Coastal Native Americans of South Carolina Yemassee Tribe Created by Brittany Durham
How do we know that Native Americans lived on the coast of South Carolina? Midden Mounds (ancient trash heaps) provide clues about the Native Americans who lived there and their way of life. The mounds contain bits of pottery and shells from the shellfish they ate.
The Yemassee once lived on the coast of Florida and Georgia. The Spanish tried to make them their slaves. The Yemassee moved North to the Low country of South Carolina to escape.
They built several towns between the Savannah and Combahee River. They depended on the waterways for food and transportation. The rivers were like our highways!
In warm weather, they lived in wigwams close to the coast. When it got cold, they moved to inland villages. They lived in wattle and daub houses along rivers.
Much like the Catawba and Cherokee, the Yemassee met their daily needs by: Fishing Hunting farming
It’s okay to be different! Unlike the Cherokee and Catawba, these groups ate shellfish (clams and oysters) that they caught in coastal waters. Another difference, was that both the men and women did the farming.