Catawba Indian Nation

History
Culture Area: Southern Piedmont

Linguistic Family: Eastern Siouan

Traditional Economy: agriculture, hunting, gathering

The Catawba Indian Nation/Catawba Tribe of South Carolina is the only Federaly recognized tribe in South Carolina.

The Catawba Nation is primarily associated with the state of South Carolina.

Brief Timeline
1715: participated in the Yamasee War

1738:  smallpox raged in South Carolina and many Catawba died.

1759: smallpox killed close to 50% of the tribe

1763: reservation 15 miles square on both sides of the Catawba river, within the present York and Lancaster counties, South Carolina

1826: the reservation was leased to non-indians

1840: Many move to North Carolina and joined the Cherokee

1841: The Catawba tribe sold all but one square mile of their reservation. The tribal headquarters is located there today.

1850: return to South Carolina, the state sold them over 600 acres.

1962: Catawba of South Carolina Terminated, Tribal membership 631- Tribal land (Acres) 3,388

1973: The tribe reorganized

1993: federal recognition

Additional References to the History of the Tribe
Frederick Webb Hodge, in his Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico, gave a more complete history of the Catawba Nation, with estimations of the population of the tribe at various time periods. Additional details are given in John Swanton's The Indian Tribes of North Americaand in the Biography and history of the Indians of North America from its first discovery by Samuel G. Drake.

Tribal Headquarters
Catawba Indian Nation 996 Avenue of the Nations Rock Hill, SC 29730 Phone: 803.366.4792 Fax: 803.366.0629

Important Web Sites

 * Constitution and By-Laws of the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina, approved 1944.
 * Offical website of the Catawba Indian Nation of South Carolina.
 * Catawba Tribe Wikipedia