Ziyohanna Ahvaneyah Nation
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Welcome to the Official Site of the Ziyohanna Ahvaneyah Nation
We are the Remnant Nation sovereign,ancient, and fully revived.
Our purpose is to:
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Honor the legacy of our ancestor
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Protect our tribal names
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Preserve sacred laws
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Enlighten the world
Ziyohanna Ahvannyah
Seal Symbolism
Chief Light Flower , Marriot
Called to Restore What Was Erased Tribal Sovereign • Educator • Healer
I welcome you to the sacred space of our people — a place of revival, honor, and truth. I stand not only as a voice of my ancestors, but as a guardian of their names, land, and laws. May this nation be a light to those seeking what was stolen.— LightFlower
Full Spiritual & Cultural Meaning: The Light-Bearers of Grace who carry the Breath of Yah and rise to rebuild the sacred nation
The Eagle: high spiritual sight, ancestral watchers
• The Flame: sacred fire of truth and awakening
• The Fist Holding the Flame: strength and resistance
• The Feathers & Tribal Patterns: the many families
• Color symbolism: Indigo: truth; Gold: royalty;
Red: bloodline; Black: resilience
A sovereign bloodline of truth-bearers and light-carriers,
chosen by Yah to rise, rebuild, and reawaken the original
sacred identity of the Southeastern tribes
Our Mission
To restore, protect, and uplift the descendants of royal Indigenous bloodlines through truth, education, unity, and sovereignty. We exist to reclaim what was stolen—our names, our land, our stories, and our future.
Our Vision
We envision a world where the original tribal nations walk boldly in their true identity, free from misclassification, misrepresentation, and silence. The Ziyohanna Ahvanaheya Nation stands as a beacon for those seeking restoration and rightful recognition.
We, are the descendants of Jane Gibson, a Free Indian woman of 17th-century Virginia, and Charles Evans of the Upper Congaree Shikory-Cheraw community, honor these ancestors as part of our Nation’s ancestral foundation and historical legacy.
Our ancestral research is supported through historical documentation, archival records, DNA analysis, and genealogical research. The records surrounding our ancestors reflect the complex histories of Southeastern Indigenous communities, including migration patterns, intermarriage, and kinship networks among Indigenous communities throughout the region.
These longstanding Indigenous kinship networks resulted in closely connected family lines and genetic endogamy—the continuation of shared ancestry within Indigenous communities over multiple generations—which is an important consideration when interpreting genealogical records and DNA research.
We preserve the names of our ancestors to honor their legacy, protect their historical record, and ensure that future generations understand their place within our Nation’s history.
This website documents our ancestral journey through historical research and genealogy as it relates to the Ziyohanna Ahvaneyah Nation. DNA analysis is utilized as part of our private research methodology and is not published as part of this website. Our purpose is to preserve our family history, maintain the integrity of our research, and safeguard the stories of our ancestors for future generations.
Supporting Historical Resource:
Library of Virginia — Virginia archival records and educational resources related to Jane Gibson’s historical record.
I. Heritage and Legacy Rooted intruth, restoration, and reclamation,
we preserve the legacy of ourancestors through heritage, healing, and honor.
Our tribe carries the names of Evans, Bass, Gibson, Mitchell, Smith,
Adkins, Stewart, and more — names that were reclassified and erased, yet
remain the foundation of our unity.
We are not a newly invented identity — we are a long standing remnant of the original people.
Heritage and Legacy Rooted in truth, restoration, and reclamation,we preserve the legacy of our ancestors through heritage, healing, and honor.Our tribe carries the names of Evans, Bass, Gibson, Mitchell, Smith,Adkins, Stewart, and more — names that were reclassified and erased, yet remain the foundation of our unity.We are not a newly invented identity — we are a long standing remnant of the original people
Light Flower
Hidden No More:
The Indigenous Warriors of Harper’s Ferry Featuring John A. Copeland Jr. & Lewis S. Leary of the Ziyohanna Ahvaneyah Nation
Their True Tribal Lineage
John A. Copeland Jr. (1834–1859), Harpers Ferry Freedom Fighter
John A. Copeland Jr. was born free in Raleigh, North Carolina, on August 15, 1834, to John Copeland Sr. and Delilah Evans. His family descended from Indigenous ancestral lines connected to Virginia and North Carolina. Over generations, members of these families were recorded under racial classifications such as “free people of color,” “Negro,” and “Colored,” classifications that did not erase the Indigenous ancestry carried through their bloodline and family history. The Ziyohanna Ahvaneyah Nation recognizes John A. Copeland Jr. as an original Indigenous man whose ancestral identity is honored within our Nation.
