Catawba

The Catawba (people of the river) are a federally recognized tribe of Native Americans, known as the Catawba Indian Nation.

The Catawba (people of the river)  are a federally recognized tribe of Native Americans, known as the Catawba Indian Nation. They live in the Southeast United States, along the border of North Carolina near the city of Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Although recognized by South Carolina, the Catawba did not receive federal recognition until 1941. In 1959 they petitioned Congress to terminate their tribal status, and tribal landholdings were distributed among the membership during 1962. The final tribal role call of that year gave a population of a little over 600. After termination, many Catawba emigrated to the Choctaw in southeast Oklahoma. After a change of heart in 1973, the Catawba tribal council was reorganized and recognized by the state of South Carolina. 

During 1994, the Catawba regained federal recognition after a lengthy court battle.

View H.R.2399 - Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina land Claims Settlement Act of 1993.

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Evelyn George | Digital traditions
Evelyn George | Digital traditions

Photo

Grades: Higher Education

Evelyn George was designated a master potter of Catawba pottery by the Catawba Indian Nation. Born in 1914, Ms. George learned as a child from her great-grandmother. She was influenced by individuals...
Boyd S. and Boyd R. Hilton Photos | Digital Traditions
Boyd S. and Boyd R. Hilton Photos | Digital Traditions
Episode 3

Photo

Grades: Higher Education

Boyd S. Hilton belonged to a family with deep roots in the Catawba Valley pottery tradition. John Wesley Hilton was the patriarch of a family tradition that spans several generations. Hilton’s father...
Nola Harris Campbell Photos | Digital Traditions
Nola Harris Campbell Photos | Digital Traditions

Photo

Grades: Higher Education

By the age of 15, Nola Harris Campbell was well on her way to becoming a master potter. She learned how to make coil-formed pottery from another master potter, her sister-in-law Georgia Harris. Over...
York County - Catawba Indian School | Road Trip
York County - Catawba Indian School | Road Trip

Photo

Grades: 6 7 8

Although recognized by South Carolina, the Catawba did not receive federal recognition until 1941. In 1959 they petitioned Congress to terminate their tribal status, and tribal landholdings were...
Sara Ayers Photos | Digital Traditions
Sara Ayers Photos | Digital Traditions
Episode 7

Photo

Grades: Higher Education

Sara Ayers was a highly accomplished Catawba potter who exemplified the major artistic tradition of South Carolina's earliest residents. Daughter of David A. Harris, chief of the Catawba Nation from...
Sara Ayers: Grandfather | Digital Traditions
Sara Ayers: Grandfather | Digital Traditions
Episode 4

Audio

Grades: Higher Education

Ayers discusses the role of her grandfather in her pottery making. Sara Ayers was a highly accomplished Catawba potter who exemplified the major artistic tradition of South Carolina's earliest...
Sara Ayers: Firing | Digital Traditions
Sara Ayers: Firing | Digital Traditions
Episode 5

Audio

Grades: Higher Education

Ayers tells Cinda Baldwin about the firing process. Sara Ayers was a highly accomplished Catawba potter who exemplified the major artistic tradition of South Carolina's earliest residents. Daughter of...
Sara Ayers: Uniqueness | Digital Traditions
Sara Ayers: Uniqueness | Digital Traditions
Episode 6

Audio

Grades: Higher Education

Ayers discusses how no two of her pieces are ever exactly alike. Sara Ayers was a highly accomplished Catawba potter who exemplified the major artistic tradition of South Carolina's earliest residents...
Catawba Art Exhibit | Palmetto Scene
Catawba Art Exhibit | Palmetto Scene

Video

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

In the late 1990s, the Catawba Nation received federal recognition. Photojournalist and Filmmaker Catherine Bauknight set out to document the revival of the tribe. Her photo essay exhibit at the...
Sara Ayers: Animal Figures | Digital Traditions
Sara Ayers: Animal Figures | Digital Traditions
Episode 1

Audio

Grades: Higher Education

Sara Ayers talks with Cinda Baldwin about animal figures in her pottery. Sara Ayers was a highly accomplished Catawba potter who exemplified the major artistic tradition of South Carolina's earliest...
Sara Ayers: Tools | Digital Traditions
Sara Ayers: Tools | Digital Traditions
Episode 3

Audio

Grades: Higher Education

Ayers tells Cinda Baldwin about the tools she uses to make pottery. Sara Ayers was a highly accomplished Catawba potter who exemplified the major artistic tradition of South Carolina's earliest...
Steps in Shaping a Pot, Part 1 | Digital Traditions 1
Steps in Shaping a Pot, Part 1 | Digital Traditions
Episode 1

Video

Grades: Higher Education

Footage from Folklife Resource Center documentation in the late 1980s. Filmed in Nola Harris Campbell's home. Related Links Catawba Cultural Preservation Catawba Cultural Center
Steps in Shaping a Pot, Part 3 | Digital Traditions 3
Steps in Shaping a Pot, Part 3 | Digital Traditions
Episode 3

Video

Grades: Higher Education

Nola Harris Campbell finishes the outside of the pot by rubbing it with a corn cob. This "blends" the coils together and the pot is ready to cure or dry. Harris also demonstrates "scraping" a dried...
Steps in Shaping a Pot, Part 2 | Digital Traditions 2
Steps in Shaping a Pot, Part 2 | Digital Traditions
Episode 2

Video

Grades: Higher Education

Nora Harris Campbell builds up the sides of the pot with "coils" and uses the lid of a tin can to scrape the inside of the pot smooth - blending the individual coils together. Footage from Folklife...
Those Who Remain: Dentist 6
Those Who Remain: Dentist
Episode 6

Video

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Dr. Wenonah George Haire is the only dentist in her tribe. In the evenings, she is consumed by her cultural heritage as a Catawba and spends hours making Catawba pottery. She has concerns that this...
Those Who Remain: Native Population 1
Those Who Remain: Native Population
Episode 1

Video

Grades: 4 5 8 11

In this segment, Herb McAmis, an adopted member of the Edisto-Kusso-Natchez people of Dorchester and Colleton Counties, explains that some are genetic Indians and some are Indians in their hearts. He...
Those Who Remain: Edisto 2
Those Who Remain: Edisto
Episode 2

Video

Grades: 5 8

Glenn Creel feels that he has been called to minister physically and spiritually. Due to the financial pressures of medical school, that dream is out of reach, and Glenn teaches to earn a living...
King Hagler | S.C. Hall of Fame
King Hagler | S.C. Hall of Fame

Video

Grades: 4 8

“King Hagler” was the leader of the Catawba Indian Nation. He had a reputation as peacekeeper with other tribes and colonists. In 1751, Hagler signed a treaty with the Six Nations. In 1756, Catawba...
What is Natural? | A Natural State 2
What is Natural? | A Natural State
Episode 2

Video

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

The natural world pervades nearly every aspect of the Catawba pottery tradition. Nature-inspired motifs include the turtle, frog, black snake, snail, feather and palm leaf, and are often connected to...
Spotlight | A Natural State 1
Spotlight | A Natural State
Episode 1

Video

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Catawba pottery is recognized as one of the oldest and purest traditional art forms in America. Potters such as Billie Anne McKellar, a fourth generation potter, are often ancestors of a long line of...