Meherrin

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Living and hunting area of ​​the Meherrin and neighboring tribes before 1700

The Meherrin are among the Iroquoian-speaking Indian peoples of North America at the beginning of European contact in 1650 in the northeastern today the US state of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia lived. Today, as the Mehrin Indian Tribe , they form one of the eight Native American tribes recognized by North Carolina.

Language, area of ​​residence and population

In the 15th century, there were several Iroquois-speaking tribes in what is now the US states of Virginia and North Carolina. The Tuscarora were the largest and best known of these tribes, with which they were linguistically closely related. Other probably Iroquois-speaking tribes were the rather unknown Nottoway and Neusiok . The Meherrin's residential area was on the Meherrin River on both sides of the Virginia-North Carolina border near what is now Emporia , Virginia. Its northern neighbors were the Nottoway and the Tuscarora lived to the south. Around 1728 their residential area was further downstream at the confluence of the Meherrin in the Chowan River and around 1755 near Albemarle Sound in Northampton County , both in North Carolina. Traditional records show that in 1669 their population was estimated at 50 warriors in two villages. In 1709 the number was 20 warriors in a village, in 1731 there were fewer than 20 families, in 1755 there were eight warriors and in 1761 there were 20 warriors. Today around 700 tribesmen live in northeastern North Carolina.

history

After the arrival of the Europeans at the beginning of the 17th century, the Meherrin initially remained relatively undisturbed by the English colony expanding westward from Jamestown . Although they knew how to deal with the English from occasional visits to the British Fort Henry on the Appomattox River , their ignorance of European firearms and their fear appeared conspicuous when Edward Bland and his company visited in 1650. In the course of time the Anglo-Indian trade in European goods for furs increased. The villages of the Meherrin and the neighboring Nottoway were evidently on the main trade route, called Weecacana , to the Tuscarora , which ran south along the fall line . At that time, Indians were not allowed to enter the colonists' settlements without permission, but white people were also forbidden to enter the villages of Meherrin and Nottoway, except for British traders with a license.

In the course of the Bacon's rebellion (1675–1676), the Meherrin and other tribes were attacked. After the war in 1677, the governor of Virginia and the tribal leaders met to conclude a treaty ( Treaty of Middle Plantation of 1677) between the Virginia colony and neighboring tribes including the Meherrin and Nottoway. In it, the Indians were declared to be allies who were to form a military vanguard, which should protect the white settlements from attacks by hostile Indians, such as the Iroquois League or other distant tribes. In return, the colonists should stop invading Indian land, occupying and hunting the game. Despite the treaty, the colonists continued to disregard the rights of the Indians, who complained to the governor about this several times. In addition, during this time the lively fur trade with the Europeans collapsed, who now found more efficient suppliers in the west and south, such as the Ocaneechee , Tuscarora, Catawba and Cherokee . The Meherrin and Nottoway responded by moving southeast around 1681 along the rivers that now bear their names. Around 1706, the Meherrin settled at the confluence of the Meherrin River in the Chowan River in Hertford County in North Carolina. Here they built new villages and at the same time adopted elements from European culture. For example, in 1692 they raised pigs for sale and built a British style fort.

In the Tuscarora War from 1711 to 1715 they supported the Tuscarora against the colonial government. In October 1726, the Meherrin again petitioned the colonial government of North Carolina to protect the Indian land from occupation by English families. The government ordered a land survey and as a result, reservations were made between Meherrin and Blackwater River for the Meherrin and Nottoway. The area was then called Meherrin Neck and is now called Parker's Ferry . During this time, the population of North Carolina Indians declined steadily due to conflicts with colonists and hostile tribes, but especially due to European diseases, although the Meherrin took in numerous scattered remains of other tribes, such as the Nansemond and Weanock . But the illegal land occupation by the endless stream of new European settlers did not stop. Towards the end of the 18th century, many Meherrin sold their residential area and bought new land on the south side of the Meherrin River on Potecasi Creek . This place later became known as Meherrin Indian Town .

President Andrew Jackson signed the 1830 Indian Removal Act ( American Indian Relocation Act ). The law authorized the president to begin negotiations with the tribes east of the Mississippi . They should exchange their land for areas west of the Mississippi, which were in the area acquired in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 , which at that time was not yet organized as states or territories. This area was later called Indian Territory and now forms a large part of the state of Oklahoma . The mistresses had been clever enough to follow the advice of experienced advisers and declare their property not as tribal land but as private property of individual families. This meant that the land of the mistress did not fall under the provisions of the Indian Removal Act and they were allowed to stay in their old homeland. They converted to Christianity early and established the Pleasant Plains Church and the Pleasant Plains School .

Todays situation

In 1986 the tribe was officially recognized by the State of North Carolina as the Meherrin Indian Tribe . The relatives now live in several small communities in Hertford, Bertie , Gates, and Northampton Counties in rural northeast North Carolina. The majority live in Hertford County in or near the county town of Winton . There are very few unemployed among the tribal members. Many of them travel to neighboring Virginia to work in the shipyards. Others work as teachers, administrators, doctors, building contractors or farm workers. Some Meherrin are self-employed, others are engaged in traditional activities such as farming, hunting and fishing. In some families, the traditional art of leather tanning and knowledge of the healing powers of plants have survived. At the annual Pow-Wow on the fourth weekend in October, traditional arts, handicraft techniques, dances and chants are demonstrated. The Pow-Wow takes place on tribal land on the North Carolina Highway between Ahoskie and Murfreesboro in North Carolina. Many members from other tribes in Virginia, North Carolina, and across the country also attend.

The Meherrin Indian Tribe is led by a Tribal Council, which consists of seven members and the tribal chief. This is elected by registered members of the tribe. The tribe had around 700 registered members in 2010.

See also

List of North American Indian tribes

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c Douglas W. Boyce: Handbook of North American Indians . Volume 15: Northeast, Iroquoian Tribes of the Virginia-North Carolina Coastal Plain , pp. 286-287
  2. ↑ a b c d Meherrin Indian Tribe. Retrieved October 30, 2016 .

Web links

literature