Today we’d like to introduce you to Pearla Harvey.
Hi Pearla, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Chief Administration Officer Pearla Harvey, Tribally known as Chief Hacha Kusso
Our family has always lived as a tribe and acknowledges that our grandparents on both my mother’s and father’s sides are native to South Carolina and Georgia in the USA. My mother’s father was Blackfoot Indian, and my father’s tribe was the Edisto Kusso Mvskoki. We were never on a slave ship; we existed here before Europeans invaded and colonized South Carolina. As children, we knew we were Indian and always lived as a clan, but we didn’t understand how we fit into the world. The world recognizes other people as American Indians here in America, but not us. The slave owners told our ancestors they were from Africa and that they were brought here as slaves. Our ancestors were sold as slaves to other nations and countries all over the world. Most Atlantic slaves were brought to South America, with only a few landing in North America.
In 2017, President Trump signed the Thomasina E. Jordan Act ( an Act to Reclassify African Americans). This was a historic moment. “This bill would provide legislative recognition to the six Indian Tribes located in the Commonwealth of Virginia.” Our tribes, ( (YKM) was not one of the six tribes chosen to be recognized by the Federal Government. Although Colored or Negro was on our birth certificate instead of Indian.
The ancestors of the tribes in Virginia were among the first Native people of the Americas to face Eropeans when they arrived in the early 1600s, and we are very familiar with those stories.” “The passing of the Racial Integrity Act of 1924 began a dark time in the history of the Commonwealth of Virginia. This measure,which a state official, the Registrar, enforced of the Bureau of Vital Statistics, a man named Walker Plecker, sought to destroy all records of the Virginia Indians and recognize them as “colored.”
“People were threatened with imprisonment for claiming their nationality or race ( Indian) on their birth certificate. Mothers were not allowed
to take their newborn children home if they were given their natural Indian name. This policy, along with the over-zealous
enforcement by Dr. Plecker has left many Virginia Indians searching for their true identity.” Most of the East Coast of America was called Virginia at that time.
Our tribe was not listed among the federally recognized tribes, nor do we seek recognition. The US broke many treaties it had with the Indian Tribes. Our tribe, nation, and government are sovereign and, self-governing, self-sustaining. In 2018, Chief Atali Yuchii (Chief Hacha Kusso’s son) established his father’s tribe, “Eastern Yuchii Creek,” began researching their tribe, and laid the foundation. In 2021, the tribes, Edisto Kusso Mvskoki (Chief Hacha’s Tribe), and Eastern Yuchii Creek merged and named it “Yuchii Kusso Mvskoki Tribe”
. John Harvey Jr., tribally known as Chief Atali Yuchii, is the founder of the Yuchii Kusso Mvskoki Tribe Nation and Government (also referred to as YKM). Chief Atali, along with Pearla G. Harvey, tribally known as Chief Hacha Kusso, has been instrumental in the community’s development. Their strategic approach has led to the creation of a system that addresses some of the community’s problems.
In August 2021, Chief Atali and the YKM Council voted unanimously to designate Chief Hacha Kusso as Chief Administrator of the Yuchii Kusso Mvskoki Tribal Government. Pearla Harvey has a long history of community service. She has dedicated her life to developing and promoting opportunities, organizing workshops to improve skills, and collaborating between Tribal Entrepreneurs and local businesses. She was the executive director of a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization, “Community First, Inc”, from 2009 to 2019. Her organization served Bluffton, Hardeeville, Ridgeland, and Hilton Head, South Carolina.
The Yuchii Kusso Mvskoki Tribe (YKM), a grassroots organization and tribal government established in August 2018 with a seven-member elected council, represents more than 123 members across the United States of America (Republic) and is dedicated to fostering sustainable governance, community development, and cultural preservation. The Council is committed to preserving Indigenous tribal heritage and traditions while addressing the needs of underserved and overlooked populations.
Background and Objectives
• Yuchii Kusso Mvskoki Tribal Services, Inc. is registered with SAM.gov (UEI: NYUJEZ1X2HZ3) as a Tribal Government and a 501(c)( 3) tax-exempt status (98-6113224).
• While not federally recognized, the organization has maintained its sovereignty without pursuing federal recognition.
• The tribe’s mission is to promote sustainable governance, preserve cultural heritage, and serve the needs of Copper-Colored Black Indigenous Tribes who have historically faced systemic discrimination.
• Chief Hacha wrote a book to help people understand what is happening in the world; it is a Biblical book. “The Great Deception” by Pearla Gillespie Harvey on Amazon, or it can be purchased on the author’s website, calltoawakening.org.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We were met with resistance. Filing paperwork in our court system. The court didn’t want to recognize our tribal organization for the first two years. We are now recognized in our town by the police officers, the judges, and the court system. We have been denied all five grant applications. Our biggest challenge is finding funds to support our tribe and government.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am Chief Hacha Kusso, the Chief Administrator for YKM. I ensure that our secretary, Chief Dahkirah, maintains accurate records and updates for our members. We work hand in hand. Background checks are essential for all of our members. Our office also looks for grants that may apply to our organization. We also help our people find their tribes, heritage, culture, ancestors, and language. We are learning and teaching our original language, “Hebrew.” All of our members must learn the language. Our members live in many cities and rural areas across America. Our council meets on Zoom twice monthly.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Even though we are a tribal government, we are dedicated to helping people in need who may have fallen through the cracks. No matter what race or ethnicity they are. We are known in the community to advocate for the poor. The most important thing to me is showing love to people. We want to build a government of righteousness and justice. God is on our side, because of the love we show to the community.
Pricing:
- I wrote a book that will help people understand what is gong on in the world. The book is “The Great Deception” By Pearla Gillespie Harvey. world.
- The book cost 14..99 on Amazon. THE GREAT DECEPTION
Contact Info:
- Website: https://calltoawakening.org
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@hachakusso911
- LinkedIn: https://ykmtribalservices.org
