Saponi

Saponi

Total population
unknown
Regions with significant populations
Originally from Virginia and North Carolina, many later relocated to Ontario, Canada, and Georgia, Tennessee, and Ohio
Languages
Tutelo-Saponi (extinct), English
Religion
Indigenous Religion, Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Tutelo, Occaneechi, Monacan, Manahoac, possibly Saura, other eastern Siouan tribes

Saponi, is the name of one of the eastern Siouan tribes related to the Tutelo, Occaneechi, Monacan, Manahoac and other eastern Siouan peoples, whose ancestral homeland is in North Carolina and Virginia.

The people known as the Indians of Person County were formally recognized by North Carolina in 1911 as an American Indian tribe. In 2003 they formally changed their name to Sappony. The Haliwa-Saponi, a group based chiefly in Halifax County, is another Native American band formally recognized by North Carolina (1965). They also changed their name to include a reference to Saponi.

No documentation has established descent for members of either group from the historical Saponi tribe. Neither group has been recognized formally as a Native American tribe by the federal government.

History

Swanton agrees with Mooney and Bushnell that the Saponi were probably the same as the Monasuccapanough, a people mentioned as tributary to the Monacans in 1608. Their main village as described then is believed to be in the vicinity of Charlottesville, Virginia.

The first known contact between a European explorer and the Saponi was in 1670 when John Lederer found their village on the Staunton River at Otter Creek, southwest of Lynchburg, Virginia. In 1671 Thomas Batts and Robert Fallam led an expedition that passed through the same village as well as a second in Long Island in Campbell County, Virginia. Here the Saponi, as well as the closely related Occaneechi, were unjustifiably attacked by settlers during Bacon's Rebellion in 1676 in retaliation for raids on colonists from the unrelated Doeg tribe.

Nearly decimated, the Saponis relocated to three islands at the confluence of the Dan River and the Staunton River in Clarksville with their allies, the Occaneechis, Tutelos, and Nahyssans.

By 1701, the Saponi and allied tribes, often collectively referred to as "Saponi" or "Tutelo", had begun moving to the location of present-day Salisbury, North Carolina in an attempt to distance themselves from the colonial frontier. However by 1711 they were just east of the Roanoke, and west of modern Windsor, North Carolina. In 1714, Governor Spotswood resettled them around Fort Christanna in Virginia, which they agreed to for their own protection from hostile tribes. This Fort and school were abandoned by vote of the House of Burgesses in 1718, but the Siouan tribes continued to stay in that area for some time, moving away in small groups over the years 1730-1750.

One record from 1728 indicated that Colonel William Byrd II made a survey of the border between Virginia and North Carolina with a Saponi hunter named Ned Bearskin as his guide. Byrd noted several abandoned fields of corn, indicating serious disturbance among the local tribes. In 1740, the majority of Saponis and Tutelos moved to Shamokin, Pennsylvania and surrendered to the Iroquois, joining them in New York where they were formally adopted by the Cayuga in 1753. However, smaller bands in Pennsylvania as late as 1778, and some were still in North Carolina much later. Since most of the Iroquois sided with the British in the American Revolutionary War, after the victory by the Americans, the Saponis and Tutelos who had joined the Iroquois were forced into exile in Canada along with their new allies. After that point, recorded history was silent about the tribe.

Language

There is little information on the now-extinct Saponi language. According to William Byrd II, the Saponi spoke the same language as the Occaneechi and the Stenkenock. It was probably the same as that spoken by the Meipontsky. By the time linguistic data was recorded, these related eastern Siouan tribes had settled together at Fort Christianna in Brunswick County, Virginia. While the language of the Tutelos was fairly well recorded by Horatio Hale, that of the Saponi is known from only two sources. It is unclear how the language spoken by the Saponi differed from that of the Tutelo, if at all.

One source is a word list of 46 terms and phrases recorded by John Fontaine at Fort Christianna in 1716. The other is a few translated creek names noted by William Byrd in his History of the Dividing Line betwixt Virginia and North Carolina in 1728. Of Fontaine's list, only 16 to 20 entries are Siouan, while the others are Iroquoian and Algonquian. Bryd's scant list also proved to include several names from unrelated Indian tribes.

20th century state recognition

Both the Indians of Person County/Sappony and the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe of North Carolina have been classified by some anthropological researchers as among groups known as tri-racial isolates, with European, African and Native American ancestry, to varying degree. They had settled and created communities in frontier and border areas of the southern states. Like the Seminoles, these two communities stressed identification with American Indians and acculturated members of the groups in the 19th century, a process known as ethnogenesis. Their applications for recognition as American Indian tribes were approved by the state of North Carolina in 1911 and 1965, respectively.

