Lost Tribes

Warriors of the Rainbow

Whole Indian Nations have melted away

Like snowballs in the sun
Before the white mans advance.
They leave scarcely a name of our people
Except those wrongly recorded by their destroyers
Dragging Canoe 1776

Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Creation Stories
Symbolism for the Universe
The 4 Directions

1
4
5

Chapter 2: The 4 Races of Mankind

4 Races of Humans Found

7
9

Chapter 3: Origin of the Bear Clan

13

Chapter 4: History of the Bear Clan

What is a Tribe or Nation?
Time-line

17
19
20

Chapter 5: Giants?

22

Chapter 6: The Time of Mound Building

The Weapemeoc Nation
Weapemeoc Society
Tribal Government
National Government
International Government

24
27
28
29
30
31

Chapter 7: First Contact

The Lost Colony of Sir Walter Raleigh, Roanoke

32
33

Chapter 8: Jamestown, The Early Years

The Powhatan Empire
Jamestown Founded 1607
Powhatan Attacks 1622

37
37
38
40

Chapter 9: The Theft of a Nation

Greed, the Beginning of the End
Bacon's Rebellion 1676
Cary's Rebellion 1711
The Tuscarora War 1711

43
44
46
48
49

Chapter 10: The Laster Tribe of Perquimans County

The Issue of Slavery
The Laster Tribe
Divisions within the Weapemeoc Nation
The Moorish/Islamic Connection
Exodus
Wars
Modern History

52
52
53
55
56
57
60
62

Chapter 11: Warriors of the Rainbow

Cree and Hopi Warriors of the Rainbow
The Eagle and the Condor Prophecy
Sioux prophecy of the White Buffalo Calf Woman
The 7 Fires Prophecy

66
66
69
70
73

Chapter 12: Rebuilding the Nations

The Myth of the Cherokee Princess?
Type of Federal Recognition Affects Enrollment
U.S. Recognition by an Act of Congress
International Law
Restoring the Nations, Historic Time-line and Location
Migrations and Family Surnames
Hereditary Chiefs and Clans
Hereditary Chiefs of Other North Carolina Tribes

79
79
80
81
82
83
84
89
90

Chapter 13: A Vision For the Future

Short Term Goals
Long Term Goals

91
91
94

Chapter 14: An Economic Model For Native Nations/Tribes

Native Currency Wheel Money
Land Taxes
Labor based Taxes
Job Training and Education
Home Ownership
Home Financing
Conclusion

96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103

Chapter 15: Messages and Contact information

Contact and Enrollment Information

107
118

Introduction
This book is the story of one tribe, its nation, and the people they came from, the tribes
of the Carolina Algonquin people.
But that story touches many tribes from coast to coast
And the human race as a whole

The Carolina Algonquin tribes have been largely ignored in history books,
despite a wealth of information about them in the colonial records. It is safe to say
there may not be a United States of America if these tribes had acted differently.
The Americas before the coming of the Europeans was a culturally diverse
place. Thousands of tribes experimented with various forms of government, religion
and social structures over thousands of years. Cities and empires as vast as any in
the Old World and small independent tribes of every lifestyle. There were a greater
variety of languages in the Americas than the rest of the world combined. The
Americas was a very culturally diverse place.
But while each tribe was unique, they also shared some common
characteristics like a tribe and clan system, a love of the land and a respect for all
living creatures. They were also a people with a long history stretching back into the
dawn of time. Like many other ancient cultures, the Celts for example, much of that
history has been lost and only fragments remain.
It is a history worth sharing for it covers the globe and circles the earth,
touching all the people who have lived on the earth at one time or another. The
Algonquin and other northern tribes are part of what anthropologists and other
scientists call The Circumpolar Bear Cult or The Circumpolar People who were
the first group of people to circle the world and did so in the polar regions.
I hope to reach the scattered tribes and people of the Carolina Algonquins and
reunite them with this book. But even if my hopes and dreams of rebuilding our
nation fails, at least our history and stories that were passed down to me will not be
lost to history when I leave this world.
It is a history worth telling, and hopefully everyone will find something new or
of interest to them in it. So join me as I tell the story of my people, and I hope you
enjoy it as well.

My tribe is the Man'toUghQueMend, one of the 25 tribes of the Weapemeoc

Nation of the Carolina Algonquin people. Man'toUghQueMend translates as Spirit of
Her the Earth and was a small tribe of shamans, seers and medicine men and
women.
We lived at a remote location deep within the borders of the Great Dismal
Swamp of Virginia and North Carolina. The location could not be reached by canoe
and its remote location and status as a holy site are the main reasons my tribe
survived.
Thus the stories handed down to me in my youth are those which my tribe
and Clan considered important and necessary for future generations. There are
many stories and traditions that have been lost to time.
I hope this book will reach the scattered remnants of the Carolina Algonquins
and that some of them may have retained other stories and traditions that we may
rebuild some of what was lost to us.
History is seen through the eyes of the beholder and the same events may be
perceived differently by others, and oral historys are not always accurate.
To any of the other tribes of Virginia and North Carolina, if I mention
something you feel is in error, or needs more explanation, please feel free to contact
me and let me know.
The oral history of my tribe is connected closely with the history of my nation,
the Weapemeoc, and therefore I am not as familiar with the history and traditions of
other Carolina Algonquins. To the members of these tribes and nations, I am sorry I
do not have a deeper knowledge of our shared history, so feel free to contact me if
you feel something is in error or just wish to provide more details of events as
related to your tribes.
That said, this book will provide a unique look at the history of mankind and
the United States as seen through the eyes of Native Americans. This book will not
change history, but offers a new perspective on history that I hope will have
something to interest everyone.
African American Indians will be peculiarly interested in this history as the
history of my tribe is interwoven with their history as it is with the Moors, for my
tribe and nation was truly a Rainbow of people and religions. Indians, Whites
Africans, Moors, Islam, various forms of Christianity and Native beliefs living in
harmony as a tribe and nation.

