Native American

The list of items below have been tagged as part of the Native American historical collection here at AccessGenealogy.

The Choctaw Freedmen and Oak Hill Industrial Academy

Oak Hill Industrial Academy

The aim of the Author in preparing this volume has been to put in a form, convenient for preservation and future reference, a brief historical sketch of the work and workers connected with the founding and development of Oak Hill Industrial Academy, established for the benefit of the Freedmen of the Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory, by the Presbyterian Church, U. S. A., in 1886, when Miss Eliza Hartford became the first white teacher, to the erection of Elliott Hall in 1910, and its dedication in 1912; when the name of the institution was changed to “The Alice Lee Elliott Memorial.”

Santee Indians

Santee Tribe: Named according to Speck (1935), from iswan’ti, “the river,” or “the river is there.” Also called: Seretee, by Lawson (1860). Santee Connections. No words of the Santee language have come down to us, but there is little doubt that they belonged to the Siouan linguistic family. Santee Location. On the middle course of Santee River. Santee Villages. The only name preserved is Hickerau, on a branch of Santee River. Santee History. The Santee were first encountered by the Spaniards during the seventeenth century, and in the narrative of his second expedition Captain Eçija places them on Santee River. … Read more

Wateree Indians

Wateree Tribe: Gatschet suggests a connection with Catawba, wateran, “to float on the water.” Also called: Chickanee, name for a division of Wateree and meaning “little.” Guatari, Spanish spelling of their name. Wateree Connections. The Wateree are placed in the Siouan linguistic stock on circumstantial evidence. Wateree Location. The location associated most closely with the Wateree historically was on Wateree River, below the present Camden. (See North Carolina.) Wateree History. The Wateree are first mentioned in the report of an expedition from Santa Elena (Beaufort) by Juan Pardo in 1566-67. They lived well inland toward the Cherokee frontier. Pardo made … Read more

Winyaw Indians

Winyaw Tribe: Meaning unknown. Winyaw Connections. The Winyaw are placed in the Siouan linguistic family on circumstantial evidence. Their closest connections were with the Pedee and Waccamaw. Winyaw Location. On Winyaw Bay, Black River, and the lower course of the Pee Dee. Winyaw History. Unless this tribe is represented by the Yenyohol of Francisco of Chicora (1521), the Winyaw were first mentioned by the colonists of South Carolina after 1670. In 1683 it was charged that colonists had raided them for slaves on an insufficiently supported charge of murder by some of their people This unfriendly act did not prevent … Read more

Waxhaw Indians

Waxhaw Tribe: Meaning unknown. Also called: Flatheads, a name given to this tribe and others of the Catawba connection owing to their custom of deforming the head. Waxhaw Connection. Nothing of their language has been preserved, but circumstantial evidence points to a close relationship between the Waxhaw and the Catawba and hence to membership in the Siouan linguistic stock. Their closest contacts appear to have been with the Sugeree. Waxhaw Location. In Lancaster County, S. C., and Union and Mecklenburg Counties, N. C. Waxhaw Villages. Lawson mentions two villages in 1701 but the names are not given. Waxhaw History. The … Read more

Waccamaw Indians

Waccamaw Tribe: Meaning unknown. Waccamaw Connections. Nothing of their tongue has been preserved but evidence points to a  connection with the Waccamaw with the Siouan linguistic family, and presumably with the Catawba dialectic group. The Woccon may have been a late subdivision, as Dr. Rights has suggested. (See North Carolina.) Waccamaw Location. On Waccamaw River and the lower course of the Pee Dee. (See North Carolina.) Waccamaw Villages. The Waccamaw were reported to have had six villages in 1715, but none of the names is preserved. Waccamaw History. The name of the Waccamaw may perhaps be recorded in the form … Read more

Sugeree Indians

Sugeree Tribe: Speck (1935) suggests Catawba yensr grihere, “people stingy,” or “spoiled,” or “of the river whose-water-cannot-be drunk.” Also called: Suturees, a synonym of 1715. Sugeree Connections. —No words of their language have been preserved, but there is every reason to suppose that they belonged to the Siouan linguistic family and were closely related to the Catawba, and perhaps still more closely to the Shakori. Sugeree Location. On and near Sugar Creek in York County, S. C, and Mecklenburg County, N. C. Sugeree Villages. There were said to be many but their names have not been preserved. Sugeree History. The … Read more

Sewee Indians

Sewee Tribe: Significance: perhaps, as Gatschet suggested, from sawe’, “island.” Sewee Connections. No words of their language have survived, but the Sewee are regarded as Siouan on strong circumstantial grounds, in spite of the fact that they are sometimes classed with the Cusabo. Sewee Location. On the lower course of Santee River and the coast westward to the divide of the of Ashley River about the present Monks Corner, Berkeley County, SC. Sewee Villages. Lawson, writing about 1700, mentions a deserted village in Sewee Bay called Avendaughbough which may have belonged to them (Lawson, 1860). The name seems to be … Read more

