this work immediately after the Civil War—building towns, businesses, churches, schools, and economic networks across Florida. But the Reconstruction era that promised freedom and opportunity never truly materialized for Yamasee people. What followed was systematic persecution, forced displacement, and economic devastation that continues to this day.
What Was Built
- Towns, businesses, banks, churches, schools
- Farms, ranches, timber operations
- Trade networks and economic power
- Mary Day's 1893 federal land patent near Lake City
What Was Taken
- •Land Confiscation: Thousands of acres seized through fraudulent deeds, tax schemes, and violent forced removal
- •Asset Seizure: Businesses shuttered, bank accounts frozen, livestock confiscated, timber rights stolen
- •Legal Persecution: Systematic reclassification to erase Indigenous identity and void land claims
- •Economic Exclusion: Denied banking, credit, contracts, and participation in the emerging Florida economy
- •Violence & Terror: Lynchings, arson, intimidation campaigns to force abandonment of property and claims
The True Cost of Persecution
Trillions in Lost Opportunity. The land our ancestors were forced from is now worth billions. The businesses they were run out of would have generated generational wealth. The timber rights stolen, the mineral rights seized, the waterfront property confiscated—the compounding economic impact over 150 years is incalculable.
A Reconstruction That Never Was. While other groups benefited from federal land grants, infrastructure investment, and legal protections during Reconstruction, Yamasee people faced the opposite: systematic dispossession disguised as law. The promise of "40 acres and a mule" was a lie. What we built, we built ourselves—and what we built was taken.
Now, we reclaim what was never truly lost: our identity, our continuity, and our right to rebuild.
Why DeLand,Why Now
Historical Crossroads
DeLand sits at the intersection of ancestral Yamasee presence, Black enterprise, and documented land ownership. The West Volusia Historical Society recognizes the "Yamassee Business" district—a rare acknowledgment of our economic footprint.
Family Legacies
The Day, Hayes, Baugh, Barber, and Ingram families left documented traces in Volusia County—land patents, census records, church rolls, and oral histories that anchor our continuity in this region.
Living History
Barberville Pioneer Settlement preserves buildings from the Reconstruction era. Stetson University (est. 1883) created an educational environment. DeLand is not a random choice—it is a documented site of Yamasee reconstruction.
"We are not returning to DeLand. We never left. This gathering formalizes what has always been true: the Yamasee presence in Florida is unbroken, documented, and continuing."
— Ministry of Yamasee Affairs
The Spring 2026Gathering
A formal council of elders, community partners, and builders committed to restoration through structure.
What to Expect
- Formal recognition and celebration of tribal elders
- Introduction of community partners and institutional allies
- Presentation of the DeLand reconstruction plan
- Announcement of cornerstone development project
- Strategic partnerships with top DeLand businesses
Who Should Attend
- Tribal elders and family historians
- Descendants of Day, Hayes, Baugh, Barber, Ingram families
- Community leaders and institutional partners
- Business owners and economic development professionals
- Anyone with documented connection to DeLand/Volusia Yamasee history
Invitations will be sent directly to registered elders and community partners. This is intentional, structured work—not an open event.
Register YourInterest
Complete this form to express your interest in attending the Spring 2026 gathering. Invitations and attendance details will be sent directly by email.
Beyond DeLandThe Work Expands
DeLand is the first formal gathering, but not the only site of reconstruction. The Ministry is mapping additional cities where Yamasee families built, owned land, and established economic presence.
DeLand
Spring 2026
Lake City
Coming Soon
Barberville
Coming Soon
Jacksonville
Coming Soon
Each city will follow the same model: formal recognition of elders, documentation of historical presence, strategic partnerships, and cornerstone development projects. This is systematic restoration.
The Reconstruction Was Never Abandoned
It was interrupted. Now it continues.