Mythologies of the Catawba Tribe

Catawba Tribe

996 AVENUE OF THE NATIONS
ROCK HILL, SC 29730

The Catawba, also known as Issa, Essa or Iswä but most commonly Iswa (Catawba: Ye Iswąˀ 'people of the river'), are a federally recognized tribe of Native Americans, known as the Catawba Indian Nation. Their current lands are in South Carolina, on the Catawba River, near the city of Rock Hill. Their territory once extended into North Carolina, as well, and they still have legal claim to some parcels of land in that state. They were once considered one of the most powerful Southeastern tribes in the Carolina Piedmont, as well as one of the most powerful tribes in the South as a whole, with other, smaller tribes merging into the Catawba as their post-contact numbers dwindled due to the effects of colonization on the region. The Catawba were among the East Coast tribes who made selective alliances with some of the early European colonists, when these colonists agreed to help them in their ongoing conflicts with other tribes. These were primarily the tribes of different language families: the Iroquois, who ranged south from the Great Lakes area and New York; the Algonquian Shawnee and Lenape (Delaware); and the Iroquoian Cherokee, who fought for control over the large Ohio Valley (including what is in present-day West Virginia). During the American Revolutionary War the Catawba supported the American colonists against the British. Decimated by colonial smallpox epidemics, warfare and cultural disruption, the Catawba declined markedly in number in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Some Catawba continued to live in their homelands in South Carolina, while others joined the Choctaw or Cherokee, at least temporarily. Terminated as a tribe by the federal government in 1959, the Catawba Indian Nation had to reorganize to reassert their sovereignty and treaty rights. In 1973 they established their tribal enrollment and began the process of regaining federal recognition. In 1993 they regained federal recognition and won a $50 million Indian land claims settlement by the federal government and state of South Carolina. The state of South Carolina also recognized the tribe in 1993. Their headquarters are at Rock Hill, South Carolina. As of 2006, the population of the Catawba Nation has increased to about 2,600, most in South Carolina.

Catawba, North American Indian tribe of Siouan language stock who inhabited the territory around the Catawba River in what are now the U.S. states of North and South Carolina. Their principal village was on the west side of the river in north-central South Carolina. They were known among English colonial traders as Flatheads because, like a number of other tribes of the Southeast, they practiced ritual head flattening on male infants. Traditional Catawba villages consisted of bark-covered cabins and a temple for public gatherings and religious ceremonies. Each village was governed by a council presided over by a chief. They subsisted principally by farming, harvesting two or more crops of corn (maize) each year and growing several varieties of beans, squash, and gourds. In most Southeast Indian cultures the farming was done by the women, but among the Catawba it was the men who farmed. A plentiful supply of passenger pigeons served as winter food. The Catawba made bowls, baskets, and mats, which they traded to other tribes and Europeans for meat and skins. Fish was also a staple of their diet; they caught sturgeon and herring using weirs, snares, and long poles. In the 17th century the Catawba numbered about 5,000. As the Spanish, English, and French competed to colonize the Carolinas, the Catawba became virtual satellites of the various colonial factions. Their numbers fell off rapidly; in 1738 approximately half the tribe was wiped out in a smallpox epidemic, and by 1780 there were only an estimated 500 Catawba left. They were allies of the English in the Tuscarora War (1711–13) and in the French and Indian War (1754–63), but they aided the colonists in the American Revolution. Late 21st-century population estimates indicated more than 2,500 Catawba descendants.

The Catawba Indians are an inspiration and a great example of making the most of your circumstances. Despite their repeated attempts at making peace and coexisting with white settlers, the Catawba were often the victims of persecution, betrayal, and misfortune. The Catawba tribe was the first group to settle along the Catawba River in the eastern United States in South Carolina and North Carolina. It’s unknown when they first arrived in the Carolinas, only that they lived there when European explorers first arrived in the 1600s. Often referred to as the Catawba Nation for reasons we’ll discuss later, the Catawba people spoke the Siouan language. They were closely related to various other tribes and peoples in the Carolinas at the time but separated to form their own tribe. The Catawba were also known as Flathead Indians by white settlers because they would flatten the heads of infant males when they were born. The Catawba were a very peaceful people that lived a sedentary lifestyle, as opposed to Indians in the Great Plains region, that typically lived a nomadic lifestyle. The Catawba lived in various villages in bark-covered cabins. Each village had its own council and chief that acted as the government for the village. However, because each village spoke the same Siouan language, they could easily communicate and live together in peace.

