 Meherrin, Tuscarora, and Nottway territory prior to 1700 CE | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| North Carolina,[1]Virginia | |
| Languages | |
| English, formerlyMeherrin language | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Tuscarora,Nottaway Tribe[2] |
TheMeherrin people are anIndigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who spoke anIroquian language.[1] They lived between thePiedmont and coastal plains at the border ofVirginia andNorth Carolina.[3] Some Meherrin migrated north and joined the Iroquois in Canada on theSix Nations of the Grand River reserve.[4]
TheMeherrin Indian Tribe is astate-recognized tribe in North Carolina.[5]
The meaning ofMeherrin is unknown.[1] Their name was first written as Maharineck.[1] It was also spelled Maherin, Maherring, Meherries, Meherron, and Menchaerink.[6]
The Meherrin Indian Tribe says theirautonym is Kauwets'a:ka, which translates to "People of the Water."[7][8]
The Meherrin spoke theMeherrin language, which is most likely anIroquian language.[1] This designation is based on their close relationships to the Iroquoian-speakingTuscarora andNottoway.[3] Linguistic evidence indicates that these three groups share a common ancestry and likely all spoke the same Iroquoian language or similar dialects. Tuscaroraoral history also indicates common origins.[2]
American anthropologistJames Mooney estimated that the Mehirren population was 700 in 1600.[9] They lived in dispersed villages, where they farmed, hunted, and gathered wild foods.[10] British colonistEdward Bland encountered the Meherrin in 1650 and first wrote about them. Their village Cowinchahawkon was on an early British trade route.[11] A 1669 Virginia Indian census said they had two villages and 50 fighting men,[11] for an estimated total of 180 Meherrin.[12] By 1675, they had absorbedSusquehanna refugees fleeing Pennsylvania.[1] In 1681 they moved south to the banks of theMeherrin River.[10]
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In 1705 the Virginia Colony established a reservation for the Meherrin at Maherrin Neck (later renamed Manley’s Neck), in an area claimed by both Virginia and Carolina. It was finally assigned to Carolina, and in 1706 Carolina ordered the Meherrin out of her territory, threatening violence to expel them. The Meherrin asked for more time, a year in order to harvest their crops, and asked for help from the Virginia colonists to make their case. Virginia took their side in the quarrel, but in August 1707 Carolinian officialThomas Pollock, leading a troop of 60 men, attacked Meherrin Town, destroying crops, homes, and all belongings; his forces seized 36 men, depriving them of water for two days. In September the Virginia militia met with the chiefs, promising Virginia’s protection to prevent them from retaliating against Carolina. Col. Edmond Jennings, Virginia Council President, wrote a harsh reprimand to leaders of Carolina.[citation needed]
From 1711 to 1712, the Meherrin allied with theTuscarora against British colonists in theCarolinas and their Indian allies during theTuscarora War. In 1713, they delivered two of their paramount chief’s sons as hostages to be kept by the colonists at theCollege of William & Mary inWilliamsburg, Virginia to ensure that they would keep the peace. In 1720 they made a treaty of peace with theSusquehanna, another Iroquoian tribe.[citation needed]
In 1717 the Meherrin were given a reservation along the western shore of lower Chowanoc River, not far from its mouth inAlbemarle Sound, near modern Colerain (Bertie County, N.C.). At the time, GovernorCharles Eden thought that the reservation only contained 10,000 acres, but Surveyor Col.Edward Moseley later discovered that the reservation contained more than 40,000 acres.[citation needed]
In 1723, the Virginia Colony confirmed the Meherrin right to the reservation land and severely criticized North Carolina for illegally taking Meherrin land. Most of the Tuscarora were driven off after many were killed and taken captive in the above war. The North Carolina authorities reviewed petitions from both the Meherrin and British colonists squatting on their land.[13]
The Meherrin became tributaries of theProvince of North Carolina in 1726. The British colonists established areservation in what is nowHertford County, North Carolina. The 7-square-mile reservation was located between theMeherrin River and theChowan River.[14] The Province of North Carolina confirmed in a treaty that the reservation land belonged to the Meherrin.[13]
In 1731, fewer than 20 surviving Meherrin families lived east of the Chowan River in North Carolina.[11] They moved to what is nowNorthampton County, North Carolina by 1755, when only 8 fighting men were recorded.[11]
By 1761, an estimated 20 Meherrin fighting men and their families lived along theRoanoke River, along withSaponi, Tuscarora, andMachapunga people.[12] By 1768 their reservation had been dissolved.[15] They likely migrated north with the last bands of Tuscarora in 1802.[12][11]
The State of North Carolina designated theMeherrin Indian Tribe asstate-recognized tribe in 1986.[5]
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)| Federally recognized | |
|---|---|
| Other consulted tribes | |
| State-recognized | |
| Historic | |
