User:Plutolunar/Congaree National Park

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Pre History Indigenous Peoples

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The land of and around Congaree National Park was originally inhabited by several various groups of indigenous peoples including but not limited to the Pedee, the Congaree, the Wateree, the Catawba, the Sewee and the Waccamaw. The Congaree people lived on the land that is most directly a part of the park, and other tribes frequented the immediately surrounding areas. Most tribes are considered to be off shoots of the main Catabwa tribe due to Kataba and various dialects of it being the main spoken language.

The indigenous peoples' routine burning and clearing of fields, building of mounds, and consistent growing of crops caused impact on the landscape that can be seen today in the form of permanently cleared fields, remaining mounds, and the remnants of deliberate tree groves. The Congaree are known to have grown fields of corn, orchards of peaches, and to have raised cranes as barn fowl. Some of the other tribes focused more on hunting, agriculture, or trade.

As colonists from around the world began to arrive in the region some tribes befriended them while other fought against them. In 1715 the War of Yamasee broke out pitting many of the native tribes against the encroaching colonists. A year later in 1716 another war broke out primarily with the Congaree and Santee against the Colonists and the Etiwaw resulting in almost half to the Congaree and Santee population being sent to the West Indies as slaves. Numerous smaller fights broke out with the colonists and amongst the tribes themselves as they moved land, joined tribes, and were hunted down by hunting parties. From the mid 1700’s to the 1800’s the Native peoples began to shrink and conjoin until no more remained on park land.