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GOOSE CREEK, S.C. – At the Goose Creek Recreation Center, the sounds of laughter, educational activities, and shared stories have become increasingly familiar for the last several years. Now, the Wassamasaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians is preparing to build on that momentum, announcing an expanded 2026 calendar of free culture classes, community gatherings, and heritage tourism initiatives designed to bring Indigenous traditions into public view — and public participation.

The yearlong program will offer monthly, hands-on culture classes open to residents and visitors alike, focusing on Indigenous arts, foodways, music, dance, and environmental knowledge rooted in the Lowcountry. Tribal leaders say the initiative is about more than preserving tradition — it’s about strengthening community ties across generations and cultures.

“These classes are about more than learning a skill,” said Joshua Shumak, Vice Chief of the Wassamasaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians. “They are about building bridges—between generations, between cultures, and between communities. By sharing folk life and folk art traditions in open, welcoming spaces, we strengthen cultural understanding, support heritage tourism, and ensure these traditions continue for future generations.”

What began three years ago as a small series of workshops has evolved into a robust cultural calendar, reflecting growing interest from both tribal members and the broader community. In partnership with the Goose Creek Recreation Center, the Tribe has steadily expanded access to Indigenous cultural education, responding to increased participation and intergenerational engagement.

Monthly culture classes will be held on the second Saturday of each month from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., free of charge. The 2026 lineup includes Dream Catcher making in January, Basketry in February, Drum Painting in March, and Pottery in April — each class combining practical instruction with historical and cultural context.

In May, the program will pause for a special Community Picnic, Dance, and Drum Showcase at the Wassamasaw Community Farm. The gathering will feature performances by participants from the Tribe’s drum and dance classes and highlight the Youth Garden Project, emphasizing food sovereignty, youth engagement, and community wellness.

Summer and fall sessions will continue with Frybread in June, Bone Bead Bracelet making in July, Loom Beading in August, and Gourd Art in September.

The year’s programming will culminate in one of the region’s most significant Indigenous cultural events: the Wassamasaw Powwow, scheduled for October 10, 2026, at Old Santee Canal Park in nearby Moncks Corner. The powwow replaces the regular October class and brings together dancers, drummers, artists, and community members for a day of cultural celebration, education, and exchange.

The final months of the year will include Soap Making in November and Plant Identification and Uses in December, with the possibility of outdoor, hands-on learning at the Community Farm.

In addition to the monthly classes, the Tribe will continue its ongoing cultural practice programs, including Men’s Drum Classes led by Kaya Littleturtle of the Warpaint Singers and Women’s Dance Classes taught by Sierra Russell, featuring Traditional, Fancy, and Jingle Dance styles.

The Wassamasaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians traces its roots back centuries to the lands and waterways of present-day Berkeley and Charleston counties. Despite generations of displacement and cultural erasure, the Tribe has remained a living community, preserving kinship networks, cultural knowledge, and a deep relationship to place.

Today, that legacy continues through education, land stewardship, and community-based programming — efforts that tribal leaders say are essential to keeping culture alive, not just remembered.

Local partnerships have played a key role. In 2025, the Tribe honored the Michael J. Heitzler Recreation Complex with its Bridge Builder Award, recognizing the facility’s support in expanding Indigenous programming and strengthening relationships within Goose Creek.

As interest in cultural tourism grows across the Lowcountry, the Wassamasaw Tribe sees its 2026 programming as an invitation — to learn, to participate, and to celebrate Indigenous culture as a living, evolving presence.

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCSC) — A new high-tech manufacturing facility, now open in Berkeley County, is set to play a key role in the future of the U.S. Navy while delivering long-term economic benefits to the local community.

Defense contractor Leonardo DRS officially cut the ribbon on its new naval power manufacturing facility in Goose Creek, a more than 140,000-square-foot site designed to build and test electric power and propulsion systems for U.S. Navy submarines.

Company leaders say the facility will be used to manufacture and test submarine propulsion systems, supporting naval vessels expected to remain in service for decades.

“This is the formal opening of our brand new facility here that will be used for building and testing submarine propulsion systems,” said Jon Miller, senior vice president and general manager of Leonardo DRS Naval Power Systems.

The Goose Creek site will test motors and build generators for the U.S. Navy, including systems for the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine, the next generation of U.S. submarines designed to carry nuclear missiles. The Columbia-class is expected to serve as a cornerstone of the Navy’s fleet well into the second half of the century.

“We’re providing equipment for submarines that will be in the oceans out through the 2080s,” a Leonardo DRS executive said.

Local leaders say the impact of the investment goes beyond national defense. Berkeley County officials point to skilled, long-term jobs, opportunities for local contractors, and new tax revenue generated by the facility.

Berkeley County Supervisor Johnny Cribb said that revenue from the site could help fund public safety and education each year.

“With the tax revenue from this one site, we can hire new paramedics, two new EMS employees, new sheriff’s deputies each year,” Cribb said. “And with the money that will go to the school district from this one site, 10 new teachers this year and every year, so that is significant.”

Officials also say Berkeley County’s low tax rate, access to major highways, and proximity to the Port of Charleston made the area an attractive location for the investment.

Leonardo DRS leaders say the Goose Creek facility represents just the first phase of development, with future expansion planned to increase manufacturing and testing capacity. The company expects the site to support production for decades.

“We’ll be building that product here in the 2040s, 2050s, and perhaps beyond,” a Leonardo DRS naval power executive said. “We’re talking about jobs for generations.”