Croatan
The Croatan were a small Native American ethnic group living in the coastal areas of what is now North Carolina. They might have been a branch of the larger Roanoke people or allied with them.
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| North Carolina | |
| Languages | |
| Carolina Algonquian | |
| Religion | |
| Indigenous religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Roanoke |
The Croatan lived in current Dare County, an area encompassing the Alligator River, Croatan Sound, Roanoke Island, Ocracoke Island, and parts of the Outer Banks, including Hatteras Island. The Croatan people who exist today live predominantly in Cumberland, Sampson, and Harnett counties.
The chiefs, called werowances ("he who is rich"), each controlled up to 18 towns. The greatest were able to muster 700 or 800 fighting men. Chiefs and their families were held in great status and received respect, but they were not all-powerful. In order to pursue a desired course of action, chiefs had to convince their followers that the action would be in the tribe's best interest. The chief was responsible for spreading wealth to his tribe, and, if unable to do so, they received less respect, or even lost respect entirely.
Phillip W. Evans, a linguist, suggested the word Croatan means "council town" or "talk town," which likely indicates the residence of an important leader and a place where councils were held.