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 * North Carolina Native Americans

= 3 Major Tribal groups based on Linguistic Characteristics (Language). = Linguistic map of Native North Americans [|Linguistic Map]

=1. Siouan = =Catawba "River People" - circular bark covered dwellings.=

Waccamaw Siouan Indians are one of eight state-recognized Native American tribal nations in North Carolina.
Birchbark construction about 8-10 feet high. Wooden frames were covered with bark mats made from weaving strips of birch bark into mats. Rope made from fibers were wrapped aroung the structure to hold the mats in place.

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Cherokee "The People"
Town consisted of 20 to 30 building made of a wattle and daub circular construction similar to an up-side-down basket.Sides were interwoven branches and then covered mud. Roofs were eitherthatch or leaves. Centered around a large council building used for tribal meetings, public ceremonies and gatherings. [|Early Construction] Wattle and daub were called Asi by the Cherokee.

In later years, Cherokee people used a log cabin construction of stacked logs with one door entrance. A smoke hole in the roof allowed smoke to escape the building. Roofs of log cabins were leaf covered. Many tribes of the Iroquois nation used Longhouses. [|Longhouse Picture]

They could be up to 200 feet long and 20 feet wide, and 20 feet high. []

=3. Algonquian or Algic=

Chowanoc "People at the South"
Lived in the North Eastern part of North Carolina along the Chowan river area and Hertford County. Largest tribal group of Algonquians south of the Powhatans in Virginia.

Hatteras
Lived along the outer banks and Roanoke Island. Some researchers speculate that these were the Croatan Indians.

Indians tribes of the Algonquian network lived in small houses like wigwams shown above or in larger structures similar to the Iroquois longhouse.


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