Chapter 1: Creation Stories

The Creator, The Great Spirit, made all that seen and unseen, like
dew forming on the grass, so did all that is came into being. The physical
world we live in is vast, and it is surrounded by a spiritual world even
greater
The Spirit Lands above are the home of helpful and protective
spirits and called the Happy Hunting Grounds by those who make it
there. The Spirit Lands below are the home of hurtful and mischievous
spirits.
Also in the Spirit Lands is the Lake of Fire where souls are formed
by The Great Spirit, and the evil souls of those who do not make it into
eternity are destroyed, and also there, is the Land of the Dead where
restless and lost souls wander till they are drawn to the Lake.
The Physical and Spiritual worlds are connected by The Spirit Tree
and Shamans take refuge in its branches when they must visit the Lands
beyond.
Our oral creation story is not a literal accounts of creation. A literal creation
account would be long and detailed. Oral creation stories needed to be short so they
can be remembered, and were symbolic rather than factual as they were meant to
pass on a few simple truths.
Ancient people had no idea how dew formed on the grass, it just did overnight.
So the important truth was that we do not know HOW' the Great Spirit created
everything, only that it appeared so we can marvel at its greatness.
Belief in the spirit world was common among ancient cultures around the
world, and they needed a place to dwell as well, so the creation story provides them
with a realm appropriate for them. The symbolism of the Spirit Tree showed that the
physical and spiritual are connected.
It also helped people deal with the pain of the death of a loved one. Their soul
would ascend to a better realm, and the souls of evil people would be destroyed, and
it also provided a reason for the existence of ghosts, who wander in the land of the
dead till they reach their final detestation.

2
This simple and short creation story has a lot in common with that of other
tribes, with minor differences. Among some tribes in Alaska the spirit world is
reversed with the home of the good spirits below and the evil ones above. In other
tribes the Great Tree is part of the Origin Story of Mankind rather than the Creation
Story, with the first man and woman coming out of the tree, or an animal burrow at
its base. Often the Tree is a specific type of tree the tribe holds sacred.
However it this story the type of tree is not named, but the symbolism of The
Spirit Tree was common throughout the Mound Building cultures before the arrival
of Europeans. It is also found among other cultures like The Circumpolar People,
as in World Tree of Norse Vikings and other tribes of Northern Europe. It is also
found in the tribes of Asia, like the Spirit Tree of Mongolian Shamans.
Despite the simplicity of this creation story, Elders often put a great deal of
thought into it. In my youth I thought the Lake of Fire referred to normal
reincarnation as souls went there to die and were born there as well.
I thought there was a flaw in this, and tried to impress an Elder of the tribe
with my keen observation and logic. Here is that story.
I told the Elder that there was a flaw in the creation story with the Lake of
Fire, and explained my logic. There are a number of people around the world in
mental hospitals who claim to be the reincarnation of Napoleon and their memories
of his life have been confirmed as historically accurate. How can this be? They all
can not be Napoleon?
The Elder replied, Young one, you know your are in trouble when an Elder
calls you young one, regardless of your age.

You do not understand, every person is unique, and this is why life
is so sacred. A persons memories are written on his soul for the Great
Spirit to read. Those who do not make it into eternity are destroyed in the
Lake, but the pieces retain specific memories. When a new soul is
created, it has the memories of many people passed on to it, but we do
not recall those memories.
It is like when many people are talking at once, all you hear is
noise. Even of you listen closely, it is hard to understand what a single
person is saying. But some memories are more powerful than others. And
like a person yelling in the crowd, can be heard if you listen. This is why
some people fear things but do not know why. The memories of someone
who fell to their death may cause a person to fear heights.

The memories of a spiritually powerful person can also be quite

strong. Go and bring these people together and they will find that none of
them share the exact same memories, each only has pieces of this mans
memories. This Napoleon must have been a powerful person for so many
to recall some of his memories.
There is nothing wrong with these people, they have only listened
too closely to memories that are not theirs. The truth of this will heal them
and they will be free to live their own life
This made sense to me and I had been humbled, no more the cocky youth
trying to catch Elders in a mistake. Clearly much thought had gone into his
explanation for it had an internal logic I could not find any flaw with.
This also shows one of the other reasons for native stories, as a form of
spiritual healing. Traditional stories are often recited as part of a healing ceremony.
This creation story could help someone with phobias, who heard voices or saw
ghosts, or had the memories of someone else by providing an explanation for their
problems and hopefully a way to deal with them and remain a productive member of
the community.
Recently researchers at the Emory School of Medicine in Atlanta have shown
that memories of traumatic or stressful experiences can be passed down to future
generations through chemical changes in their DNA [1]. So while Native people did
not know about DNA, they observed that memories can be passed down causing
phobias and other mental problems, and these stories help those people deal with
those problems.
Like Aesop's fables, many native stories were also meant to provide a moral
compass to guide ones life by. Respect the Creator and his creation, all life has value
and everything is connected in the circle of life. Be a good person and a good afterlife
awaits you, but evil people are denied an afterlife.
Because such oral stories are shot and general in nature, they are flexible
enough to help understand the beliefs of other cultures.
After the Elder had finished I explained that some religions like Hinduism and
Buddhism, believe they are reincarnated many times, and are mostly the same
person each time retaining much of their past lives, and do not believe in an eternity
with the Great Spirit, yet they are a very spiritual people.
The Elder thought for a bit, as this seemed a new concept to him, but soon
replied.

