E.Q.: How did the Indians live when the Europeans arrived?

Terms to Know: Dialect-A variation in the pronunciation of words. Matrilineal- Where the family line is traced through the mother. Children were raised by members of the mother’s family. Grandmothers had a great influence. Uncles often raised their brother’s children because the father had duties in the family of his own mother.

More Terms Consensus- tribes ruled by this method where everyone would discuss their problems and concerns until everyone agreed on a unified course of action. Clan-Not the Wu-Tang variety (LOL) but an extended family of a common ancestor. Conjurer-what the “white man” would later refer to an a medicine man. An individual with mystical powers to remove sickness and evil spirits from the affected. Immunity-Resistance, in this case to white men’s diseases, the natives had none.

The 1,500’s During this time most groups in North Carolina were well organized. Many of the basic language groups are still active in parts of North Carolina today. But many of the tribes named during this time have been driven to extinction. Many merged with other larger tribes losing their individuality. Many fled to the north in an attempt to go to Canada.

Where Were the Indians Concentrated? The Piedmont, Coastal Plains, and Mountains were home to as many as 30 different groups. Theses groups ranged in as many as a few hundred to several thousand. Some of the known largest were the Cherokee, Tuscarora, and the Catawba. Along the coast many Algonquian groups lived and among them, the Chowanoc, the Pasquotank and the Waccamaw had numbers in the thousands.

What were some of the characteristics of the Algonquians? The Coastal tribes depended on a diet of fish, fruits, and vegetables. The paintings of John White, a member of The Lost Colony, are all that remains of many of the Algonquians. Many of the paintings are of the Secotan who lived along the banks of the Pamlico River. Most all Algonquians tribes stretched as far northward as present day Maine.

What of the Tuscarora? Many believe that the Tuscarora were a branch of northern Iroquois Indians. Writings date back to the 1500’s of Natives that claimed “they were of us and left us long ago.” The word Tuscarora means “hemp gatherers”, they used to make hemp rope and cord. The Tuscarora were observed as having straight features and posture from “boarding” their infants. They lived along the Neuse and Tar Rivers. They were a very violent people when challenged.

What was John Lawson’s impact? Much of what we know about the Indians of NC that were wiped out, we owe to this man. He was an explorer that moved in and out of tribes observing their customs and cultures and reporting back to England. In the 1700’s he roamed all over NC, visiting near present day Charlotte to watch a festival of the Waxhaw tribe where women danced six hours straight until “a white lather of sweat” appeared and the men frantically beat the drums in time.

What other tribes did Lawson visit? Lawson has been credited in his writings to have visited the Saura, the Keyauwee, the Saponi near present day I-85 where a “swirling wind” possibly a tornado nearly destroyed their village during his visit. Lawson reported the findings on his return to England in a book called a “History of North Carolina”. Lawson traveled over 1,000 miles of NC during a period of 7 years to compile his book. On a return trip outside present-day Bath, NC he met his death by torture at the hands of the Tuscarora.

What of the Cherokee? The Cherokee are still the largest tribe of Indians in NC today and it was true that they were the largest in the 1,500’s. They were related to the Iroquois, but had been driven away from their homes. During the Woodland Period, they settled in the mountains. They controlled 40,000 square miles when the Europeans arrived. During the Woodland Period, they numbered 30,000, and had three main divisions – upper, middle, and lower. They made baskets of strips of branches from oak trees.

What branch of the Cherokee lived here in NC? The Villages here in the Mountains of NC were considered the “middle region.” The Villages as far north as Ohio were considered the “upper region.” The Villages are far west as northern Alabama were considered the “lower region.” At one point during the Woodland Period, the Cherokee numbered over 30,000. They controlled a region totaling 40,000 square miles.

What of the Catawba? Many know them by several names including: the Saura, Waxhaw, Occaneechi, Saponi, and Saxapahaw, but they all spoke the same version of the Sioux language native to present day South Dakota. They were content to farm and live of the land but were often preyed upon by the Cherokee and the Tuscarora. They later allied themselves with the colonists against the Tuscarora during the first and second Tuscarora Wars, the latter for the massacre at Bath and the killing of John Lawson. They were the largest group living in the Piedmont region.

Who were the first Europeans to come in contact with them? Giovanni da Verrazano and the French The king of France had ordered Verrazano to find a shorter water route to China. When Verrazano arrived at Pamlico Sound, he thought he was looking at a route to Asia. Verrazano was actually off Portsmouth Island, near Cape Hatteras.

What about Hernando de Soto and the Spanish? In 1540, de Soto and his 600 soldiers entered the Carolinas, looking for gold. De Soto encountered various groups along the Catawba River and in the mountains. De Soto died and was buried along the Mississippi River. Because de Soto and his men treated the Native Americans badly, they were mocked and de Soto was known as someone who was not respectful of nature or other humans.

What was Juan Pardo’s impact? Pardo’s expedition included Catholic priests who tried to convert the Native Americans. Small groups of soldiers were left to begin camps in various areas. Pardo planned to return to the camps once he located gold. One hundred soldiers may have been in the foothills by the time the quest for gold was dropped. Many of his soldiers mated with natives and stayed behind.

What did Gilbert and Raleigh do? Half-brothers, Sir Humphrey Gilbert and Sir Walter Raleigh, studied Verrazano’s work and thought they could find the route to China. The first expedition, in 1578, was turned back because of weather conditions and attacks by Spaniards. Gilbert went on a second expedition and was lost at sea in The queen did not let Raleigh go because she dreamt he would die. In 1584, Raleigh began his expeditions. One of which involved the Lost Colony.