A Siouan people who lived in the Catawba River Valley in both the Carolinas, the Catawba Nation is the only federally recognized tribe to reside in South Carolina. Today, the tribe stands at 2,800 members. The but the Catawba were once a prominent tribe that hunted, farmed, and lived in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. The Catawba, known among themselves as the is-WAH h’reh or “people of the river,” first encountered white settlers of the Virginia and Carolina colonies who sought furs and other Indian trade goods. In the late seventeenth century, Virginian and Carolinian traders traded with the Catawba, and the extensive trading paths through the region proved helpful to both groups. The Catawba managed to control trade because of their unique location in the Piedmont region in the late 1600s, but the Tuscarora and Yamassee Wars proved detrimental to the tribe. White traders exploited the native’s trust as the fur trade continued, and slave traders captured numerous Indians for free labor. In response to the greedy Europeans, the Catawba entered a confederacy with the Yamassee in 1713 and the tribes attacked colonists in both North and South Carolina. However, the colonists proved a formidable opponent, killing and capturing many Yamassee and Catawba warriors. According to historian William S. Powell, “The Catawbas retreated to their northern towns and again absorbed refugees from the defeated tribes”. European disease was the Catawba’s deadliest foe during the mid-1700s. In 1728, smallpox left the tribe in meager numbers and the disease struck again in 1738, killing almost half of the tribe’s members. After years of failed crops, disease scoured the tribe once more in 1759, “bringing the population of the tribe to less than 1,000 by 1760”) A year after smallpox claimed numerous Catawba in 1759, the tribe entered into a land treaty with the South Carolina government. The tribe ceded much of their land for a small 15-square mile reservation. At the start of the Revolutionary War, the Catawba, unlike the Cherokee, joined the colonists in their war against the British. Despite their allegiances with the victorious party, the Catawba dwindled in its size and influence after the war.

The Catawba people, often referred to as the “River People,” have a rich history that stretches back thousands of years. As a tribe known for their enduring strength, their story is one of adaptation, resistance, and cultural preservation. Today, we will delve into the intricacies of the Catawba Native American Tribe, exploring their history, their unique cultural practices, and their lasting legacy. The Catawba Nation, originally known as the “Iswa,” were a distinct tribe with a complex history and cultural heritage. Their ancestral lands encompassed a vast territory, stretching from the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains to the coastal plains of South Carolina and North Carolina. As stewards of their land, the Catawba people were deeply connected to the natural world, and their lives revolved around the rhythms of the seasons and the bounty of their environment. Their ancestors were skilled farmers, hunters, and fishermen, adept at living in harmony with nature. Their history is intertwined with the intricate tapestry of Native American life in the Southeast. They engaged in trade with other tribes, cultivating alliances and navigating the complex power dynamics of the region. Their lives were marked by both peaceful coexistence and periods of conflict with neighboring tribes. Their history is a testament to their resilience and ability to adapt and survive in a challenging environment. The Catawba people’s history is marked by interactions with European colonizers, starting in the 16th century. As Europeans sought to establish settlements and claim land in the Southeast, the Catawba faced a new set of challenges. Their interactions with European explorers and traders were marked by a complex mix of curiosity, competition, and conflict. While some relationships were initially peaceful, marked by trade and cultural exchange, the arrival of European colonists brought about significant changes to the Catawba’s way of life. These interactions, although complex, contributed to the shaping of the Catawba people’s history and their enduring spirit.