Late 20th century history and genealogical researchers have found that eighty percent of people identified as "free people of color" in federal censuses from 1790-1810 (when there was no designation for Indian) in North Carolina (who included ancestors of individuals who later identified as Indian) were descended from families of African Americans free in colonial Virginia. This was documented through extensive research in colonial records of Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay Colony, including court records, land deeds, wills and manumissions. Some free African Americans were descended from enslaved Africans freed as early as the mid-17th century. By the early decades of the 19th century, free families had any descendants.

Most of the free African Americans were descended from unions of white women, indentured or free, and African or African-European/American men, indentured, free or slave. In many cases these free families migrated to frontier areas of Virginia and North Carolina before the end of the eighteenth century. Later some moved on to settle in frontier areas of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio. Migrating to the frontier gave them the chance to purchase affordable land and avoid the social strictures of the coastal plantation areas. They were generally well accepted by neighbors. In some areas, the lighter-skinned descendants formed close communities in which they called themselves or were known as Indian, Portuguese or one of a variety of terms, such as Melungeon.

Several other groups and organizations to claim Saponi ancestry include the Mahenips Band of the Saponi Nation in the remote Ozark Hills, with headquarters in West Plains, Missouri; the Saponi Descendants Association based in Texas; and the Saponi Nation of Ohio. Communities such as the Carmel Indians of Carmel, Ohio; and a group in Magoffin County, Kentucky claim to be Native American descendants of the Saponi through Melungeon lines.

Ancestrial Saponi names

There is few names recorded on the historical Saponi records however some have been, Descendants of those listed on official records are currently not allowed enrollment into the 3 groups in NC currently using the Saponi name.

April 19 1755: Abstracts of the Minutes of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions Rowan County, North Carolina 1753-1762 II:72 19 April 1755 Esquires present: Jas Carter, Jno Handby, Alexr Osburn & Thos Potts. … Whereas John Auston a Saponia Indian and Mary a Susquhanah Indian and Thos a Cattaaba applied for a pass to the Cataba Nation being now on their Journey to conclude a Genl Peace with ye Catabas in behalf of the Sd Nation and also presented 3 Belts of Wampum to Sd Court by which the sd Treaty is to be concluded. Copyright Jo White Linn 1977 Mrs. Stahle Linn, Jr. Box 1948 Salisbury, N.C. 28144 Stamped (Carnegie Public Library, Washington C. H., Ohio 43160)

27 Sept 1728 Sir: The 27th of September John Carter brought Negro Cofey to my house, as he says, by your orders, for me to examine concerning what the Saponys have told him about the white people, which I have done, and he tells me: that Great George told him that John Sauano and a fellow called Ben Harrison was gone to the Cotobers to fetch one hundred of them to come and see why their Indians was put in prison, and if Capt. Tom was hanged they would carry their wives and children over the Roanoke River and then they would drive the white people and negros as far as James River, and he says that Tony Mack told him that if Pyah was hanged he and the Cotobers would come and take revenge of the English, and he says that Sapony Tom told him if his son Harry Erwin was hanged they would kill you and three or four more Gentlemen and then go off, and he says that Dick told him that we had no business to come to the fort armed to concern ourselves about their killing one another, but we were like a sow that had lost her pigs would rally for a little time and then have done *, but when they began a war with the English they never would have done *. This from your humble servant to command, Thomas Avent The original document is held by the Virginia Historical Society, Richmond, VA and will give you a copy of the original.

1742. "Indians" Alexander Machartoon, John Bowling, Manicassa, Capt. Tom, Isaac, Harry, Blind Tom, Foolish Jack, Charles Griffin, John Collins, Little Jack., were before Court for "terrifying" one Lawrence Strother, who testified that one of them shot at him, that they tried to surround him, that he turned his horse and rid off, but they gained on him till he crossed the run. Ordered, that the Indians be taken into custody by the sheriff until they give peace bonds with security, and that their guns be taken from them until they are ready to depart out of this Colony, they having declared their intention to depart within a week. They gave bond. Orange county, Virginia court records. VMHB III:190

"25 Jan 1745 Louisa County, Virginia Court: William Hall, Samuel Collins, William Collins, Samuel Bunch, George Gibson, Benjamin Brannum, Thomas Gibson, & William Donothan appear to answer an indictment for concealing tithables. Plead not guilty, Case continued."

1733: Saponi not happy with their living with the Catawbas and returned to Virginia. These Saponi bring with them some Cheraws (Catawba). They were forced to petition Lt. Governor Gooch for permission to resettle in Virginia, which was granted (Merrell 1989:116). Note: This Cheraw/Saura town very near the settlement of the 'Rockingham County Indians' known as the Gibson and Goins.