The Land of the Dead and the Lake are not in the Spirit World
above, nor the Spirit World below, perhaps this is where the souls of
those people stay until they are ready to be reborn. If they are a spiritual
people, then this may account for why they remember so much of their
past, and because they willingly accepted to be reincarnated, they may
remember more. There are many paths to understanding, and every
person must walk their own path. The Great Spirit is very wise and made
many paths to understanding that all may find a path suited to them.
Native American religion was inclusive and sought to understand the beliefs
and stories of other peoples. When tribes meet and shared stories, each tribe would
admit that there was much wisdom in the stories and traditions of the other tribe.
Each person and tribe worshiped in their own way, and considered the way others
worshiped to be as valid as their own.
This is the opposite of most modern religions where the beliefs of other faiths
are mocked and ridiculed, and followers are expected to worship within a manner
officially prescribed by the religion. Hence many modern religions are exclusive
clubs where they are right and everyone else is wrong.

Symbolism for the Universe

The basic symbol that represented creation was the Cross of Creation, with a
circle at the middle representing the physical world. I made the circle blue for Water
and green for the Earth, but my artistic talents are limited, so forgive my crude
images in this book.

5
Each arm of the Cross represented a part of the Spirit World which surrounds
the Physical World. The Spirit World above, the Spirit World below, The Land of the
Dead on one side, the Lake of Fire on the other side. Thus a very simple symbol
represented the universe as told in the creation story.
Tribes would often embellish the cross in carvings and paintings with
symbolic images like a representation of the Principle Clan for the tribe, or the Spirit
Tree and the Grape Vine wrapping around it and so on.
The Carolina Algonquins, when they saw the Christian Cross, which
sometimes had a circle or halo at the center, they interpreted the missionaries
stories through the eyes of their own mythology. The Lake of Fire Christians spoke of
would also be viewed through the eyes of their own mythology.
When tribes meet each other or interacted, they often took turns telling the
stories of their people, it is a good way to learn about each other as well as a social
event. So the Carolina Algonquins were interested in hearing the stories of the
Christians and learning about them, just as they would be for any new tribe of
people they had just meet.
We also used another Cross symbol called the spinning cross by some tribes,
and was used to represent the 4 directions among my people.

This type of cross is identical the the Buddhist Cross found across Asia.
However some tribes used the mirror opposite of it, which is drawn like the Nazi
Swastika and the Spinning Cross of the Mississippi Mound Builders of North
America, spinning in the opposite direction.

6
My Aunt Ollie explained the Spinning Cross of the 4 directions to me this way.

The 4 directions are the same for us as other tribes, except for the
direction it spins, and this determines which direction we dance. We
Algonquins are the People of the North, and the Stars of our Clans dance
around the the North Star which represents the Sacred Fire. We dance the
direction they travel, around the Fire, counter-clockwise, which some call
widdershins.
We kept track of the seasons by these stars. But the other Races of
Mankind kept track of time other ways. The People of the East used the
Sun, and the People of the West the Moon. The People of the South used
the Morning and Evening Star. All these people dance clockwise around
the fire.
This is how you will know other tribes that are the People of the
North, they dance the same way we do, counter-clockwise.
Many tribes no longer use the Spinning Cross symbol for the 4 directions. If
you curve the broken arms of the cross till they touch, it becomes a cross within a
circle.
Many tribes use the symbol of a cross or X within a circle for the 4 directions,
and is also called The Medicine Wheel by many tribes. The direction of spin or travel
is lost when the circle of The Medicine Wheel is used instead of the Spinning Cross,
but each tribe maintains the tradition of which direction they dance in.
The symbol of an X within a circle was used by my tribe to describe the 4
Races of Mankind. The story of the 4 Races of Mankind has a lot in common with
the 4 directions as well, so it is no surprise that some tribes combined the
symbolism over time.

References:
[1] Brain G Dias & Kerry J Ressler Parental olfactory experience influences behavior
and neural structure in subsequent generations Nature Neuroscience 17, 89
96 (2014) doi:10.1038/nn.3594

Chapter 2: The 4 Races of Mankind

The Great Spirit created the first man and woman to be his
companions in the Eternal Lands. A grape vine grew up the Spirit Tree
from the Physical World below, and the man and woman found the
grapes, desired them, and ate them.
They found the grapes pleasant to eat and desired to experience
more of the pleasures of the physical world and so they descended the
Spirit Tree to the physical world.
They experienced many things and became attached to their
desires and the pleasures of the physical world. The more attached they
became to the physical world, the more they became like the animals and
mankind could speak the language of the animals
They became so attached to the physical world, they could no
longer find the Spirit Tree or return the the Eternal Lands from which they
came.
The first Man and Woman had 8 children, 4 boys and 4 girls who
married and are the Grandfathers and Grandmothers of the 4 races of
mankind, they are the People of the West, South, East and North.
Each of them also had 4 boys and 4 girls who are the Father and
Mother of the Clans of each of the tribes of the 4 races of mankind.

