Sissipahaw
Encyclopedia
The Sissipahaw or Haw Tribe were most likely a Siouan tribe of North Carolina. They are also variously recorded as Saxahapaw, Sauxpa, Sissipahaus, etc. Their settlements were generally located in the vicinity of modern-day Saxapahaw, North Carolina
on the Haw River
in Alamance County
upstream from Cape Fear. They are first recorded by the Spaniard Vendera in the 16th century as the Sauxpa. Their last mention in history is that the tribe joined the Yamasee
against the English colonists in the Yamasee War
of 1715.
-like structures, farmed corn and beans, and hunted the woods for turkey, venison, and bear. Boys and girls also underwent a puberty ritual called husquenawing before entering adulthood where they were given toxic herbs and little food. The tribe was closely connected with the Shakori
, of which they may have been a band or closely related and allied tribe. Their animal sign is the mighty bear.
. Words that were recorded include:
of 1715, other than to mention the tribe's participation against the English colonists. It is believed that survivors of the tribe, small from introduced diseases and warfare, merged with other related tribes and remnants of others such as the Shakori and ultimately the Catawba
.
. Their presence is felt in local names such as such as Alamance, Saxapahaw, Haw River
, Haw Creek, and Ossipee, North Carolina
.
Saxapahaw, North Carolina
Saxapahaw is a census-designated place in Alamance County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area...
on the Haw River
Haw River
The Haw River is a tributary of the Cape Fear River, approximately 110 mi long, that is entirely contained in north central North Carolina in the United States...
in Alamance County
Alamance County, North Carolina
Alamance County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It coincides with the Burlington, North Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area...
upstream from Cape Fear. They are first recorded by the Spaniard Vendera in the 16th century as the Sauxpa. Their last mention in history is that the tribe joined the Yamasee
Yamasee
The Yamasee were a multiethnic confederation of Native Americans that lived in the coastal region of present-day northern coastal Georgia near the Savannah River and later in northeastern Florida.-History:...
against the English colonists in the Yamasee War
Yamasee War
The Yamasee War was a conflict between British settlers of colonial South Carolina and various Native American Indian tribes, including the Yamasee, Muscogee, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Catawba, Apalachee, Apalachicola, Yuchi, Savannah River Shawnee, Congaree, Waxhaw, Pee Dee, Cape Fear, Cheraw, and...
of 1715.
Culture
Very little is known of the Sissipahaw, aside from a few notes in history. Archaeological evidence from Alamance County indicates that the Sissipahaw, much like the Shakori, lived in wigwamWigwam
A wigwam or wickiup is a domed room dwelling used by certain Native American tribes. The term wickiup is generally used to label these kinds of dwellings in American Southwest and West. Wigwam is usually applied to these structures in the American Northeast...
-like structures, farmed corn and beans, and hunted the woods for turkey, venison, and bear. Boys and girls also underwent a puberty ritual called husquenawing before entering adulthood where they were given toxic herbs and little food. The tribe was closely connected with the Shakori
Shakori Tribe
The Shakori Tribe were a possibly Siouan people closely allied with other nearby tribes such as the Eno and the Sissipahaw. Their name is also recorded as Shaccoree and can be confused with the Sugaree...
, of which they may have been a band or closely related and allied tribe. Their animal sign is the mighty bear.
Language
Their language, although extinct, is mostly likely Siouan and a sub-dialect of ShakoriShakori Tribe
The Shakori Tribe were a possibly Siouan people closely allied with other nearby tribes such as the Eno and the Sissipahaw. Their name is also recorded as Shaccoree and can be confused with the Sugaree...
. Words that were recorded include:
- husquenawing
- unche, 'one'
- necte, 'two'
- wartsan, 'ten'
- unche schanwan, 'eleven'
Legacy
There is no recorded history of the Sissipahaw after the Yamasee WarYamasee War
The Yamasee War was a conflict between British settlers of colonial South Carolina and various Native American Indian tribes, including the Yamasee, Muscogee, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Catawba, Apalachee, Apalachicola, Yuchi, Savannah River Shawnee, Congaree, Waxhaw, Pee Dee, Cape Fear, Cheraw, and...
of 1715, other than to mention the tribe's participation against the English colonists. It is believed that survivors of the tribe, small from introduced diseases and warfare, merged with other related tribes and remnants of others such as the Shakori and ultimately the Catawba
Catawba (tribe)
The Catawba are a federally recognized tribe of Native Americans, known as the Catawba Indian Nation. They live in the Southeast United States, along the border between North and South Carolina near the city of Rock Hill...
.
. Their presence is felt in local names such as such as Alamance, Saxapahaw, Haw River
Haw River
The Haw River is a tributary of the Cape Fear River, approximately 110 mi long, that is entirely contained in north central North Carolina in the United States...
, Haw Creek, and Ossipee, North Carolina
Ossipee, North Carolina
Ossipee is an incorporated town in northwestern Alamance County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Ossipee is one of the newer municipalities in the state, as it was incorporated officially on December 9, 2002. It was part of the Altamahaw-Ossipee census-designated place until its incorporation....
.