420 
of the Atlantic-coast States between 
New York and Florida. The total 
number of Indians reported for North 
Carolina in 1930 was 16,579. Ofthese 
37.9 percent were reported as full- 
bloods, 54.8 percent as mixed, and 7.3 
percent were not recorded. ‘The chief 
concentrations of Indian population 
were in the extreme western counties 
where the Cherokees are centered and 
in the southern border county of 
Robeson where the Croatans are 
centered. The policy of the State 
has been rather liberal in the matter 
of recognition and special provision 
for its Indian population. About 29.6 
percent of these Indians 10 years of 
age or older were illiterate in 1930. 
Cherokees.—The 1930 census reported 
1,963 Cherokees in North Carolina. 
Unofficial estimates give a total of 
3,700 Cherokees in this area. The 
census reported 38.7 percent pure- 
bloods in 1930, and 61.3 percent mixed. 
There is apparently very little Negro 
blood in this group. Most of the 
Cherokees are in Swain County where 
they have five ‘“‘towns,” Big Cove, 
Yellow Hill, Birdtown, Wolftown, 
and Painttown. Other groups are 
found in Graham and Cherokee 
Counties nearby and in Jackson Coun- 
ty. The term ‘“‘Qualla Reservation” 
denotes the five towns above men- 
tioned plus certain other properties 
and covers about 55,784 acres. At 
Cherokee (Yellow Hill) the Federal 
Indian Office maintains an agency, a 
school, and certain medical facilities. 
Most of the Cherokees are small culti- 
vators who raise a little corn in bottom 
lands and hillside patches. A few 
own a little livestock. 
The Eastern Cherokee Band was 
incorporated under State law in 1889. 
The tribal government includes a 
chief elected every 4 years, and 
councilmen elected from each of the 
five towns and from the Graham 
County group. The Cherokee vote 
in some elections and pay State taxes. 
They still employ the native tongue 
and possess many of the magical 
practices, dances, games, and myths 
ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1948 
of their forefathers. Like their white 
neighbors they are Baptists and Meth- 
odists. In dress, diet, and houses they 
differ but little from the mountain 
whites. 
Stouans or Croatans.—This group is 
estimated to number upwards of 16,000 
persons and is thought to be increasing 
with greater rapidity than either 
whites or Negroes. Physical measure- 
ments indicate the presence of Indian, 
white, and Negro types. There is 
said to be a tendency for the lighter 
individuals and families to hold aloof 
from the darker ones just as in the 
case of the Nanticokes and the Narra- 
gansetts. They are found in greatest 
concentration in Robeson County but 
occur in considerable numbers in the 
nearby counties of Bladen, Columbus, 
Cumberland, Harnett, Sampson, and 
Scotland. Across the border in South 
Carolina they occur in Marlboro, 
Dillon, Marion, and Horry Counties. 
The family names of these people 
are Allen, Bennett, Berry, Bridger, 
Brooks, Brown, Butler, Chapman, 
Chavis, Coleman, Cooper, Cumbo, 
Dare, Graham, Harris, Harvie, Howe, 
Johnson, Jones, Lasie, Little, Locklear, 
Lowrie, Lucas, Martin, Oxendine, 
Paine, Patterson, Powell, Sampson, 
Scott, Smith, Stevens, Taylor, Vicars, 
White, Willes, Wilkinson, Wood, and 
Wright. Their culture bears little of 
the Indian, but they claim partial 
descent from the “Lost Colony” of 
Raleigh at Roanoke. 
Originally dwellers in the swamp- 
lands of the Lumbee River, they have 
become successful tenant farmers cul- 
tivating cotton, tobacco, and corn. 
The State has recognized their special 
status and they are endowed with a 
separate school system from both 
whites and Negroes. They have their 
own churches. Intermarriage with 
either Negroes or whites is forbidden 
by law and custom. 
There are two factions today: one, 
calling itself the ‘““Lumbee Indians,” 
is located west and south of the Lum- 
bee River; the other, calling itself 
**Cherokee,”’ is located east and north 
