History of the NC Native Americans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a basic representation of the distribution of Native Americans in the mid-1600s. (Rebecca Church, 2014; Information obtained from: Walbert, 2010)

 

 

 

Before settlers came, the land was populated with many different tribes resulting from the Mississippian culture of the South and Southeast (Rand, 1913). After the settlers came, however, disease killed off a large percentage of the different tribes by 1720 (Walbert, 2010). Most actually died in a large smallpox outbreak in 1696 (Rand, 1913). Wars help to further the mass death that occurred in the Native populations during this time period. The Tuscarora War of 1711 (Walbert, 2010) came about because the Northern Iroquois Indians in New England prodded their cousins, the Tuscarora, to going to war with the Europeans (Walbert, 2010). This was further instigated by the acts of the Europeans in taking Native lands and enslaving their people (Walbert, 2010). During this war, the Tuscarora joined with the Core, Matchapunga, Pamlico, Bear River, and Neusiok Indians (Walbert, 2010). The settlers that fought against them also joined with other Natives who were either the Tuscarora’s enemies or were trying to survive by joining with the settlers (Walbert, 2010; Eastern Band of Cherokee, 2014d). These tribes included the Cherokee, Yamassee, Catawba, Saura, Sugaree, Waccamusses, and Cape Fear (Walbert, 2010). This slaughter continued a few years later in South Carolina in the Yamassee War (Walbert, 2010).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a representation of the distribution of Native Americans in North Carolina in 1720, after the diseases and wars killed off tribes and many tribes moved (Rebecca Church, 2014; Information from Walbert, 2010).

 

 

After these wars, there were movements of the different tribes that resulted in a large change in the population and distribution of natives. After the Tuscarora and Yamassee Wars, the large majority of the Tuscarora moved to New England to be with other Iroquois relatives (Walbert, 2010). The Catawba, and what was left of the Sugaree, Wateree, Waxhaw, and Congaree moved to South Carolina. The majority of the Saura and the Eno joined with part of the Cheraw tribe in South Carolina as well. This left 16 main villages in Eastern North Carolina, from 12 different tribes (Rand, 1913). There were 5 tribes in the Southwestern part of the state, 9 tribes in the central piedmont, and two in the west. The two in the West included the Cherokee and part of the Catawba, which was mostly in South Carolina and Tennessee (Rand, 1913). In 1776, violence and eradication of different tribes continued (Perdue & Snyder, 2011). The Europeans destroyed 30 villages (Perdue & Snyder, 2011). The settlers later, in the 1800s, sought to remove the five major nations of Natives left in the Southeastern United States. These included the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole (Rand, 1913). In North Carolina, this resulted in the Trail of Tears that removed many Cherokee (Eastern Band of Cherokee, 2014d). After this point, Native Americans that were left were considered and governed by the same laws as African Americans, and were considered free peoples of color (Commission of Indian Affairs, 2013). This resulted in Jim Crow laws that also affected the Native Americans and the creation of segregated Indian-only schools.

 

There are Eight tribes remaining in North Carolina in the present day. They all have their own histories and stories of how they came to be what they are today.