In Sept. 1620, the Pilgrims, a group of people from England, arrived in America in what we know today as Plymouth, Massachusetts. After receiving help in the new world from the American Indians and acquiring a successful harvest a year after their arrival, it is believed that the Pilgrims held a feast jointly with a local tribe. This celebration between the Pilgrims and the local Wampanoag tribe would become known as the first Thanksgiving, a national holiday that would continue to be observed throughout American history.
Thanksgiving takes place in November and is the only national holiday in the United States that has historical connections to the American Indians. The month of November is also Native American Heritage Month, during which Native American Heritage Day occurs on Nov. 27. According to the 2000 U.S. census, those who identify as American Indian make up 1.24 percent of the population of North Carolina. There are eight American Indian tribes in NC, seven state recognized and one federally recognized . These tribes are known as the Coharie, the Haliwa-Saponi Indian tribe, the Lumbee tribe, the Meherrin Nation, the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, the Sappony, the Waccamaw Siouan tribe and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
The Coharie population is primarily found in Sampson and Harnett Counties. Like many tribes, the Coharie has a chief and a number of council members to govern them. There are four communities of the Coharie within Holly Grove, New Bethel, Shiloh and Antioch. The Coharie value school, and established their own school from the tribe’s funds in 1859 for Coharie children. They were also granted their own school system by the North Carolina legislature in 1911. In 1943, the East Carolina Indian School was established, with the Coharie and other Native American students from neighboring counties attending. The high school’s building is now used as the Coharie Tribal Administrative Offices.
The Haliwa-Saponi tribe currently has 4,300 members. The tribe’s name is derived from where they are located, in Halifax and Warren Counties in the northeastern part of the state. They are descendants of the Saponi. The ancestors of the Haliwa-Saponi lived a life surrounded by hunting, fishing and farming. Currently, the Haliwa-Saponi garden and farm in their communities.
The Lumbee tribe is found in the southeast of North Carolina in Robeson County and its surroundings. Their name is based on the Lumber River which is located close by. The Lumbee consists of more than 55,000 members and is the largest tribe east of the Mississippi River. The Lumbee ancestors spoke the Algonquian language and were farmers who harvested crops such as corn. They were also hunters and hunted for animals like deer and turkey. Heavily influenced by Europeans, little is known about what kinds of clothing the Lumbee originally wore. The Lumbee women possibly wore skirts and the men, breechcloths (rectangular pieces of cloth that can be made from animal, worn on the lower parts of the body between the legs). For special occasions, modern day Lumbee wear feathers on their heads.
Located in northeastern North Carolina, the Meherrin Tribe and its communities are found in Hertford and surrounding counties. They are known as the people of the water. The Meherrin are relatives of the Iroquois Nation. For ceremonial or special occasions in the past and present day, the women wear long dresses with skirts underneath and the men wear feathered hats. Both women and men wear traditional wampum jewelry and beadwork. The ancestors of the Meherrin spoke Saku:re but few speak it today. The Meherrin also have a clan system. According to the Meherrin Nation’s website, one’s ‘clan’ is considered to be one’s extended family, and it runs ‘matrilineally through the mother, her mother, and her mother, and so on.’ In the past, the Meherrin lived in longhouses with the same clan as part of their daily lives. Today, their longhouses are used for ceremonies. The Meherrin are currently governed by council members and a tribal chief elected by the people.
The Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation (OBSN) is found in Alamance and Orange Counties. They are descendants of Siouan speaking tribes and part of many tribes that joined together under the name of Saponi in the 1700s.
The Sappony tribe (also known as the Saponi) are located in Person County near the border of North Carolina and Virgina. They are known to be historically involved with helping to draw the North Carolina and Virgina state lines. The Saponi consist of seven families with a council and chief for each family. Their official seal showcases tobacco, corn, wheat and seven feathers for the seven families. The Saponi celebrate and hold events such as Homecoming and a Fall Stew throughout the year.
The Waccamaw Siouan are known as the People of the Fallen Star. They are located in the southeast of North Carolina in Bladen and Columbus Counties. They were a Siouan speaking tribe. Due to their efforts in advocating for education, a publicly funded Waccamaw school opened in 1933. Because the school was poorly funded and eventually had to close, the tribe petitioned the US government to be federally recognized and receive funding and services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. They now have a tribal council called the Waccanaw Siouan Development Association which was established in 1971. The organization assists tribal members in aspects of their daily lives, like filling out forms regarding houses or helping with job placement.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians were originally part of the bigger Cherokee Nation. In the past, the women of the villages would farm and harvest crops while the men hunted. Due to a government mandate in 1838, the Cherokee were forcibly removed from the southeast of the country to the west of the Mississippi River. This would be known as the Trail of Tears where more than 1600 natives were relocated to Oklahoma. The Eastern Band of Cherokee reside in Western North Carolina and have their own land next to the Great Smoky Mountains. They are a sovereign nation with their own systems and institutions. In the past, they have been governed democratically with chiefs in their villages. Currently, they have government officials elected by votes from the people. They are the only federally recognized tribe in North Carolina.
For more information on North Carolina’s American Indian tribes, visit the websites of the Coharie, the Haliwa-Saponi Indian tribe, the Lumbee tribe, the Meherrin Nation, the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, the Sappony, the Waccamaw Siouan tribe and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Article and graphic by July Two.
