Vernon M. Tanner

Involvement with the SCCMA Tanner played a key role in the early development of the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs.

The Chaloklowa Chickasaw's petition for state-recognition as a tribe was subsequently rejected, but the organization was later able to obtain status as a state-recognized "group".

Other activities Tanner was actively involved in educational outreach, giving presentations about Chickasaw culture and history to various groups including elementary and middle school students, civic organizations, churches, scout troops, YMCA groups, and local libraries. He played a key role in organizing annual field trips for students from Johnsonville Elementary School to Tanner Farms, where they learned about aspects of Chickasaw lifeways. These educational sessions often included traditional cooking methods, hands-on experiences with live animals, and time spent inside a tipi. In addition to these activities, Tanner, who claimed to be the last traditional medicine man in South Carolina, sometimes incorporated discussions of Indigenous spirituality into his presentations.

Death Tanner died at his home in Hemingway, South Carolina on July 18, 2023.