The Chowanoke Indians

The Chowanokes were assigned to a reservation along Bennett’s Creek in Gates County and lived there from 1677 until the 1790’s, when the last tract of land was sold to a neighbor. Prior to this sale, the Chowanoke were met with continual colonial encroachment and what started out as 12 square miles of reservation eventually dwindled to 6 square miles. Complaints had been submitted to the NC Council by the Chowanoke Chief and requests for a survey of the reservation had been made in order to establish and protect their boundaries. However, in spite of the several pleas made, a survey was never conducted until the very last parcel of land had been negotiated for sale. This was nearly a 110 years later.

 

Interestingly, about ten years prior to the sale of the final parcel of reservation, a group of Chowanoke Indians had purchased 30 acres of land nearby to live on. This tract of land had been part of the reservation initially and became known as the Indian Town community. One may out of curiosity wonder why land was purchased when there were 400 acres of reservation left. However one could speculate this group may have wanted to brace themselves from the inevitable future. As fate would have it, the reservation was sold. The Chowanoke nation continued to live communally on the land they had purchased for about 40 years, until late 1821. Due to misfortune and unethical proceedings, even the land they had purchased was eventually taken away from them.  With that, their communal existence ceased. However, many of the Chowanoke people remained in the community while others moved to nearby communities.