Saluda Indians

Saluda Tribe: Meaning unknown. Saluda Connections. These are uncertain but circumstantial evidence indicates strongly that the Saluda were a band of Shawnee, and therefore of the Algonquian stock. Saluda Location. On Saluda River. Saluda History. Almost all that we know regarding the Saluda is contained in a note on George Hunter’s map of the Cherokee country drawn in 1730 indicating “Saluda town where a nation settled 35 years ago, removed 18 years to Conestogo, in Pensilvania.” As bands of Shawnee were moving into just that region from time to time during the period indicated, there is reason to think that … Read more

Pedee Indians

Pedee Tribe: Meaning unknown, but Speck (1935) suggests from Catawba pi’ri, “something good,” or pi’here, “smart,” “expert,” “capable.” Pedee Connections. No words of the language have survived but there is every reason to suppose that it was a dialect of the Siouan linguistic family. Pedee Location. On Great Pee Dee River, particularly its middle course. Pedee Village. No village names are known apart from the tribal name, which was sometimes applied to specific settlements. Pedee History. The Pedee are first mentioned by the colonists of South Carolina. In 1716 a place in or near their country called Sankey (perhaps Socatee) … Read more

Cusabo Indians

Cusabo Tribe: Meaning perhaps “Coosawhatchie River (people).” Cusabo Connections. There is little doubt that the Cusabo belonged to the Muskhogean linguistic family. Their closest connections appear to have been with the Indians of the Georgia coast, the Guale. Cusabo Location.—In the southernmost part of South Carolina between Charleston Harbor and Savannah River and including most of the valleys of the Ashley, Edisto, Ashepoo, Combahee, Salkehatchie, and  Coosawhatchie Rivers. Cusabo Subdivisions. These people should be divided first into the Cusabo proper, who occupied all the coast, and the Coosa, who were inland upon the rivers above mentioned. The Cusabo proper seem … Read more

Congaree Indians

Congaree Tribe: Meaning unknown. Congaree Connection. No words of this language have been preserved but the form of the name and general associations of the tribe leave little doubt that it was a Siouan dialect, related most closely to Catawba. Congaree Location. On Congaree River, centering in the neighborhood of the present State Capital, Columbia. Congaree Villages. The only village mentioned bore the same name as the tribe and was sometimes placed on the Congaree opposite Columbia, sometimes on the north side of the river. Congaree History. The Congaree are mentioned in documents of the seventeenth century as one of … Read more

Catawba Indians

Catawba Tribe: Significance unknown though the name was probably native to the tribe. Also called: Ani’ta’guă, Cherokee name. Iswa or Issa, signifying “river,” and specifically the Catawba River; originally probably an independent band which united early with the Catawba proper. Oyadagahrcenes, Tadirighrones, Iroquois names. Usherys, from iswahere, “river down here”; see Issa. Catawba Connections. The Catawba belonged to the Siouan linguistic family, but Catawba was the most aberrant of all known Siouan languages, though closer to Woccon than any other of which a vocabulary has been recorded. Catawba Location. In York and Lancaster Counties mainly but extending into the neighboring … Read more

Kaskinampo Indians

Kaskinampo Tribe: Meaning unknown, though -nampo may be the Koasati word for “many.” Kaskinampo Connections. The Kaskinampo were probably closely related to the Koasati, and through them to the Alabama, Choctaw, and other Muskhogean people. Kaskinampo Location. Their best-known historic location was on the lower end of an island in the Tennessee River, probably the one now called Pine Island. (See also Arkansas.) Kaskinampo History. There is every reason to believe that this tribe constituted the Casqui, Icasqui, or Casquin “province” which De Soto entered immediately after crossing the Mississippi River, and it was probably in what is now Phillips … Read more

Washa Indians

Washa Tribe: Appearing oftenest in literature in the French form Ouacha, meaning unknown. Washa Connections. The nearest relations of the Washa were the Chawasha and both belonged to the Chitimachan branch of the Tunican linguistic family. Washa Location. Their earliest known location was on Bayou La Fourche, perhaps in the neighborhood of the present Labadieville, Assumption Parish. Washa Villages. None are known under any but the tribal name. Washa History. As stated in treating the Chawasha, this tribe and the one just mentioned may have been those which attacked Moscoso’s flotilla at the mouth of the Mississippi. Shortly after Iberville … Read more

Tangipahoa Indians

Tangipahoa Tribe: Meaning probably “corncob gatherers,” or “corncob people.” Tangipahoa Connections. The name of this tribe and its affiliations with the Acolapissa indicate that it belonged to the southern division of the Muskhogean stock. Tangipahoa Location. Probably on the present Tangipahoa River, Tangipahoa Parish. Tangipahoa History. The original home of the Tangipahoa seems must have been as given above, and their relations with the Acolapissa must been very close, for Iberville was informed by some Indians that they constituted a seventh Acolapissa town. In 1682 La Salle’s party discovered a town on the eastern side of the Mississippi, 2 leagues  below … Read more

Taensa Indians

Taensa Tribe: Meaning unknown, but the name is evidently derived from that of one of the tribe’s constituent towns. Taensa Connections. They were one of the three known tribes of the Natchez division of the Muskhogean stock. Taensa Location. At the western end of Lake St. Joseph, in Tensas Parish. (See also Alabama.) Taensa Villages The only list of Taensa villages preserved was obtained by Iberville through the medium of the Mobilian trade language and it is uncertain how much of each name is a Mobilian translation. In four of them we recognize the Mobilian word for people, okla. These … Read more