Saponi facts for kids
Distribution of Tutelo-Saponi language
|
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Virginia and North Carolina (historically) | |
| Languages | |
| Tutelo-Saponi, English | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Indigenous religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Tutelo, Occaneechi, Monacan, Manahoac, other eastern Siouan tribes |
The Saponi or Sappony are a Native American tribe. They lived long ago in the Piedmont area of North Carolina and Virginia. They spoke a Siouan language, which was similar to the languages of the Tutelo, Biloxi, and Ofo tribes.
Since the mid-1900s, some groups in the Southeast have worked to show their American Indian culture. They say they are descendants of the historic Saponi people. Three tribes in North Carolina are officially recognized by the state as Saponi. These are the Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe, the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, and the Sappony tribe. The Sappony tribe was known as the Indians of Person County until 2003. None of these groups are recognized by the United States federal government as a Native American tribe.
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What Does "Saponi" Mean?
The exact meaning of the word Saponi is still discussed. Some experts believe it comes from a Siouan word, sapa, which means "black."
Another idea comes from a German explorer named John Lederer. He thought the name came from Sepy, a special female spirit in their religion. He wrote that four tribes or clans were named after this spirit and three other related female spirits. The Saponi believed they came from these spirits.
A linguist named Robert L. Rankin suggested another idea. He thought the name might come from sa:p oni: meaning "shallow tree" or sa:p moni meaning "shallow water."
The Saponi Language
The Saponi language is no longer spoken today. It was a Siouan language and was very similar to the Tutelo language.
According to William Byrd II, the Saponi spoke the same language as the Occaneechi and the Steganaki (also called Stuckenock).
Over time, many related eastern Siouan tribes lived together at Fort Christanna in Brunswick County, Virginia. Colonists sometimes called them the Christanna Indians. A scholar named Horatio Hale wrote down many details about the Tutelo language. Today, his work helps the Occaneechi tribe bring back the Tutelo-Occaneechi language, also known as Yésah.
We know about the Saponi dialect from only two sources. One is a list of 46 words and phrases recorded by John Fontaine in 1716 at Fort Christanna. This list shows that the Saponi language was almost the same as what Hale recorded. The other source is William Byrd II's book, History of the Dividing Line betwixt Virginia and North Carolina (1728). In this book, he wrote down the names of some local creeks.
Where the Saponi Lived
The Saponi lived in what is now Virginia and North Carolina. In the 1600s and 1700s, they settled along the Roanoke River, its branch the Staunton River, and the Yadkin River. Their lands in the Virginia Piedmont area were covered with oak, hickory, and pine forests.
Saponi History
The 1600s
In 1650, an English explorer named Edward Bland wrote about the "Occononacheans and Nessoneicks" living on the Roanoke River. The Nessoneicks were the Saponi. In 1670, John Lederer visited what he called "Sapon, a Village of the Nahyssans," who were the Saponi. Lederer wrote that the Saponi were "governed by an absolute Moarch; the People of a high stature, warlike and rich."
In 1671, Thomas Batts and Robert Fallam led an expedition that went through several Saponi villages. After their visit, the Saponi and Tutelo moved downriver and settled with the Occaneechi people. Nathanial Bacon led an attack against these tribes in 1676. In 1677, the Virginia colonial government said the Saponi were "tributary Indians." This meant they were under the colonial governor's protection.
The 1700s
English explorer John Lawson wrote about the Saponi in 1701. He noted that they fought against the Seneca and trapped beaver for the fur trade. Soon after his visit, the Saponi moved into North Carolina. A group of Saponi returned to Virginia in 1708. There, the Occaneechi and Stukanox joined them.
The Saponi and their allies, like the Occaneechi, Tutelo, and Nahyssans, had lost many people. They moved to three islands where the Dan and Staunton rivers meet in Clarksville.
By 1701, the Saponi and allied tribes, often called "Saponi" or "Tutelo," started moving towards what is now Salisbury, North Carolina. They wanted to be further from the colonial settlements. By 1711, they were just east of the Roanoke River and west of modern Windsor, North Carolina. In 1714, Governor Spotswood moved them to an area around Fort Christanna in Virginia. The tribes agreed to this for protection from other tribes. Even though the House of Burgesses voted to close the fort and school in 1718, the Siouan tribes stayed in that area for some time. They slowly moved away in small groups between 1730 and 1750. In 1728, Colonel William Byrd II surveyed the border between Virginia and North Carolina. He was guided by Ned Bearskin, a Saponi hunter. Byrd saw many abandoned corn fields, which showed that the local tribes were having serious problems.
