Record #:

34448

Author(s):

Milteer, Warren E., Jr.

Abstract:

Over the course of the 18th century, the native North Carolina Chowan population adopted European practices and sold their allocated reservation lands to conform and survive in the British colony. These actions led to their reclassification from “Indians” to “Colored People” by colonial officials, who also assumed there was a loss of cultural identity. Contemporary writers incorrectly believed the Chowans no longer existed as a political or cultural entity, however an examination of archival and oral histories indicates that the Chowan people have maintained their cultural identity. Furthermore, their colonial racial reclassification is indicative of attitudes towards race and identity formation in the 18th century.

Source:

North Carolina Historical Review (NoCar F251 .N892), Vol. 93 Issue 1, January 2016, p28-57, il, por, map, f

Subject(s):

Native Americans--North Carolina; Ethnicity; Race awareness