In the history of the tribe, the majority of families have lived in both worlds since colonial times, and many of the clans have been able to hold citizenship rights in the states in which they resided. This was not always the case with all of the tribal descendants, nor with our tribal kin and treatied nations that had formal relations with the United States government. To answer questions that have arisen regarding the heritage, culture, and history of the Whitetop Nation, we have provided an abbreviated history. When researching the Indigenous History of the Sizemores, it is essential to conduct thorough research, explore your genealogical heritage, and remember that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) does not recognize splinter groups. We have provided an abbreviated history of the Whitetop Nation (www.whitetopnation.org) below to help you on your research.

 

The most essential supporting document is the Guion Miller Commission applications, also known as the Eastern Cherokee Applications (ECAs), Case #417 of George Washington Plummer, which states that the Sizemores have native blood and tradition but no known connection to the Cherokee at the time of the ruling. Special Agent Miller further states that he believes they are either Virginia Native or Catawba. However, according to the Catawba official rolls and unofficial rolls, there are no known Sizemore connections from the time of Old Ned, father of George All, brother to Susannah Caroline Brock nee Sizemore, Uncle to Dr. Johnny Gourd Sizemore, and numerous others. This means that the listed families are an American Indian tribe from the state of Virginia.

 

According to research done by the Whitetop Nation, the tribe is that of the Moheton/Moneton, as determined by explorers including John Smith of 1624, Harris of 1656, Lederer of 1669, Col. Woods of 1670, Batts and Fallow of 1672, Fallum’s Journal, Federer, Alvord and Bidgood of the Trans Alleghany 1650-1674 published 1912, and Walker. Anthropologists such as Gist and his Journals of 1757, Bushnell of 1853, Mooney of 1907, Hana of 1911, Summers of 1929, Griffin of 1942, Swanton of 1952, Balderson of 1973, Hale, Briceland of 1987 and 1991, Demallie of 2004, Eubanks and Dumas of 2004, Rankin of 2009, and Staff of 2009 also confirm the tribe being of the Moheton/Moneton descent. These explorers and anthropologists have shown that the Moheton/Moneton lived in the area extending from the headwaters of the New/Wood River in the vicinity of Whitetop Mountain and near Saltsville, Virginia, to the falls located where the New River merges with the Gauley River. This is vital, as the Sizemore line continues to revere the homeland of the Sizemores as the Whitetop Mountain region, the home of the tribal Nation. Whitetop Mountain holds special significance as Chief Blevins named the confederacy of clans after this mountain, where Edward ‘Old Ned’ Sizemore was raised and lived. Anthropologists have also noted the presence of salt and other indigenous minerals found within the region, which have been passed down through the Sizemore lineage and migration paths. The anthropologists point to the surrounding tribes as relations, such as Mooney and McGee, stating that the Moheton belonged to the Monacan Confederation and was one of the numerous tribes over the Allegheny Ridge that John Smith mentions in his journals, which he used to draw his map of Virginia dated 1624.

 

The Whitetop Band of Indians, also known as the Whitetop Band of Laurel Creek Indians and the Whitetop Band of Cherokee Indians, was established in 1896 when Chief William Harrison Blevins was elected the Principal Chief by the other clan chiefs. After Chief Blevins died in 1924, the tribe reverted to the clan rule that had dominated its family history. Over the next 80 years, clan rule was maintained, with several attempts by various clan heads to unite that ultimately failed. Several clan heads continued to petition the Cherokee and neighboring tribes for admission to their rolls, as they remained convinced by the Special Agents’ claims that the families were on Cherokee land and that they were their lineage. Numerous clan heads attempted to come together for recognition. However, they continued to engage in infighting rather than working together to achieve full recognition.

 

It is essential to reiterate that the BIA does not recognize splinter groups. In the 1980s and early 1990s, there was a resurgence in the clan heads seeking their tribal recognition. The reformation of the Whitetop Band of Native Indians is the largest clanship merger of the tribe since 1924, maintaining the direct link to Chief Blevins and the other Clan Chiefs. In the early 2000s, several clan heads entered into discussion to band together for the recognition that was originally sought in 1896. While the clan heads discussed merging in the early 2000s, it was not officially documented as The Tribe of the Whitetop Band of Native Indians (WBNI) being re-formed until 2010-2012. It was registered in Kentucky in 2013 after the adoption of its first bylaws. This is important as, in December 2014, several Elders, in keeping with the clanship rule and mentality, had issues with the by-laws at the time and decided to break away, forming what is known today as the New River Catawba in North Carolina (newrivercatawba.org), a name they adopted in 2020. The New River Catawba originally registered with the Secretary of State of North Carolina as the Appomattoc Tribe of the Canawhay River on April 8th, 2015, and maintains the closed Facebook group entitled the New River Indians Information Center. Nevertheless, the WBNI continued in Manchester, Kentucky. Then, in 2020, there was another split from the WBNI, and a new group formed, which is now known as the Southeastern Kentucky Saponi Nation (sekysaponi.org). This group was registered with the state of Kentucky on December 21, 2020. The group maintains a closed Facebook page in addition to their website.

 

WBNI continued its existence. In 2023, WBNI decided to leave clanship rule behind them by forming a Constitutional convention and followed the regulations outlined in the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 by adopting its official constitution in May of 2023. At this time, WBNI voted to change the tribe’s name to Whitetop Nation to reflect the tribe’s history. In so doing, Whitetop Nation acknowledged the anthropologists’ and explorers’ documentation of the tribal heritage, being that of the Moheton/Moneton tribe on the New/Woods River. Whitetop Nation maintained and retained and still maintains and retains the name that Chief William Harrison Blevins gave to confederated clans, that of the Whitetop Nation.  Whitetop Nation also continues to recognize the federal government’s recognition of Whitetop Nation’s indigenous heritage and culture as the direct descendants of the WBNI established in 1896 and recognized by Special Agent Miller and the Eastern Cherokee Nation.

 

The Whitetop Nation retains its corporate headquarters in Georgetown, Kentucky until its council votes on a place to relocate the nation’s capital. Whitetop Nation is following the BIA requirements for recognition.  Whitetop Nation has also established communication with other federally recognized tribes regarding recognition efforts and restructured the tribe’s Office of Genealogy, which is working diligently and with great detail to finalize Whitetop Nation’s founding rolls.

 

If you have any questions about how to apply as a citizen of the Whitetop Nation, and if you are of lineage descent, please get in touch with applications@whitetopnation.org