Pamlico
The Pamlico were an Indigenous tribe located along the Pamlico River in North Carolina, known for their horticultural lifestyle. They cultivated essential crops such as maize, beans, and squash, while also hunting, trapping, and fishing for sustenance. The women of the Pamlico played a vital role in gathering wild foods, including roots, berries, and nuts, which contributed to their diverse diet, especially during winter months. The tribe was first documented by Raleigh colonists in 1585, with an estimated population of nearly one thousand in 1600. However, a devastating smallpox epidemic in 1696 drastically reduced their numbers to just seventy-five by 1710. The Pamlico participated in the Tuscarora War in 1711, which led to their decline as a distinct political entity, as many were killed or enslaved during the conflict. Although the Pamlico are no longer recognized as a separate tribe, their descendants are thought to be among the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina today. This historical narrative highlights the resilience and cultural heritage of the Pamlico people despite significant challenges they faced.
Subject Terms
Pamlico
Category: Tribe
Culture area: Southeast
Language group: Algonquian
Primary location: Pamlico River, North Carolina
Though there are numerous references to this tribe, little is known about them. The Pamlico were horticulturalists whose subsistence base consisted essentially of maize, beans, squash, and a wide variety of cultivated foods, supplemented by men’s hunting, trapping, and fishing. The Native American women dug roots and gathered berries and nuts, some of which were dried for winter storage.
The first mention of the Pamlico was by the Raleigh colonists in 1585, who called them Pomouik. The population of the Pamlico was estimated to be nearly one thousand in 1600. The Pamlico suffered a devastating smallpox epidemic in 1696 that left only seventy-five survivors, who by 1710 were living in a single village. In 1711, the Pamlico participated in the Tuscarora War, at the end of which the Tuscarora, under treaty with the English, agreed to exterminate the remaining Pamlico. Those not killed were incorporated as slaves by the victorious Tuscarora.