November marks Native American Heritage Month, a time to pause and acknowledge the historic contributions and losses of Indigenous Peoples. The modern communities that border the banks of the Catawba River where the Stowe RWRRF is being built are located near the ancestral homelands of the Catawba Nation. Their modern-day tribal lands are located in York County, South Carolina.
The Catawba Nation lived on their ancestral lands along the Catawba River dating back at least 6,000 years. They inhabited most of the Piedmont area of South Carolina, North Carolina and parts of Virginia. The people of Catawba Nation spent thousands of years there building communities, farming, hunting, raising families, making pottery and caring for the land before the arrival of European settlers.
Yet by the late 1600s, the Catawba were trading furs and high-quality pottery with the Europeans in return for muskets, knives, kettles and cloth. In fact, the Catawba villages became a bustling center in the trade network between Viriginia and the Carolinas. Unfortunately, heightened contact with European settlers had negative consequences. By the 1760s after enduring a series of wars such as the French and Indian War, as well as multiple smallpox epidemics, the Catawba’s population was reduced to less than 1,000 from a height of more than 8,000 people. Today, 3,300 people are enrolled members of Catawba Nation, which has an important and deep history and culture that continues to enrich our region today.
Charlotte Water and our partners honor the Catawba Nation as the first stewards of the Catawba River and our region’s water resources. We acknowledge the missteps and injustices of the past which led to the Catawba Nation losing the majority of their 144,000-acre territory.
That’s why the Stowe Team partnered with Catawba Nation to inform and help shape this transformational regional project. We will continue to promote closing the equity gap for Indigenous Peoples through policies and practices that reflect their experiences to ensure greater access and opportunity for all.
Recognizing the original stewards of the Catawba River and our region’s water resources, the Stowe Project partnered with Catawba Nation to inform the project vision and design.
We thank Catawba Nation for educating our staff and participating in our project. A special thank you to these inspiring Catawba leaders for their contributions:
Dr. Robert Carter, Catawba Nation Wildlife and Habitat Stewardship Manager, for informing the landscaping design of the new Stowe Facility with native and culturally significant species.
Dr. Wenonah Haire, Executive Director of the Catawba Cultural Preservation Project, for sharing the history of the river and land with our staff during project kickoff and with our region’s leaders at the Groundbreaking of the Stowe Regional Water Resource Recovery Facility.
Scott Hansen, Environmental Services Director for Catwaba Nation, for joining our Community Stakeholder Committee to envision the Community Benefit Project.
DeLesslin “Roo” George-Warren, Tribal Consultant for the Catawba Cultural Center, for performing a traditional song and dance at the Stowe Groundbreaking Ceremony.
Catawba Nation leaders are always seeking opportunities to contribute to the larger community through economic development, projects that advance the region’s goals, and sharing their culture with others.
Learn more about the Catawba Nation on their website https://catawba.com/ and at the Catawba Cultural Center. Stay connected by following Catawba Nation on Facebook and Instagram,
The state of North Carolina recognizes the Coharie, Eastern Band of Cherokee, Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi Band of the Saponi, Sappony, and Waccamaw Siouan and honor the enduring presence, vibrance, and diversity of contemporary Indigenous communities.
Of the 573 federally recognized tribes in the United States, the Catawba Indian Nation is the only one located in the state of South Carolina.