History of the Natives

     The Croatoan tribe is probably the most well known tribe that is associated with the Lost Colony. The Croatoan tribe was a friendly tribe who lived along the coastal region of what is now North Carolina. They were on good terms with the colony and it was hoped and speculated that they were the ones who took in the English Settlers. Evidence for this was found in 1998, when English artifacts were found within the territory of the Croatan tribe (Dobra, 2007). The Croatoan tribe inhabited what is now Hatteras and Orcracoke Island. They are sometimes referred to as Croatan or Hatteras Indians. There are some current coastal residents that claim to be the direct descendants of the tribe. There have also been artifacts belonging to the Croatoan tribe that have been recovered and justify the validity of the tribe (Evans, 2006). The Croatoan tribe was not the only tribe in the area however. The Secotan and Chowanoke were tribes who also resided in the Roanoke area. Unlike the Croatoans, these tribes were not friendly, or happy about the arrival of the visitors, especially since there had been several attempts on settling the area. They did not like that the colonists were taking up land and resources. They felt invaded and did not want the English colony there, driving the first group out (Basu, 2013).