The Catawba also known as Issa, Essa, or Iswa, have lived along the Catawba River for thousands of years, with their ancestral lands in the Piedmont region of North and South Carolina and into southern Virginia. Their name is probably derived from the Choctaw word meaning divided or separated, but the tribe calls themselves, yeh is-WAH h’reh, meaning “people of the river.” One of the most important of the eastern Siouan tribes, they first came into contact with Europeans in 1540 when Hernando de Soto came through South Carolina. During this time, they were noted to be both farmers and good hunters, and the women were proficient at making baskets and pottery, arts which they still preserve. Traditionally, the Catawba were matriarchal societies, with women having dominance. They also practiced the custom of head-flattening to a limited extent, as did several neighboring tribes. Early Spanish explorers estimated that their population was between 15,000-25,000. But as more Europeans arrived, the tribe was decimated with diseases. When the English first settled South Carolina about 1682, they estimated the Catawba at about 1,500 warriors or about 4,600 people in total. Trade with the Europeans became important in the late 17th century with Virginia and Carolina settlers. However, these many immigrants also brought diseases, which killed many of the people. The Catawba were long in a state of conflict with several northern tribes, particularly the Iroquois, Seneca, and the Algonquian-speaking Lenape. The Catawba chased Lenape raiding parties back to the north in the 1720s and 1730s. In 1759, smallpox swept through the Catawba villages reducing the tribe’s population to less than 1,000 by 1760. By the 1760s, a reservation had been established for them within the present-day York and Lancaster Counties of South Carolina. During the American Revolution, many of the Catawba joined in the fight for the Americans. By 1826, their numbers had been reduced to only about 110 people, and nearly the whole of their reservation was leased to white settlers. In 1841, another treaty with the South Carolina government stipulated that the tribe sell their remaining 144,000 acres of land in return for promised payments to buy land elsewhere, as well as additional annual payments. However, the plan was unsuccessful as other tribes who had moved west did not want the Catawba because they would have had to share the land, government money, and services. In the end, the Catawba had no home, and by 1847, the South Carolina Governor declared: “They are, in effect, dissolved.”

The Catawba tribe has a long history of pottery. While it is mostly women who make the pottery, some men also participate after their population drops. Utilizing clay dug near the Catawba River, the Catawbas’ methods of production are nearly unchanged since the Woodland (1000 B.C.E.–600 C.E.) and Mississippian (600–1600 C.E.) periods. Impurities are removed from pipe and pan clay, and then pots are hand-built using traditional coiling techniques. Protruding features, such as handles and legs, are attached by riveting (pushing the attachment through a hole pierced in the pot) rather than by direct application to the surface. This technique creates features that will not break off easily. Once pots are air dried, the surface is scraped even with a piece of bone, antler, or a knife and then burnished to a shine with a smooth river stone. Pottery is still made by the remaining Catawba's today. The Catawba Tribe managed to survive Indian removal and disease. According to their website, here is where they are at now: Of the 573 federally recognized tribes in the United States, the Catawba Indian Nation is the only one located in the state of South Carolina. The modern-day tribal lands are located in York County, South Carolina. There are currently over 3300 enrolled members of the Nation. The Nation has a long history and a rich culture that lives on today. The Catawba tribe has shown an ability to adapt and progress more than most Native Americans. While they still maintain many of their traditions, they have also adopted many from the modern world.

“As to our Liveing on those Lands we Expect to live on those Lands we now possess During our Time here for when the Great man above made us he also made this Island he also made our forefathers and of this Colour and Hue (Showing his hands & Breast) he also fixed our forefathers and us here and to Inherit this Land and Ever since we Lived after our manner and fashion.” From the earliest period the Catawba have also been known as Esaw, or Issa (Catawba iswä, “river”), from their residence on the principal stream of the region. The tribe is known as both, the present-day Catawba and Wateree rivers Iswa. The original homeland of the Catawba before contact is uncertain. De Soto’s expedition in 1540 apparently went directly through their homeland but did not mention a name that can be attached to them with any certainty. Pardo’s expedition during 1566-67 was the first to mention the Iswa, a branch of which would later become known as the Catawba. Contact by British colonists from Virginia was made in 1653. Hostility with the neighboring Cherokee existing from a period before the Europeans. When the a large number of refugee Shawnee arrived in South Carolina after fleeing the Iroquois during 1660, the Cherokee gave them permission to settle as a buffer between them and the Catawba. The Catawba and Shawnee (or Savannah) were soon at war with each other. At almost the same time, the Yuchi entered the area from the Cumberland basin, and the Catawba also fought with them.

