It may exist in relationships rather than uniforms.

At Hayes Pond, the Klan had the uniforms.

The Lumbee had the relationships.

When the two forms of organization met, the second proved stronger.

That contrast also explains why the famous photographs can be misleading if viewed without context.

The images show the aftermath, not the social network that made the aftermath possible.

The real preparation for Hayes Pond had been happening for generations in the ordinary life of the community.

Why The Battle Belongs In American History

Hayes Pond deserves a place in national history not because it can be made to fit perfectly into an existing chapter, but because it complicates several chapters at once.

It is part of Native American history because the central actors were Lumbee people defending community dignity and identity.