Native American Heritage Month Facts
Facts adapted from the NC American Indian Heritage Commission and the National Smithsonian of the American Indian

1.   Happy Native American Heritage Month!
Established in 1990, November is designated as Native American Heritage Month in the U.S. to recognize and honor the contributions of Native Americans to the history and culture of the country. Over the month of November, we will be sharing and highlighting different facts about Native American history that allows us to learn and celebrate

2. Powwow

A Powwow is a celebration of Native American heritage and culture. At a powwow, it is a great display of Native dancing, singing, drumming, regalia, and artistry. Most tribes and alot of universities host powwows to bring Native and non Native people together to celebrate Native culture. Most are open to the public, so definitely check one out. GCS will host their own powwow at Western Guilford Middle School on Nov 20th. 

3. Native American Tribes:
Did you know across the US there are over 570 Native American Tribes? North Carolina is home to eight recognized tribes: the Eastern Band of Cherokee, Lumbee, Coharie (Co-hair-ee), Haliwa-Saponi (Hah-leh-wah suh-POH-nee), Meherrin (Meh-hair-in), Sappony (SAP-oh-nee), Waccamaw Siouan (WAH-kah-maw Soo-wan), and the Occaneechi Band of Saponi (Oh-kah-NEE-chee Band of SAP-oh-nee). Each tribe has its unique history, culture, and traditions. In Guilford County Schools, we have students from over 35 Tribes, including all of the North Carolina Tribes. 

4. Coharie Tribe. 

Headquartered in Clinton, the Coharie Indian Tribe descends from the aboriginal Neusiok Indian Tribe on the Coharie River in Harnett and Sampson counties. The community consists of four

settlements: Holly Grove, New Bethel, Shiloh, and Antioch. Early records indicate the

tribe sought refuge from hostilities from both English colonists and Native peoples, moving to this

area between 1729 and 1746 from the northern and northeastern part of the state.

5.  Eastern Band of Cherokee Tribe: 

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians resides in the western part of North Carolina. Their first village site is the Kituwah Mound in Swain County. It was there that the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians formed a government to oppose the removal of the 

Cherokee Nation from the east, known as the Trail of Tears in the 1830s. Though the majority of Cherokee people were forcibly removed to Oklahoma, many escaped and returned to their homelands in North Carolina, creating the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Today, the only federally recognized tribe in North Carolina makes their home on the 56,000-acre Qualla

Boundary, adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

6. The next Tribe we are going to highlight is the Lumbee Tribe.
The Lumbee Tribe is the largest tribe in North Carolina, the largest tribe east of the Mississippi

River and the ninth largest in the nation. The Lumbee take their name from the Lumber River

originally known as the Lumbee, which winds its way through Robeson County. The more than

35,000 members of the Lumbee Tribe reside primarily in Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland, and

Scotland counties. Pembroke is the economic, cultural, and political center of the tribe. The

ancestors of the Lumbee were mainly Cheraw and related Siouan-speaking Indians who were first

observed in 1724 on the Drowning Creek (Lumbee River) in present-day Robeson County. In 1887,

the state established the Croatan Normal Indian School, which is today the University of North

Carolina at Pembroke. A variety of enterprises including an industrial park, farming, small

businesses, and the University contribute to the economy.

7. Haliwa-Saponi:
The Haliwa-Saponi tribal members are direct descendants of the Saponi, Tuscarora, Tutelo and Nansemond Indians. The Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe is the third-largest tribe in the state. The tribe resides primarily in the area traditionally known by the elders as "The Meadows," which encompasses most of the southwestern part of rural Halifax County and the southeastern part of rural Warren County. The Haliwa-Saponi Powwow is the oldest powwow in the state, typically held in April.

8. Meherrin

The Meherrin People, also known as People of the Water, are an Iroquois Nation

closely related to the Tuscarora, with whom they share a language, cultural ties, and a history of once being part of a people who long ago traveled East to the rising sun and took up residence in North Carolina.In 1680 Meherrin Chiefs Ununtequero and Horehannah signed an Addendum to the 1677 Treaty of Middle Plantation, which established two reservations for the Meherrin. Over time,

the Meherrin relocated downstream and eventually settled in present-day Maneys Neck, formerly known as Meherrin Neck. In 1726, the North Carolina General Assembly assigned a reservation to the Meherrin, and in 1729, “An Act for the More Quiet

Settling the Bounds of the Meherrin Indian Lands” expanded their reservation to include the

confluence of the Chowan and Meherrin Rivers. Today, the Meherrin Tribal members primarily

reside in Hertford, Bertie, Northampton and Gates Counties, N.C.

9. Occaneechi Band of Saponi Nation

The Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation is located in Alamance, Caswell and Orange counties. The Occaneechi are the smallest of the officially state-recognized tribes, but its members are active in their community and in statewide Indian events. The Occaneechi descend from several small Siouan speaking tribes who were living in the Piedmont of North Carolina and Virginia when the first European explorers arrived in the 1600s.

10. Sappony

The Sappony have made the Piedmont Highlands their home for countless generations. Today, the

tribe's members comprise seven core families, or clans, and live along the border of North

Carolina and Virginia known as the High Plains. In the early 1700s, when the Sappony children were

attending school at Fort Christanna and the tribe was guarding the frontier for the colonies, they

were also helping to mark the North Carolina-Virginia border. As a result, part of High Plains is

located in Person County, N.C., and part is located in Halifax County, Va. The tribe is actively

pursuing initiatives in the areas of economic development, education, and cultural preservation.

11. Waccamaw Siouan

The Waccamaw, historically known as the Waccamassus, were formerly located 100 miles

northeast of Charleston, SC. After the Waccamaw and South Carolina War in 1749, the Waccamaw

sought refuge in the swamplands of North Carolina. The present day Waccamaw Siouan Tribal

Office is located in Columbus and Bladen counties. Their community is situated on the edge of the Green Swamp west of Wilmington, and east of Lake Waccamaw.

12. Veterans/Native American Code Talkers: 

During World War I and World War II, Native American soldiers used their native languages to create unbreakable codes for military communications, which played a crucial role in U.S. military success. Today Native American’s have the highest numbers per capita of people who serve in the military. Alot of this is attributed to a strong value in community and a love for our homelands. 

13. Guilford Native American Association

The Guilford Native American Association is a Native American community association in Guilford

County. It is a North Carolina State-recognized American Indian Organization and a United Way

referral agency. Incorporated in September 1975 by local parents as a non-profit education

advocacy group, the association has grown to encompass childcare, employment, and age-based

community programs. It is the oldest American Indian urban association in North Carolina and one

of the oldest organizations of its kind in the United States.

14. UNCPembroke

Did you know the University of North Carolina at Pembroke was originally established as a school for Native Americans. The original name, the Croatan Indian Normal School was founded as an institution to train Native educators and is now a leading institution for Native American higher education and cultural studies.