NC Native American Tribes Creek Algonquin Croatoan Catawba

NC Native American Tribes Creek/ Algonquin Croatoan Catawba Cherokee Lumbee Tuscarora

Creek �language Muskogee �White settlers called them Creek after Ocmulgee Creek in Georgia �Descendants of the Mississippian culture �Lived in Georgia, Alabama, Florida and NC �Forced to move to Oklahoma

Two Creek tribes today �Poarch Creeks in Alabama: live on a reservation �Oklahoma Creeks live on trust land. �Creek Nation has its own government, laws, police, and other services like a small country. (however they are US citizens) �Farmers: growing corn, beans, squash, melons, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes.

Tuscarora �Dominated the Coastal Plain in the 1500’s �Concentrated near the Neuse and Tar rivers �Name means “hemp gatherers” �Used hemp to make rope and binding cord �Kin to the famous Iroquois nation of NY

Catawba �Lived in the Piedmont �Named by Juan Pardo-heard them say ka-pa-tu meaning “where the river divides” (Catawba river) �Language-several versions of the Sioux language �Kin to the Sioux

Algonquin �Lived along the coast �Spoke various versions of the Algonquin language �Shared by tribes all along the Atlantic Coast �Depended heavily on fish, but also ate fruits, melons, walnuts, cucumbers, gourdes, peas �John White’s famous water color paintings

Croatoan �Lived in the Coastal areas of NC (Dare county) near Roanoke Sound and Croatoan Sound �Extinct as a tribe: were one of the Carolina Algonquin peoples �Primary food source-agriculture �Efficient farmers-fed both colonists and themselves �Were on good terms with English settlers

Lumbee �Based in NC �Possible descendants of Croatoans and survivors of the Lost Colony �Lost Colony theories-article �Others believe they are descendants from an Eastern Siouan group called the Cheraws

Cherokee �Most famous Indian group in NC �Like the Tuscarora-kin to Iroquois �First settled in mountains during woodland period. �Cherokee: a variation of a Mississippian word for “people who live in caves”-a reference to their mountain homes

�Cherokee-one of the largest tribes � 3 divisions: �Lower Cherokee-lived in SC and Georgia �Upper Cherokee-lived in Tennessee River Valley �Middle Cherokee-lived in western NC (most important) �Each division spoke a different dialect of the Cherokee language

�Cherokees baskets-works of art �Shared many beliefs, habits and customs with the Woodland culture. �All children belonged to the clan. (an extended family) �Divided work up fairly between men and women �Tribes governed by consensus (discussed problems till everyone agreed)

�Diseases �Native Americans had no immunity or resistance to the diseases the Europeans brought. �Most deadly were smallpox, measles, chicken pox, and influenza v. Beliefs- Native Americans believed that the land was to be used by everyone