Yamassee

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Malachi Z. York as Chief Black Thunderbird Eagle, a Moorish Cherokee of the Yamassee tribe, addresses his followers on a spoken word CD

This article is about the Nuwaubianist group. For the historical Native American tribe, see Yamasee.

The Yamassee Native Americans is a Nuwaubianist group led by Commander-in-Chief Derrick “Black-Hawk” Sanders (a.k.a. Dr. Derrick Sanders-El), who is attempting to fill the power vacuum left after the arrest and conviction of Malachi Z. York.

While the name “Yamassee” comes from the name of a Creek Native American group, Derrick Sanders's “Yamassee Native Americans” are not that group but are African Americans who believe that they are descendants of "Native American Moors" who came to America from Africa over an ancient land bridge. The group incorporates elements of patriot mythology to insist that they are a legally independent and sovereign nation and that the laws of the United States governments do not apply to them. They have a constitution and issue their own legal documents.

1 Split with the United Nuwaubian Nation
2 Relation to the Washitaw Nation
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Split with the United Nuwaubian Nation

Nuwaubianism

Barathary gland Dwight York Nuwaubic Rizq Tama-Re Yamassee
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At the time of Malachi Z. York’s trial, many members of the United Nuwaubian Nation (then called the United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors), including York himself, considered themselves Yamassee Native American Moors and had filed a letter of intent for federal recognition with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.[1]

Derrick Sanders and the Yamassee Native American Government, also known as the Mt. Arafat Embassy Clan, sent papers to government officials asserting patriot mythology sovereignty issues. While York himself was at the time telling the court that he was a Native American Moor who should be returned to the jurisdiction of his tribe, some now assert that Sanders was interfering with that defense through his own rogue legal filings of similar arguments. As one news account reported:

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office… received a packet of documents ordering that York be released. Among the documents are papers claiming to be from the “Yamassee Native American Government” and the “Mt. Arafat Embassy” charging that “diplomats” of the government and embassy are "being inconvenienced by US Governmental and private employees.” A marking of an Egyptian-style hieroglyphic similar to a watermark is on many of the pages.

The last portion of the packet is a six-page document claiming to be an “Exparte Order for Release” in which “Dr. Derrick H. Sanders El, Elder, Grand Master Consul, for Mt. Arafat Embassy of The Yamasee Native American Government, Original Cherokee, Siminole, Creek, Shushuni, Washita Mound Builders” demands York’s release.

York, the order claims, “is not a legal ‘person’ born or naturalized in the federal 'United States’ not subject to the jurisdiction of the legislative democracy of the federal 'United States’ or any territory ‘within the United States.’

“It is hereby ordered that all documents and all property taken from (York) be released to (him), and it is further ordered that (York) be released ‘instanter’ to the custody of Mt. Arafat Embassy to be secured by the Yamassee Native Americans.”

Also in the packet is a document purportedly signed by Gov. Sonny Perdue and bearing what appears to be a printed copy of the state seal. The document does not address York’s “release” but was the first document in the packet.

Kimberly King, a spokeswoman for Perdue, said the document with his signature, at least, appears to be a forgery. ¶ “By all accounts, these documents appear to be fake,” King said.

Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said the documents bear at least some resemblance to other documents sent to him by York's followers - documents that claim the sheriff and judges and others have violated “common law” and documents ordering the county coroner to arrest the sheriff.[2]

This technique made little headway in the court system, as the Yamassee Native Americans of the Creek Nation are not recognized by the U.S. Government’s Bureau of Indian Affairs and Native Americans are not immune from RICO and Mann Act prosecutions in any case. Jurisdiction was challenged by attorney Frank Rabino based on the Native American argument, but the government successfully refuted it and this was denied by the Judge. York’s other attorneys were loath to risk the wrath of the court by putting forward such a defense:

Ed Garland, the attorney representing York… asked the judge to indulge him while he read information apparently about York's sovereignty. Lawson asked if it was something Garland was asserting in York's defense.

“It’s not a position that I am making a legal argument about, but I have a client who wants to put on the record his position on certain matters,” Garland said.

Lawson also asked York’s other attorney, Manny Arora, if he believed there was any validity to the assertions York was making, and Lawson threatened Arora with “serious trouble” if he didn’t give a direct answer.

“I don’t believe, at this point, there is any legal merit,” Arora answered.[3]

The court eventually responded: “There is no evidence that the group of followers defendant purports to lead are in any way a sovereign state worthy of recognition by the United States government or any other government.”

After York was convicted he adopted a similar though not particularly compatible tactic: claiming that he has long been a diplomat from and citizen of Liberia and that he therefore has diplomatic immunity and should be repatriated to his home country.

Now the Nuwaubian “nation” seems to be splitting up, with various of its sub-factions trying to set the agenda and take over for the leadership vacuum.

The United Nuwaubian Nation dropped the “of Moors” suffix from their name, purged most of the Yamassee Native American Moors information from their web site, and are trying to present a more law-abiding and less-patriot mythology-influenced public image.

They now report that the daughter of Yamassee “Commander-in-Chief” Derrick Sanders was working with the prosecution in the child molestation case against York, and also some claim that they only recently learned that the assumed legal sovereignty of that group was bogus. “Dr. Malachi Z. York & the United Nuwaubian Nation were blamed for the fanaticsm & crimes of those who came in under the guise of helping the Nuwaubians,” one Nuwaubianist wrote, who also claims that it was United Nuwaubian Nation members who turned Derrick Sanders in for promoting tax evasion.[4]

[edit] Relation to the Washitaw Nation

The Washitaw Nation, is lead by Empress Verdiacee Tiari Washitaw Turner Goston El-Bey of the Washitaw de Dutgdahmoundyah. Derrick Sanders is not the son of Empress Verdiacee and has not been in contact with the family. Derrick Sanders also has no rights or administrative power within the Washitaw Nation. The decision making power within the Washitaw nation is still within the hands of the Empress Verdiacee. The family has released a statement regarding the release of York, "The Washitaw Nation will not come to the aid of anyone who has harmed or has admitted to harming a child. Any indication that we would condone or forgive such an atrocious act is an insult to our nation and our people."^{[citation needed]}

See also: Verdiacee Turner, Republic of Texas (group), Washitaw Nation

See also: Commonwealth of Caledonia Australis for treaty signed July 9, 2005 with the Government of Nu Altamaha Yamassee Nation