Saponi Nation of Ohio

About Our Community

The Saponi Nation of Ohio is a tribal community composed of descendants and heirs of the historic Saponi Nation. Our Eastern Siouan (Yesáh) ancestors have lived in the Ohio River Valley area since time immemorial, and we are the only continuously operating governing body for our tribal community.

Many of our citizens live within 100 miles of Blackfork, Ohio -- a town within the Yesáh ancestral territory that is the historic cultural and tribal center of the Ohio Saponi community.

Our community established villages, towns, schools, sacred sites and faith centers, meeting groups, and other institutions to preserve our community's culture and identity. Our common worship and shared commercial and subsistence enterprises have historically been a means for us to support our families and protect our Indigenous identities and ways of life.