The Chowanoc Indians, part of the Algonquian linguistic family, inhabited the Chowan River area in northeastern North Carolina. Known for their prominence around 1584-85, they were a leading tribe with a population of about 1,500. The Chowanoc entered a treaty with the English in 1663 but faced decline after warfare and reduced land. By 1755, their population dwindled to just five individuals. Their legacy endures in the names of the Chowan River and Chowan County.
The Chowanoc Indians, an Algonquian tribe, inhabited the Chowan River region in northeastern North Carolina, near the Meherrin and Nottoway rivers. At their peak in the late 16th century, they were the area’s predominant tribe with villages such as Ohanoak and Maraton, reporting around 700 warriors. Their population declined due to European encroachment, eventually leading to a single village by 1701. They participated in the Tuscarora War but faced further reduction, and by 1820, they were believed to be extinct.