In 1740, most of the Saponi and Tutelo moved to Shamokin, Pennsylvania. They joined the Iroquois and moved with them to New York. The Cayuga Nation formally adopted them in 1753. However, they ended up in different places. After the Revolutionary War, Samuel Kirkland noted a group of them living near Fort Niagara. These are believed to have later joined the Mohawk tribe. Others went to Canada with the Cayuga.
Smaller groups of Saponi were still noted in Pennsylvania as late as 1778. Some were still in North Carolina much later. Most of the Iroquois tribes fought with the British during the American Revolutionary War. After the United States won, the Saponi and Tutelo who had joined the Iroquois were forced to go into exile in Canada with them. After that, historical records do not mention the tribe as much.
After the American Revolution
Over time, Saponi people married people who were not Native American. In the past, government records sometimes did not fully understand how people identified themselves culturally. This became more difficult in the early 1800s. Records sometimes listed all free people of color as African American, even if some identified as Native American. Many experts have discussed the cultural identity of people recorded simply as free blacks or free people of color.
For example, the terms "mustees" and "mulattoes" sometimes referred to people who were partly American Indian. At that time, federal censuses did not have a way to classify people as American Indian. They also did not ask people which culture they identified with.
In the 1900s, North Carolina and Virginia passed laws that made racial segregation strict. These laws often classified people as either white or black. They said that anyone with any black ancestry, no matter how little, was considered black. This caused problems for many Native American-identified people. Their birth records were sometimes changed without their permission or knowledge. This has made it hard for their descendants to prove their communities' long-standing identity.
Saponi Culture
We do not have many records about Saponi culture. However, a book called Catawba Texts, written by Frank G. Speck in 1934, tells us about the closely related Catawba people. This book gives some ideas about cultural practices and beliefs that the Saponi might have shared with the Catawba and other nearby tribes like the Cherokee.
The book mentions a story about a giant, blood-sucking snake that was killed by a giant eagle. This is similar to other Siouan stories about Thunderbirds fighting evil snake monsters. Catawba Texts also includes practical instructions. These include how to make pottery, baskets, and traps. It also describes different ways of fishing, how to make hominy and cornbread, and how to prepare animal hides and make soap.
State-Recognized Tribes
Three groups in North Carolina are recognized by the state. They say they are descendants of the historic Saponi people.
- The Indians of Person County were recognized by North Carolina in 1911 as an American Indian tribe. In 2003, they officially changed their name to Sappony. Their main location is in Roxboro, North Carolina.
- The Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe is based in Halifax and Warren counties. North Carolina recognized them in 1965. They formed in the 1940s as the Haliwarnash Indian Club, later shortened to Haliwa Indian Club. In 1979, they added "Saponi" to their name. Their headquarters are in Hollister, North Carolina.
- The Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation was recognized by the state of North Carolina in 2002. They started in 1984 as the Eno-Occaneechi Indian Association. In 1995, they added Saponi to their name. This group says they are descendants of several Siouan-speaking peoples. Their headquarters are in Mebane, North Carolina.
Other Groups Claiming Saponi Ancestry
Many other groups and organizations also say they have Saponi ancestors. These groups are not recognized by the state or federal government. One example is the Mahenips Band of the Saponi Nation of Missouri in the Ozark Hills. Their headquarters are in West Plains, Missouri. In 2000, this group started the process to ask for federal recognition as an Indian Tribe, but they did not complete the request.
Ohio
Ohio has the second-largest number of people who say they have Saponi ancestry. However, Ohio does not have any federally recognized tribes or state-recognized tribes.
Dr. Marty Richardson, who leads the Haliwa-Saponi Historic Legacy Project, wrote that a large group of "Meadows Indians" moved to Ohio after 1835. They found fewer rules about race there. However, from 1818 to 1842, many Indian removals in Ohio took place.
In 1998, the Saponi Nation of Ohio also started the process to ask for federal recognition. They did not complete their request either.
The Carmel Indians of Carmel, Ohio, and Magoffin County, Kentucky, also say they are descendants of the historic Saponi tribe. They also identify as Melungeon, which is a group of people in the Appalachian mountains who have African and European ancestors.