Historical Sources & Documentation
Lewis Sheridan Leary (1835–1859), Abolitionist and Harpers Ferry Martyr
Lewis Sheridan Leary was born March 17, 1835, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He was connected by marriage to the Copeland family and descended from Indigenous ancestral lines of the Southeast. His paternal family history is directly connected to the Croatan people of North Carolina. In an 1891 family account, his brother, John Sinclair Leary, stated that their father came from the “Croatan stock” and identified their family connection to the Revels family of Robeson County. This historical testimony was later preserved in Indians of North Carolina (1915). The Ziyohanna Ahvaneyah Nation recognizes Lewis Sheridan Leary as an original Indigenous man whose ancestral identity is honored within our Nation.
Historical Sources & Documentation
🪶 The Evans, Copeland & Leary Families
The Evans, Copeland, and Leary families descend from Indigenous ancestral lines connected to Virginia, North Carolina, and Ohio, carrying family histories through the swamp, creek, and hill communities of the Southeast and into later generations in Ohio. Their ancestry did not begin with the racial classifications later assigned to them in government and historical records. These families carried Indigenous bloodlines, family connections, and ancestral traditions across generations while outside authorities increasingly classified Indigenous people according to racial categories such as “Negro” and “Colored.” Their documented family histories provide evidence of Indigenous ancestry that deserves to be examined through the original historical record rather than defined solely by classifications imposed upon them. The Ziyohanna Ahvaneyah Nation recognizes this ancestral history and honors the Indigenous identity carried through these family lines.
⚔️ Their Final Acts of Courage In October 1859, both joined John Brown’s mission to free enslaved people by seizing the federal armory at Harper’s Ferry. Lewis was mortally wounded and died the next day. John was captured and sentenced to death.
Final Words of John A. Copeland Jr. Written from his jail cell hours before execution: “Dear Father, Mother, Brothers Henry, William and Freddy and Sisters Sarah and Mary … The last Sabbath … now passed … The last Monday … declining behind the western mountains for the last time … This morning … I beheld the glorious sun … and now … I will take my pen, for the last time … I am well … if it were not that I knew your hearts will be filled with sorrow … why should you sorrow? … I fully believe that … all my numerous sins are forgiven …”
— John A. Copeland Jr., December 16, 1859
🌿 Their Legacy in Our Nation We, the descendants of the swamp and hill people, name John and Lewis as Sovereign Protectors of our Nation. Their blood still speaks. Their names live again. Their reclassification is final and irreversible.
🪶 Title Given by the Nation: Warriors of Sacred Resistance — honored forever as tribal defenders.
📚 Community History Seminars & Classes The Ziyohanna Ahvaneyah
Nation is developing community-based seminars and educational classes focused on Indigenous history, ancestral records, reclassification, and the historical experiences of Indigenous families in the Southeast. We are working with community organizations, educators, libraries, cultural organizations, and other local partners to bring these educational opportunities directly into the community.As interest grows, the Nation plans to expand these offerings and establish its own ongoing classes and educational programs.
DECLARED BY: CHIEF MATRIOT LIGHTFLOWER01
DECLARED ON: JULY 10, 2024
TO BE OBSERVED ANNUALLY: OCTOBER 16 2024
We honor John A. Copeland Jr. and Lewis S. Leary, sovereign warriors of the Ziyohanna Ahvaneyah Nation, who fought and gave their lives for the liberation of our people during the raid on Harpers Ferry.
Their courage and sacrifice remain a guiding light for our Nation.
Their legacy shall live forever in our tribal memory, our prayers, and our restoration.
Community History Seminars & Classes
The Ziyohanna Ahvaneyah Nation is developing community-based seminars, workshops, and educational classes focused on Indigenous history, ancestral records, family histories, and historical reclassification throughout the Southeast. These educational opportunities are being developed through partnerships with organizations and communities interested in exploring this history.
