Over 6,000 years old, the Catawba Nation can still be found in Rock Hill, South Carolina today.
Historically, the lands of the Catawba Nation extend through the Piedmont region of North and South Carolina and into parts of southern Virginia. Residing throughout the Carolinas for generations, the Catawba Nation is well known for its cultural ties to pottery.
Historically, only women were intended to create pottery, however, as the population started to dwindle the task of making pottery began to stretch to other individuals in the Nation.
Early Catawba, also called “people of the river,” were a very powerful nation. Often, they warred with the Cherokee, and they claimed at least eleven other tribes as enemies at one point.
A prominent figure in the Catawba Nation’s history is King Hagler, who was chief of the Nation from 1750 to 1763. He was well known for being amicable with the English and keeping peace with the colonists, although he remained passionate about the rights and respect of his people.
During the Revolutionary War, the Catawba combined forces with the patriots and helped them fight for their independence against the English.
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