1754: Granville—Willm Eaton Esqr Coll: of Granville county North Carolina His Regimt consists of 8 companys 734 besides officers 2 Captns Simms & Jones are moved away the others Resigned He thinks the fines on delinquents should be fixed by a Court Martial. No arms or ammunition in the Stores There are about 12 or 14 Sapona men and as many women & children in the county Major Payne by Col: Eaton for Granville county recommends John Martin to be Captn over part of Sugar Jones Company & Willm Hawkins Captn over the other part above Shaws Road and John Hawkins Captn over part of Richd Coleman's Company & Willm Johnston over part of Willm Harris Company & Willm Paton Captn instead of Benjamin Sims moved away Capt Hursts Troop with officers 32. Report concerning the militia in each county of North Carolina Creator: No Author 1754 Volume 5, Pages 161 - 163. Found on Page 162. Also found in (Saunders 1968).

This corresponds with the Collins, Bunch, and other families list above appearing at this time living in granville, NC as Mulattos.

1761: A 1761 report counted 20 Saponi warriors in the area of Granville County, NC Quere 13 What is the number of the Indians inhabiting those parts of America lyeing within or bounding upon your Province? What Contracts or Treaties of Peace have been made with them and are now in force? What Trade is carried on with them and under what Regulations and how have these Regulations been established? Answer The only Tribes or remains of Tribes of Indians residing in this Province are the Tuskerora Sapona Meherin and Maramuskito Indians. The Tuskerora have about 100 fighting men the Saponas and Meherrin Indians about 20 each and the Maramuskitos about 7 or 8. the first 3 are situated in the Middle of the Colony upon and near Roanoak and have by Law 10,000 acres of Land allotted to them in Lord Granvilles District they live chiefly by hunting and are in perfect friendship with the Inhabitants.

This further corresponds with the number of families counted as Mulatto in Granville, NC at this time:

"Land Grants from the Earl of Granville to the earliest settlers, The Granville Dist. Of N.C. 1748-1763 Vols 2 & 4 by Hofman." 29 Oct 1751 -Grant to William Churton, 640 acres on the south side of Flatt River joining John Collins on the Rocky Branch. Grant is for warrant issued to Thomas Gibson (#3775) 1752. 250 acres to Thomas Gibson on the Flatt River. 28 Oct 1752 640 acres to Joseph Collins on the South West side of the Flatt River Witness- Thomas Collins and James Lilkemper.

Orange County was formed from Granville in 1753 the Flatt River area was in the new county. A 1755 Tax list of Orange County, NC. ( ref. Melungeon and Other Pioneer Families) If a family had at least 1/16 Indian or black they were sometimes listed mulatto. Gedion Bunch 1 tithe(mulatto) Micajer Bunch 1 tithe (mulatto) Thomas Collins 3 tithes (mulatto) Samuel Collins 2 tithes (mulatto) John Collins 1 tithe (mulatto) Moses Ridley (Riddle) 1 tithe & wife Mary (mulattoes) Thomas Gibson 3 tithes (mulatto) Charles Gibson 1 tithe (mulatto) George Gibson 1 tithe (mulatto) Mager Gibson 1 tithe (mulatto)

Land Grants in Orange County, NC. 1756- To William Combs on Flatt River joins Thomas Gibson, Joseph Collins & John Wade. Chainbearers: Thomas Gibson Jr. and Moses Ridley.

1761-700 acres to Thomas Collins on Dials Creek of the Flatt River. Chainbearers: George Collins and Paul Collins (mulattoes)

Some of these old pioneers may not have known all the rules and did not obtain a deed, notice who lost their improvements in this deed. John Brown-Warrants 26 Dec 1760, 700 acres on the Flatt River, includes Bolins, Riddles and Collins Improvements. Surveyed 13 April 1761, deed 14 Oct 1761.

Caswell County was formed from the northern part of Orange County, North Carolina in 1777 it included part of the Flatt River and part of that river remained in Orange County. 1777 tax list. Paul Collins 1 tithe, Martin Collins 1 tithe, Middleston Collins 1 tithe, Obadiah Collins 1 tithe, John collins 1 tithe.

Thomas Collins Sr. may have died in Orange County around 1770 but, most of his children migrated to the New River area of Virginia and North Carolina. The Collins and Gibsons began selling their land on the Flatt River in 1767-70 and moved to the back woods sections of the New River where some were listed on tax records in Fincastle County, Va., as "living on Indian Lands"

It is at this time no more Saponi is recorded in the Person county, NC..Granville, NC..or Orange county, NC area.

See also

• Siouan-Catawban languages

External links

• Saponi Indian Tribe History
• Searching for Saponi Town - online community of Saponi descendants
• Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe
• Saponi Nation of Missouri, Mahenips Band
• Saponi Descendants Association
• Jack Goin's Saponi descendants research