The People of the West preferred the caves and dark places of the
earth for their home and their color is Black. They valued physical
strength and bravery in the hunt.
The People of the South preferred the warm lands for their home
and their color is Red. They value physical possessions and their
emotions run as hot as the land they love
The People of the East preferred the open spaces for their home and
their color is Yellow. They value intelligence and all things new to them
and are great inventors and explorers.
The People of the North preferred the cold lands that they might be
spiritually purified and their color is White. They value all things spiritual
and have a great knowledge of herbs and medicine.
I have spent more time pondering this story than any other story from my
youth. In most mythologies the creation of man follows the creation of the world,
and before the history of mankind, but no story of the creation of man was passed
down to me in my youth.
Perhaps the story of the creation of man was lost over time, or we never had
one to begin with. There exists a great variety of stories about the creation of man
among the tribes of North America. Indeed it seems every tribe had their own unique
version. Mankind is created out of everything imaginable and in every way possible.
It is safe to say there are more versions of the creation of man in North America than
in the rest of the world combined.
This might be explained, if in ancient times native people did not have a story
about the creation of mankind, and each tribe created their own to fill in this gap in
their mythology. Perhaps my tribe never felt the need to create a story to explain
how mankind was first created by the Great Spirit.
One thing I noticed about this story is that it is highly structured. Besides the
grouping of 4 throughout the story, there is a Yin/Yang type polar duality as well.
The People of the West likes closed spaces like caves, while their opposite the
people of the East like open spaces. The West values physical strength, the East
mental strength.

9
The same duality is seen in the People of the North and South. The North love
the cold and are spiritual detached from the physical world, the South love the
warmth, and are attached to physical possessions.
The tradition that there were 4 races of mankind is found across the
Americas, and in South America there are stone carvings which clearly show the 4
races of mankind, with distinct Caucasian, Asian, African and Native features.
Because this is a widespread belief among the Natives of America, it would be
easy to over generalize their beliefs, but there are difference in minor details from
tribe to tribe.
For example while nearly all tribes use the same 4 colors, they do not all place
them in the same 4 quadrants of the circle. The Americas was populated by
successive waves of people over time who spoke different language and unique
history. So it would be surprising not to find minor difference from tribe to tribe over
time.
So even though I knew there should be difference between our symbolism and
other tribes, the placement of the colors did not make sense to me. The Caucasian
race came from Europe, which should make the East White, not Black, and the
South should be Black not Red.
But that is only true if you are considering skin color as a way to tell the 4
races apart, and place the story in more modern times. We have an oral history that
tells us we traveled and intermarried with all the Races of Mankind, so the
placement might refer to a time before the races settled in their current locations.
If the story has nothing to do with skin color, and skin color is not mentioned,
then perhaps the reason is that it predates the classification of race by skin color.
Recent discoveries in the field of genetics suggest there were 4 races of humans
which interbreed to create the races we know today.

4 Races of Humans found

Most people have heard of Homo Neanderthal found in Europe and that
Neanderthal DNA has been found in modern humans. They appeared about 250,000
years ago, and mixed with modern humans from 28,000 to 80,000 years ago. But
more recently other races of humans have been found.
In 2003 scientists discovered the remains of another race of humans, Homo
Floresiensis on an island in Indonesia, nicknamed Hobbits due to their small size.
[1]

10
The remains of 8 skeletons were dated and ranged from 13,000 to 38,000
years old, Tools and other artifacts were found dating as far back as 95,000 years
related to these skeletons. Tools going back 1 million years were found, but were
most likely made by an earlier hominid, Homo Erectus. But the Hobbits clearly
existed at the same time Neanderthals and modern humans were interbreeding as
well.
2008 in the Altay mountains, close to where Russia, Mongolia, China and
Kazakhstan meet each other, a fourth race of humans are discovered, the Denisovan
[2]. The several specimens found were in a strata 30,000 to 50,000 years old.
The Denisovans appeared about the same time as the Neanderthals did,
250,000 years ago. More importantly the remains of Neanderthals, Denisovans and
modern humans were found in the same cave. 3 of the 4 races of mankind found
within the same cave, and showed genetic evidence of interbreeding.
Denisovan DNA is found among the Native Australian Aborigines, and their
ancestors would have traveled the same path as the Hobbits did. The Tibetans have
a gene which helps them deal with the low oxygen at high altitudes, came from the
Denisovans. [3]
So even though only a relative few number of skeletal bones have been found,
there is already considerable evidence that there was 4 races of mankind and that
they interacted and intermarried for 10's of thousands of years.
The Neanderthals were the most western of these ancient humans, the
Hobbits the most eastern, modern humans came from the South out of Africa, and
Denisovans are found in the North.
Stories of the 4 Races of Mankind and found among the native tribes of North
and South America, and these stories may very well date back 30,000 to 80,000
years ago when these races intermarried or even farther back in time. This would
make the oral stories of Native Americans among the oldest stories known to
mankind.
Among the ancient people of the rest of the world there is no stories exactly
like the 4 Races of Mankind of the Native Americans, but some evidence of this story
may be found in the mythologies around the world. I am not an expert in world
mythologies, but here is a couple of examples that might relate to the Native stories
of the 4 Races of Mankind.

