Coree facts for kids

The Coree were a small Native American tribe. They were also known by names like Connamox or Coranine Indians. They lived along the coast in southeastern North Carolina. This area is now Carteret and Craven counties. They lived south of the Neuse River. Experts in the early 1900s weren't sure what language they spoke. Most tribes in that coastal area spoke Iroquois or Algonquian languages.

History of the Coree Tribe

This 1585 map by Theodor de Bry shows a village called Cwareuuoc along the Neuse River.

English colonists first wrote about the Coree in 1701. By then, their population was very small, only about 125 people. This was likely because of widespread diseases and wars.

In the early 1700s, the Coree and other tribes joined forces. They allied with the Tuscarora tribe against the colonists. In 1711, they fought in the Tuscarora War. They tried to make the English settlers leave their lands. The Native Americans did not win this war. Many people from their tribes died.

Life After the War

By 1715, some Coree people joined other tribes. They merged with the remaining Machapunga and Tuscarora people. They settled together in a village called Mattamuskeet. This village was in what is now Hyde County. It was located on the shore of Lake Mattamuskeet.

Other Coree people stayed in Carteret County. They lived in quiet areas like Indian Beach and Atlantic Beach. They also lived on Harkers Island and in swamp lands. Over time, their descendants married people from European-American and African-American groups. They slowly blended into these communities.

Today, some people say they are descendants of the Coree tribe. However, the tribe itself has not been officially restarted. Some experts believe these claims come from people who were once called "tri-racial isolates." These groups often had mixed European and African backgrounds.

Coree Language

James Mooney, a person who studied different cultures, thought the Coree were related to the Cherokee tribe. The Cherokee are part of the Iroquois language family. But he did not have strong proof for this idea.

An explorer named John Lawson wrote about the Coree language. He said it seemed different from other main languages in the area. These included Carolina Algonquian, Iroquoian Tuscarora, and Waccamaw Siouan (or Woccon). He had recorded words from these other languages.

However, the Coree lived in an area mostly used by the Tuscarora people. This suggests they might have been connected to them. The name Coree might come from the Algonquian name Cwareuuoc.