At one time in recent history, the Catawba Indian Nation occupied a large tract of the Southeastern continent, including what is now the Carolinas and parts of Virginia and Georgia. After the great influx of European immigrants of the 18th and 19th centuries, the Catawba territories were reduced from approximately 50,000 sq. mi., down to just one square mile.
1640-The Catawba Indian Tribe was once part of several tribes of the Sioux Indian Nation in the west. They flee to the southeast to escape their enemies in 1640. Settling first in Botetourt County Virginia, the Catawban’s eventually established homes along the Catawba River by
1660.. Their name, Catawba, means "people of the river". There are several thousand members of the tribe.
1670-English explorer James Lederer encounters the Catawba Indian tribe in Mecklenburg County.
1715-Trading becomes more important as natives and settlers learn to live together. Indians are expert hunters, and offer animal furs or skins, along with the pottery they make. Settlers bring metal tools and fine cloth to trade. But fighting breaks out when some Catawba and Yamassee Indians think they are treated unfairly by the settlers.
1750-Some settlers are afraid of the Indians, who look different and practice unfamiliar customs. Some Indians resent their new neighbors, who have invaded their tribal hunting lands. As a result of frequent battles with other tribes and with settlers, the number of Indians drops dramatically. Diseases brought by the colonists, such as smallpox, chicken pox, measles and yellow fever cause the deaths of many more Native Americans
1760-Of the many thousands of Indians who lived in the Piedmont just 50 years ago, only 1,000 remain. The diseases brought by settlers, and the battles with neighboring tribes and whites, have claimed many lives. Some Indians unite with other nearby tribes, such as the Wateree and Cheraw. By joining together, they become the Catawba Nation, with 500 warriors and 2,500 people.
1763-Since beginning his rule in 1750, Catawba Chief Hagler has been a respected leader. He is known for working to keep alive the tribe's traditions while striving to live peacefully with the white settlers. Returning from a meeting where he had spoken on behalf of his people, Chief Hagler is killed by a Shawnee war party.
1763-Representatives of Great Britain meet the Catawba Indians at the Great Congress of Augusta. An Indian interpreter named "Hexayours," sometimes called "Ayers," helps the tribe negotiate with the British for 144,000 acres along the banks of the Catawba River. This land will be set aside for the Indians. Since there is no American government yet, the British claim control of the land in the colonies.
1830-Congress passes the Indian Removal Act. The U.S. government can now force tribes off their land. President Andrew Jackson, supports the Act.
1830-Many Indians have perished from diseases they contracted from white settlers. Some tribes have only a few surviving members. Tribal leaders negotiate with the U.S. government, trying to keep from losing their ancestral lands and their native traditions. The Catawba Indians agree to sell some of their land near the North-South Carolina border. Many will move west and settle near their long-time enemies, the Cherokees.
1832-The United States Supreme Court is the country's highest legal authority. It rules that the U.S. Constitution was violated when Georgia took away the rights of the Cherokee Nation four years ago. In spite of the Supreme Court's ruling, President Andrew Jackson will continue to allow Indians to be pushed off their land.
1835-Members of the Southern Indian tribes argue among themselves. Should the tribes sell land to the U.S. government? How much should they demand in return? What will happen if the Indians lose their tribal homeland? How will the tribes survive? There will be no easy answers to these questions.
1838-Indian leaders have tried to negotiate with the U.S. government. Despite their efforts, President Andrew Jackson approves the removal of the Cherokee Indian tribes from their homeland west and southwest of Mecklenburg County. Congress passed the Indian Removal Act to make this forced move, called "resettlement," legal. Now, federal troops force nearly 20,000 Cherokees to march hundreds of miles to Oklahoma. Thousands of the Native Americans die from disease and winter's bitter cold. Their tragic journey will be remembered as "The Trail of Tears."
1840-The Treaty of Nation's Ford devastates the Catawba Indians, many of whom live along the border between North and South Carolina. South Carolina agrees to give the tribe $5000 to buy 300 acres of mountain land in Haywood County, N.C., then $2000 per year for five years. North Carolina refuses to give the tribe any money until the Catawbas actually give up the disputed land and leave. Many of the tribe will be left poor and homeless.
1840-Catawba Indians remaining in Mecklenburg County have resisted letting white settlers take their land. Instead, they have allowed settlers to rent virtually all of it. But without legal training, they accept some detrimental conditions. Some of the rental agreements, called "leases," will be in force for 99 years, forbidding the Indians to re-claim their land for generations to come.
1993-President Bill Clinton signs legislation that expands the Catawba Indian reservation to 4,200 acres. The tribe that lived so closely with Charlotte's early settlers more than 200 years ago must now promise to drop its legal actions against private individuals who own disputed property. The Catawbas will receive $50 million in cash, and the right to purchase available land to expand their reservation.