11

Celtic Tribes
The Celtic Tribes and Nations had much in common with their Native
American brothers and sisters, and suffered much the same fate. Their rich culture
was labeled barbaric and they were considered savages so the Romans could feel
better about killing and enslaving them while taking their land.
What little remains of their great culture and stories were not recorded till
much latter. The Celtic stories tell of a race that inhabited the North before them,
the Tuatha De' Danann. This advanced and almost godlike race of man fought the
races of giants for control the the North.
The Tuatha De' Danann vanished from the face of the earth over time and this
is explained by the Tuatha De' Danann retreating to the Spirit World when the
Gauls invaded Ireland.
When the Denisovan DNA was first examined, it showed that the Denisovan
race was already in population decline when they first meet and started
intermarrying with the other Races of Man.
The story of the Tuatha De' Danann then may have been a representation of
the Denisovan race that disappeared in ancient times.
The Germanic Tribes
The Germanic tribes of northern Europe share the symbolism of a Great Tree
with my tribe, but the structure of the universe in relation to it is considerably
different. They also had 4 races in their mythology, the Light Elves, the Dark Elves,
the Dwarfs, and Men. Like the Celts and Native Americans their mythology also had
giants who were not of the race of man but lived upon the earth. [4]

Egypt
Egypt blended 4 separate mythologies into one over time. They started with 4
Creation stories named after the 4 major cities of the regions they came from.
Heliopolis, Memphis, Hermopolis and Esna. Each had their own major god,
pantheon and their unique stories. This suggests 4 distinct cultures formed the
foundation for ancient Egypt. [4]

12

China
China also has 4 Creation myths and 4 myths about the great flood. So while
China formed out of many ethnic groups, they may all have belonged to 1 of 4
ancient cultural traditions. [4]
Yu the Great founded the Xia Dynasty, China's first dynasty, 2200-2100 BC.
He was the Great Grandson of the Yellow Emperor. He established an official symbol
that is very close to the Medicine Wheel of Native American tribes, and Yu the Great
had them distributed on banners throughout China. [4]
Rather than a simple cross in the circle, the cross also had a small circle at its
center, like the Cross of the Universe. So in a sense it combined the 4 main cross
symbols of native people.
At the center was the symbol of a Bear, the Moon to the west, a Snake to the
south, the Sun to the east and a Bird to the north. This symbol was used for almost
2000 years and recorded in Rong Cheng Shi, an ancient bamboo manuscript dating
to 453-221 BC. The Bear has also been used as a symbol for the Earth in ancient
times.
I do not know enough about the symbolism of ancient China to comment on
the possible meanings of this symbol, but I find the similarities to the symbolism of
our tribe and other native tribes very interesting and would love to learn more about
it.
That symbol plus the 4 versions of creation and flood stories suggests that
there was 4 distinct cultural traditions of the people of ancient China.

Korea
The Korean people have a story that the race of man divided into 4 groups, the
people of the West, South, East and North. It is a highly structured story, but also a
much more complex story than ours, but written stories can be long, whereas oral
stories tend to be shorter.
The Korean people believe they are descended from The People of the North in
their history of this splitting of the people, specifically the Bear Clan of the People of
the North. They are considered by anthropologists as one of the Circumpolar
cultures, and like all the Circumpolar people, have a lot of mythologies and
traditions about the Bear.

13

Chapter 3: Origin of the Bear Clan

In those days the people were like animals and spoke the language
of the animals. The People of the North wish to become human again, and
they traveled to the Sacred Mountains in the Land of Ice that they may be
purified.
The 4 Clans of the North asked themselves which of the Clans
should lead them? The Matriarchs of each of the Clans decided that each
should seek guidance from the Great Spirit on who should lead them on
the path to becoming fully human.
The Bear-Mother decided she would go into her den, abstain from
physical pleasures and fast, seeking the guidance of the Great Spirit.
She fasted until the strength left her bones and body. Her hair was
falling from her body and she feared she would die but was willing to do
so for the guidance of the Great Spirit.
Then Great Spirit told her to leave the den, that she had become
unattached to the desires of the physical world and regained her
humanity.
The Matriarchs of the Clans were outside her den, for each of them
had given up on their quest to seek the guidance of the Great Spirit. The
Bear-Mother had been in her den so long, they feared her dead and were
deciding who should go in to see.
As they were talking the Bear-Mother emerged from her den, fully
human. She could see the spirit world and speak with the spirits, she
could travel to the Spirit Tree. So it was that the Bear Clan was chosen to
lead the People of the North.
The Bear-Mother is the mother of all female shamans, and her son
Ani-Tsa-Gu-Hi became the first Chief of the People. He was a Seer and he
was given the knowledge of medicine, all those who heal follow in his
path.

14
Clan stories are among the most common native stories found. The Bear Clan
is considered by most tribes to be one of the most ancient clans, so there is an
abundance of origin stories for the Bear Clan, the Winnebago have 8 versions alone.
[5]
Within the Winnebago story's the same themes can be found as seen in our
story. That man was once like the animals and were covered in hair and spoke the
language of the animals. That man could became human again, and the Bear Clan
were the keepers of the knowledge of medicine. Sovereignty is often also associated
with the Bear Clan and it is seen in these stories.
In addition a common theme is seen throughout the stories of the
Man'toUghQueMend, which is that mankind fell from spiritual perfection because of
their desire for physical pleasures and possessions, and their attachment to their
desires. That if we lose our attachment to desire, we can regain our former status
and become, fully human once again.
In addition the story provided an explanation for why bears can go without
food during their long hibernation. There was also a longer version of this story,
which sadly I do not remember all the details of, where the son was born in the den
during the Bear-Mother's ordeal, and the son is not named in that version. It also
offered an explanation for why bears give birth during the time they are hibernating.
Many clan stories relate how that Clan was chosen to lead the tribe, and this
is also seen in our story. No single clan has lead the people from ancient times to
now. It is safe to say nearly every clan has lead the people at one time or another,
and such clan stories record these events.
However our story about the origin of the Bear Clan does not mention the
other clans by name and neither does the story of the 4 Races of Mankind. It was
said that the Stars of our Clans dance around the the North Star so I asked my Aunt
Ollie which Clans were the first clans of the People of the North.

