North Carolina Indian Tribes

The following tribes at one time are recorded in history as having resided within the present state of North Carolina. If the tribe name is in bold, then North Carolina is the primary location known for this tribe, otherwise we provide the tribes specifics as it pertains to North Carolina and provide a link to the main tribal page if available.

  • Bear River Indians
    A body of Indians mentioned by Lawson and associated with Algonquian tribes. They may have been a part of the Machapunga. Rights (1947) calls them the Bear River or Bay River Indians. Lawson (1709) gives the name of their town as Raudauqua-quark and estimates the number of fighting at 50. Mooney (1928) places them with the Pamlico in his estimate as of the year 1600 and gives the two a population of 1,000. (See also California Indian Tribes for another tribe of the same name.)
  • Cape Fear Indians
  • Catawba Indians
    This tribe occupied parts of southwestern North Carolina near Catawba River. Significance unknown.
  • Cheraw Indians
  • Cherokee Indians
    The Cherokee lived in the mountainous parts of the State in the west.
  • Chowanoc Indians
  • Coree Indians, or Coranine Indians
  • Eno Indians
  • Hatteras Indians
  • Keyauwee Indians
  • Machapunga Indians
  • Meherrin Indians
    This tribe extended across from Virginia into Northampton and Hertford Counties. (See Virginia.)
  • Moratok Indians. (Moratoc)
  • Natchez Indians
    Part of the Natchez Indians sought refuge with and Cherokee after their tribe had been broken up by the French and most of them appear to have lived along Hiwassee River. They accompanied those Cherokee who moved to Oklahoma and settled on the western margin of the Cherokee Reservation, where a few of them retained their language long enough to have it recorded.
  • Neusiok Indians
  • Occaneechi Indians
    When the Occaneechi lived on Roanoke River, Va., they probably ranged over into Warren, Halifax, and Northampton Counties, N. C. In 1701 they were in Orange County, N. C. (See Virginia.)
  • Pamlico Indians
  • Saponi Indians
    This tribe lived on Yadkin River and in other parts of the State for a certain period. (See Virginia.)
  • Shakori Indians
  • Sara Indians, see Cheraw Indians.
  • Sissipahaw Indians
  • Sugeree Indians
    This tribe occupied parts of Mecklenburg County.
  • Tuscarora Indians
  • Tutelo Indians
    This tribe lived for a while on the upper Yadkin and later in Bertie County. (See Virginia.)
  • Waccamaw Indians
    They probably ranged across into North Carolina from the head of Waccamaw River.
  • Wateree Indians
    According to Lederer (1912) they were living in 1670 on the upper Yadkin.
  • Waxhaw Indians
    They extended over into Union County from South Carolina.
  • Weapemeoc Indians
  • Woccon Indians
  • Yadkin Indians
  • Yeopim Indians, see Weapemeoc Indians.

Collection:
Swanton, John R. The Indian Tribes of North America. Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin 145. Washington DC: US Government Printing Office. 1953.

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4 thoughts on “North Carolina Indian Tribes”

  1. i notice there is eight listed i know a tribe of emerald isle nc that was not on the list their tribe is Algenquin native tribe ,,,i know there is so many more that are not talked about I know some day they will appear

  2. Hello my name is Liz. I was wondering if you have any information about Native Americans in Wayne County, North Carolina, specifically to the area of Seven Springs, aka White Hall, and the Cliffs of the Neuse. What little I have learned is that the Saponi lived around that area, area were called Saponi Hills . I would love any information you might have. Thank you,

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