The Catawba Nation Cultural Center is an interesting mix of things. It is partly a museum with some displays of Catawban pottery. Catawban pottery is different because it is not fired in a kiln: instead, it is gradually hardened next to the fire and then in a fire pit. This gives it an interesting “charred” appearance. There was also a display of a Catawban suuk – a round house made out of saplings and tree bark. Along a hallway was a large mural that told the story of the Catawban people. The Catawba (also called Iswa – people of the river) are the people indigenous to this area of South and North Carolina. They were driven out of the north by the Iroquois and settled along the Catawba and Wateree Rivers around 1550. After several wars with the Cherokee, the Broad River was established as a boundary between the lands of the two nations. The Catawba are primarily an agricultural people who established towns along the rivers and lived peacefully with the earliest European-American settlers.

Catawba Tribe of South Carolina

The Catawba, also known as Issa, Essa, or Iswa, have lived along the Catawba River for thousands of years, with their ancestral lands in the Piedmont region of North and South Carolina and into southern Virginia. Their name is probably derived from the Choctaw word meaning divided or separated, but the tribe calls themselves, yeh is-WAH h’reh, meaning “people of the river.” One of the most important of the eastern Siouan tribes, they first came into contact with Europeans in 1540 when Hernando de Soto came through South Carolina. During this time, they were noted to be both farmers and good hunters, and the women were proficient at making baskets and pottery, arts which they still preserve. Traditionally, the Catawba were matriarchal societies, with women having dominance. They also practiced the custom of head-flattening to a limited extent, as did several neighboring tribes.

The first recorded contact with the Catawbas was in 1540, during Hernando de Soto’s North American expedition in search of gold. But Chief Bill Harris says the history of the First Nation People dates back further, approximately 6,000 years, when villages could be found along the Catawba River throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Georgia.

Yap Ye Iswa Festival

Yap Ye Iswa (Day of the Catawba) is supported by the Catawba Cultural Center, and is celebrated every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This celebration allows the Catawba and people from all different backgrounds to be educated about Catawba culture. The festival includes traditional Catawba art, history, stories, dance, language, music, pottery and food. There is also storytelling and performances given by traditional drummers and dancers. Potters are able to display and sell their traditional pottery. The Day of the Catawba helps to keep Catawba culture preserved and is a way for non-native people to learn about the culture and heritage of the Catawba tribe. Unfortunately, the Yap Ye Iswa Festival will not be held in 2012. In 1973, the Catawbas filed their petition with Congress for federal recognition. They also updated and adopted their constitution in 1975. The Catawbas had a strong argument in this fight. The Treaty at Nations Ford with South Carolina was illegal because it was not ratified by the federal government. The federal government should have protected the rights of the tribe. It took 20 years, but on November 20, 1993, the land claim settlement with the state of South Carolina and the federal government finally came to an end. The Catawbas agreed to give up claims on land taken from them by the state of South Carolina. In return, the Catawba Indian Nation received federal recognition and $50 million for economic development, education, social services, and land purchases.

Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History near York, South Carolina, lies just 15 straight-line miles from the Catawba River, so it seems likely our property was traversed in times past by Catawba Indians exploring its tributaries. Although this is pure speculation, there can be no doubt about the tribe’s connection with the actual waterway, for the Catawbas call themselves yeh is-WAH h’reh, or “People of the River.” Since overflow from Hilton Pond makes its way into Fishing Creek and eventually the Catawba River, we feel a natural affinity for the Catawba Indian Nation past and present.