Most tribes agree the the Bear Clan is the most ancient of the clans
and that we lead the people in those times. All agree which stars
represent the Bear, but this is not true of other clans.
The Beautiful Woman Clan and Long Hair Clan of the Perquimans
Tribe claim that a beautiful squaw is seen in the northern stars and
represents their clans. The Panther Clan of the Chesapeake Tribe claim to
see a great cat in the northern stars. The Wolf, Snake, and Turtle and all
the others also claim to see their clans in the northern stars.

15
We do not know which clans were the first clans for any of the 4 Races, only
the Bear Clan do we know for sure was one of the first clans and leaders of the
people.
One last thing I must mention about this story of the Origin of the Bear Clan
is the inclusion of the name of her son, Ani-Tsa-Gu-Hi. The Bear-Mother is not
named but the son is, and this struck me as odd. The name Ani-Tsa-Gu-Hi is used
by other tribes as the name for the Bear Clan, or found in stories about the Bear
Clan.
The Bear has been used to symbolize the Earth and one of the most sacred
duties of the Bear Clan is to Protect and Heal the Earth. The knowledge of medicine
and plants was given to them as well in most tribes.
I do not think the name is Algonquin in origin, and as we intermarried with
many tribes, it may have gotten added to the story. I have not found any tribe who
knows the meaning of the name. Perhaps is is an ancient name for which the
meaning has been lost. In that case it may have been part of the original story, and
the name of the Bear-Mother was lost over time. I have no way of knowing but that
is the thing with oral historys, they change overtime, and those changes are the
result of the tribes history, even if part of that history is forgotten.
The stories of Native people around the world have been discounted as simple
primitive myths with no real value, nothing could be farther from the truth. They
reflect the history, culture and beliefs of the people they came from.
In cultures without writing, stories were like a aid to memory, a mnemonic
that convened more information that the story suggests. But you must have the
right cultural understanding to catch those references and without that
understanding they are just stories, whose meanings have been lost.
That means most native stories are filled with symbolism understood by the
tribe, even when they are semi-historical in nature, but some stories are meant to be
purely historical, like the History of the Bear Clan, our next story.

16
References:
[1] Balter, Michael Hobbit Ancestor Arrived on Floes Early Science AAAS 17 March
2010 http://news.sciencemag.org/paleontology/2010/03/hobbit-ancestorsarrived-flores-early
[2] Shreeve, Jamie The Case of the Missing Ancestor National Geographic July 2013
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/07/125-missing-humanancestor/shreeve-text
[3] Emilia Huerta-Snchez, Xin Jin, Asan, Zhuoma Bianba, Benjamin M. Peter,
Nicolas Vinckenbosch,
Yu Liang, Xin Yi, Mingze He, Mehmet Somel, Peixiang Ni, Bo Wang, Xiaohua
Ou, Huasang,
Jiangbai Luosang, Zha Xi Ping Cuo, Kui Li, Guoyi Gao, Ye Yin, Wei Wang,
Xiuqing Zhang,
Xun Xu, Huanming Yang, Yingrui Li, Jian Wang et al.
Altitude adaptation in Tibetans caused by introgression of Denisovan-like DNA
Nature July 2014
[4] World Mythology Parragon Publishing 2011 ISBN 978-1-4454-1769-1
[5] First People The Legends Spiritual Magazine Native American Legends Bear
Clan origin myth
http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/BearClanOriginMyth-Winnebago.html

17

History of the Bear Clan

The People of the North started as 4 tribes, each with their own
Clan. The people grew in number. Because of this when we traveled we
did so in a group of 4 tribes, that the Principle Clans of the people would
always be together.
The People of the North grew into a nation and as we traveled we
encountered the tribes of the other 4 Races of Mankind. Such meetings
were cause for celebration and marriages between the tribes occurred. So
it was that in time all the Clans of the 4 Races of Mankind could be found
in every tribe. The People of the North grew into a great nation and the
number of her tribes were more than the stars of the night sky.
One day 4 tribes of the People came upon a new land where there
were no other people, the hunting was good and the Ice was thick upon
the land. It was a sacred land.
As we traveled this land one of the tribes received a vision from the
Great Spirit that they should follow the sacred mountains and ice to the
south. The other 3 tribes continued eastward.
We arrived at the Great Waters in the east and could go no father.
We knew this now to be a Great Island for we had crossed the Great
Waters through the north to this land.
The eldest of our tribes (Lanape) settled north of the Little River
(Delaware) closest to the ice. The next tribe (Virginia Algonquins) settled
between the Little River and the Big River (Chesapeake). Our tribe
(Carolina Algonquins) settled south of the Big River.
From there we grew into many tribes expanding west and north
when the ice made room for our people in this sacred land, Turtle Island,
that the Creator made for us.

18
This story recounts our history to the Americas and across it, but no time
frame is given. The Iroquois also have an oral history that the came from a land
across the western waters and traveled to the eastern waters.
The Algonquins and the Iroquois were two of the largest native language
groups found in North America. They both considered this land an island because
they had explored most of it and found it was surrounded by water, and a continent
is just a big island after all.
Some tribes believe they were always here, and I am fine with that, it is their
history. My tribe did not explore South America, so there could have been people
already there, or other small scatted groups in North America we did not run across
in our journey, it is a big continent after all.
History is colored by the perceptions of the culture which records the history.
The Native view of the history of the United States is very different than the history
taught in schools, even when talking about the same events.
This story however has more depth to it than just a simple oral history. The
History and Origin of the Bear Clan also tells us something about tribal structure
and what a tribe is.

