What was the physical evidence?
The word “croatoan” is one of the most well known pieces of evidence in regards to the mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke. Upon Governor John White’s return to the colony in 1890, he found the word “Cro” engraved in a tree and “Croatoan” in the gatepost of the colony. While these words may seem foreign today, it was the name of nearby island and the tribe of Native Americans that inhabited it. Many scholars believe that this clue was the colonists attempt to let John White know that they were attempting to join this tribe because of their lack of resources and knowledge of the land.
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Who were the Croatan?
The Croatan, Croatoan or Hatteras Indians were a small Algonquian tribe in North Carolina. For food, they hunted and fished in the Outer Banks. They were speakers of a Carolina Algonquian dialect. In fact, one scholar of Algonquian linguistics believes the word “Croatoan” means “council town” or ‘talk town,” which implies a place where councils were held. Today, they are not recognized as a distinct tribe. Many descendants of this tribe live among the Lumbee Indians and in communities in North Carolina and Virginia.
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Where did they live?
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The tribe was located in North Carolina. They inhabited present-day Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands at the time the colonists of the Last Colony of Roanoke arrived in the New World. Their fields and towns were originally located between present-day Buxton and Hatteras. Their main town, also by the name of Croatoan, was likely located at a site on Cape Creek.
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References
Basu, T. (2013, December 9). Have We Found the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island? Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/12/131208-roanoke-lost-colony-discovery-history-raleigh/
Evans, P. W. (n.d.). Croatoan Indians. Retrieved from https://www.ncpedia.org/croatoan-indians
Hatteras Tribe. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.native-languages.org/hatteras.htm
Evans, P. W. (n.d.). Croatoan Indians. Retrieved from https://www.ncpedia.org/croatoan-indians
Hatteras Tribe. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.native-languages.org/hatteras.htm