Eno people facts for kids

The Eno or Enoke people, also called Wyanoak, were a Native American tribe. They lived in North Carolina during the 1600s and 1700s. Over time, they became part of the Catawba and/or Saponi tribes.

History of the Eno People

Early Mentions of the Eno Tribe

The Eno people were first written about by William Strachey. He was the first secretary of the Virginia colony. In his book from the early 1600s, The Historie of Travaile Into Virginia Britannia, he mentioned the "Anoeg" tribe. He said they lived southwest of the Powhatan Confederacy. Their homes were built like European houses, about ten days' travel away.

Another early mention came in 1654. Francis Yeardley, a trader from Virginia, wrote a letter. In it, he shared what a Tuscarora person told him. This person described a "great nation" called the "Haynokes." They had bravely fought against the Spaniards who tried to move further north.

Oenock, 1670, from John Lederer's map

Life in an Eno Village

In 1670, an explorer named [[John Lederer visited a village called "Œnock." This village was in the Piedmont area of North Carolina. Lederer wrote about what he saw there.

He described their town as being built around a field. In this field, the Eno played sports with great energy. He even saw the ground wet from their sweat! Their favorite game was slinging stones.

Lederer noted that the Eno people were not very tall. They were known for being good at earning money. They would hire themselves out to neighbors as carriers or porters.

Eno Homes and Food

The Eno grew a lot of grain. They could harvest three crops in one summer! They also supplied food to nearby areas from their storage. Unlike some other tribes, they did not build their houses from bark. Instead, they used "watling and plaister," which is like woven branches covered with mud.

Their houses were usually round. Each house had a small storage shed, like an oven. Here, they kept their corn and nuts dry. They would roast nuts and acorns over a fire. This removed their oily taste. Then, they would press them to get a milky liquid from nuts and an amber-colored oil from acorns. They would dip cakes into this mixture for special meals.

Eno Government and Customs

The Eno had a democratic government. This means the people had a say in how things were run. The advice of their older, wise men was followed like laws.

More Explorers and Eno Towns

In 1673, James Needham and Gabriel Arthur also traveled through an Eno town. They called it "Aeno." It was described as being two days' journey past Occhoneeche Island in Virginia. They were on their way to trade with the Cherokee people.

In 1701, an English adventurer named John Lawson explored the Carolinas. He wrote a book called A New Voyage to Carolina. Lawson reported that the "Nation of Adshusheer" had joined with the Shakori and the Eno. Their main village was known as Adshusheer. This town was likely near where Durham, North Carolina is today.

Lawson traveled with Enoe Will, who was a chief man of the Eno. Enoe Will's rule reached as far as the banks of the Haw River. Lawson also described a game the Eno played called "Chenco." It involved a staff and a stone bowl. They would roll the bowl on a smooth, flat area, like a bowling green.

Joining Other Tribes

By the early 1700s, the Eno people, along with other tribes like the Shakori, Tutelo, Saponi, Keyauwees, and Occaneechi, had fewer people. Their total population was about 750.

Around 1715, the Eno joined with the Catawba tribe. This happened near the border of North and South Carolina. The Eno became part of the Catawba Nation. This might have been because of the Yamasee War, though it's not clear if the Eno fought in it. However, the Eno likely did not make up a large part of the Catawba Nation.

The Enoree River in South Carolina and the Eno River in North Carolina are both named after the Eno people. The word "ree" in Enoree might mean "the."

In 1716, Virginia's Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood suggested moving the Eno, along with the Saras and Keyauwees, to a place called "Eno Town." This was probably near the Neuse River or in the Albemarle area. However, by this time, most of the Eno had already joined the Catawba in South Carolina. Some of them might have moved back to northern North Carolina with the Saponis in the 1730s.

Historic Eno Variations

The name of the Eno tribe was spelled in many different ways over time:

• "Winocke" (1609)
• "Weanock" and "Weanoc" (1612)
• "Anoeg" (1612)
• "Wainoke" (1650)
• "Haynokes" (1654)
• "Oenock" and "Œnock" (1670)
• "Aeno" (1673)
• "Weyanoke" (1688)
• "Enoe" (1701)
• "Eenó" (1743)
• "Enos" (1894)
• "Enoch"
• "Wyanoke"