What is a Tribe or Nation?

It is generally assumed the all native tribes were matriarchal in nature, but
native tribes are more complex than this simple assumption. Yes Clan descent was
based on the female line, yet many tribes did track the male line as well.
When the Carolina Algonquins first meet the English, men had 2 tattoos, one
represented their Clan and the other was the symbol for one of the tribes. The
English assumed this second symbol showed which King the warrior owed allegiance
to, but actually one tracked the mothers line, and the second the fathers line. The
women had no such defining tattoos. To understand this we must first answer what
is a tribe, how is it structured and how does it work?
A tribe at its most basic is a single family unit, and this is what is shown in
the Origin of the Bear Clan story. By the custom of my people, if you married a
woman you became a member of her tribe, and your children would be of her Clan.
The tribe was the Clans and composed of generations of related women and
their children. Women and children are the life of the Tribe, without them there is
no tribe.

19
However if this was the only marriage custom, each tribe would only have one
Clan in it, never more. Men marring the women of your tribe would increase the
genetic diversity of the tribe, but would not add any Clans to the tribe.
Hereditary Chiefdoms is a from of a monarchy practiced by native tribes
around the world, and principally by the Circumpolar People. The son of the BearMother would one day become the Chief of the tribe, but a chief can not leave the
tribe to take a wife, and could not marry a woman of his Clan from his Tribe (sisters
and cousins).
So when a male of the monarchy took a wife, her Clan would be added to the
number of Clans in the tribe. It would have taken many generation for all the Clans
of the 4 Races of Mankind to be found in every tribe, hundreds of years at least.
So a tribe was an extended male line and the separate lines of females who
married into that family over time, represented as Clans.
New clans also came into existence due to women marring into a monarchy as
well. If the Chief married a woman of another tribe who was Bear Clan, but the tribe
already had a Bear Clan, her Clan would have to be given a new name to avoid
confusion, as she was not related to the Women of the Bear Clan of the Chiefs tribe.
Names like Little Bear, Black Bear, Bear Foot, any new name that also reflected that
she was Bear Clan was acceptable.
This process was latter used with surnames. Early in the history of the
Man'toUghQueMend tribe, The Chief took took an escaped slave named Coe as his
wife. So the Coe surname was latter noted by historians as the Coe Clan of the
Laster Tribe.
But to farther complicate things, the male line of the tribe could change. Many
Chiefs were also women. Women make capable leaders and their authority was as
great as any male chief. When they took a husband, he did not become the chief,
she remained the leader of the tribe. His child by her might be chief one day, and
that is how the male line of a tribe could change over time.
The use of surnames did away with the need for men to have tattoos tracing
their male ancestry among the Carolina Algonquins, and the custom was dropped by
the time Jamestown was established.
Nations also took considerable time to grow from a single tribe. When a tribe
grew too large for its territory to sustain, or there was a conflict within the tribe, or
for any of a number of reasons, a tribe would split.

20
Typically a brother or sister of the chief, along with part of the tribe, would
leave to establish a new territory. The Weapemeoc Nation had 25 tribes when the
English arrived at Roanoke. Counting the other nations and independent tribes of
the Carolina Algonquins they numbered over two hundred tribes.
This story also suggests that all of the Algonquin speaking people came from
the 3 tribes the Lenape/Delaware Algonquins, Powhatan/Virginia Algonquins and
the Carolina Algonquins.

Time-line
Based on this story we can construct a rough time-line
34,000 years ago is 4,000 years earlier than most experts give as a date for
the earliest natives arrival. That is because they are looking for a time when both
the land bridge called Beringia and a path through the glaciers in Canada were both
open at the same time, but even with a land crossing, this need not be the case.
Both the opening to Asia and North America would only be needed if the tribes
traveled non-stop from Asia to North America. If they got trapped in Beringia when it
first appeared, they could have crossed much sooner than current theories suggest.
Beringia covered a land mass the size of the State of Alaska. 34,000 years ago.
The Glacier in Alaska that blocked entry retreated as the sea levels rose. Even as
Beringia was cut in half by water, there was still a dry land mass the size of Alaska
that people and animals could have been trapped on by the rising sea levels.
The People of the North pushed the limits of human habitation near the
glaciers. Their desire to find new hunting grounds would have lead nearby tribes to
explore Beringia as soon as the path from Asia was opened.
If the Lenape are the eldest tribe and settled as close to the ice as possible
upon reaching the east coast, then the glaciers would have had to been at their most
southern point, supporting an early date.
This early date also allows the People to grow into a nation of many people so
that when other groups arrived, it would not have a large impact on the genetics of
native people.
Not long ago most experts thought Native people only arrived about 12,000
years ago, but there is mounting evidence to show that this is wrong.

21
Despite this mounting evidence from a number of scientific fields, there are
still those who try and claim that Native people did not arrive arrive till 12,000 years
ago.
Besides the fact that some people, scientists included, refuse to abandon old
theories they are attached too. But why should people cling to an outdated theory
about when Natives arrived?
Quite simply, the less time Native people were in here before Europeans, the
stronger the claim of discovery by Europeans is. The Doctrine of Discovery was
and still is used by the Supreme Court of the United States as justification for
stealing the land of Native people. They have it backwards!!!
In 1492 Native Americans Discovered Christoper Columbus lost at sea. This
poor deluded man thought he had sailed around the world to Asia! What an idiot!
Not to mention mass murderer, and to think America still celebrates Columbus Day
as a national holiday.
The people of Europe in the 1600's had forgotten their ancient history and did
not know about the 4 races of Mankind. But we remembered!
Recently evidence was found that places Native People, my people, in the
Chesapeake Bay region 22,000 years ago [1]. While it was just a stone point and a
Mastodon skull, it is the earliest evidence we have of human habitation in the region
my people settled.
If we were in the Chesapeake Bay region 22,000 years ago, we would have had
to cross into North America much earlier than most experts believe, as we would
also have to explore and cross the whole continent before we settled down on the
East Coast.
If our oral history is in fact history, then other stories might be based on
historical facts at one time.
This then brings us to the story about one of the next groups to arrive in
North America, the Giants.
References:
[1] Tia Ghose Fisherman Pulls Up Beastly Evidence of Early Americans Live Science
August 11, 2014
http://www.livescience.com/47289-mastodon-found-under-chesapeakebay.html?cmpid=514627_20140812_29550236

22

Chapter 5: Giants?
The People of the North have fought the Giants since ancient times,
for they also claimed the North as their land. The were a mighty race of
many tribes. Some the size of a tall man, others twice the height of a
man, some were good, some bad, but they fiercely defended their lands.
The Giants were not human, but they could, rarely, have children
with humans, but if the mother was human, the pregnancy would be
dangerous for her and she might die. The Giants had few children
themselves and were never great in numbers but mighty warriors
The Giants were great lovers of gambling and knowledgeable about
the healing power of plants. They did not believe in an afterlife, and did
not care for the bodies of the dead, but left them for the animals to eat.
The Giants came to Turtle Island, but there was room for everyone
in this new land, and there was peace between us. But after time the
Giants missed their kinsman and their ancestral home and resolved to go
back the way they came, though a few stayed in the land.
The Giants wandered the ice for many years, but could not find the
way back to their home. When they returned from the land of ice they had
lost all intelligence and knowledge, they had become monsters eating the
flesh of their dead and living humans
Those Giants which stayed behind were so horrified at what their
kinsman had become, they help the People to kill the last of them. So
those few who remained behind and helped the People, stayed with the
People until their race passed from the face of the earth.
Stories about the Giants are found throughout the world, especially in the
northern regions. Science has not found any proof that Giants existed, but the
widespread belief that they once existed has never died.
30,000 years ago the path between Asia and North America opened briefly
then closed again and would not reopen for another 4,000 years. This period of time
would fit our story, letting the Giants and possibly others in, and preventing the
giants return to their ancestral lands.

23
It does not matter if Giants really existed, they are part of a shared history
that covers many tribes, nations and cultures around the world and an enduring
part of our shared mythology.
Just like the Flood story shared by many cultures, that show us we have a
common past and shared traditions that go back to the very beginnings of mankind.
You may have noticed I did not included a Catastrophic Flood story like so
many native tribes have.
Sadly our Great Flood story was lost to us. A few elders when I was young still
remembered hearing it in their youth, but could not recall the details.
Hopefully when other scattered groups of our people rejoin we will find this
story and others so that our history will not be lost.
Algonquin readers will notice that many stories known to the Algonquin people
are not mentioned in this book [1], and there is a reason for that.
My tribes principle Clan was the Bear Clan, and so Bear Clan stories were the
most common story in my tribe. Also the Virginia and Carolina Algonquins were
among the few groups of Algonquins to adopt the Mound Building Culture. So I do
not know how much this might have affected our stories.
When the tribes of the Weapemeoc decided to search for a new home, we did
so in small groups over time. Small family groups to make a small tribes. Each tribe
could only retain so many stories, and historical and religious stories were
considered the most important by my tribe.
Each group and every tribe that moved kept the stories important to them. So
it is my hope that in finding these groups, that some of those stories may be found
again. History is important.
If you don't know where you have been, how do you know where you are
going?

References:
[1] Egerton R. Young Algonquin Indian Tales
http://scienceviews.com/indian/algonquin.html

24

Chapter 6: The Time of Mound Building

In the rest of the world, war was the main driving force behind technological
advancement. War was a result of groups of humans competing for resources.
The ancestors of Native Americans left the Old World just as things were
starting to get crowded from a hunter gatherer perspective. So overall they were a
peaceful people who had so far seen little conflict other than with the mythical
giants.
With no other humans and plenty of natural resources in North and South
America, they would remain a largely peaceful people for thousands of years. Life
was good and there was no incentive to push new technologies as fast as what
happened in the Old World.
When farming was introduced, the land could support far more people than it
could before. Populations climbed as did conflicts, and this lead to the mound
building cultures and the fortification of settlements, which had not been necessary
before.
It was also a time for experimenting with new forms of government to
effectively unite a larger group of people. Tribes that were not Mound Builders had
also grown in size and were also doing the same.
Some tribes used earthen mounds in the construction of their cities, and
hence the term Mound Builders. Some mounds were made as a base for important
buildings, some for religious reasons, and some for burial.
Now from ancient times we have always buried our dead in mounds. In the
days when we were nomadic, wandering the Earth, they were simple individual
mounds, often constructed at the site where a person died.
This practice continued after we settled down to a semi-nomadic existence, till
farming and large populations made it impractical. With a large population,
individual grave mounds would soon litter the landscape.
Large burial mounds made efficient use of the land. Far more efficient than
modern graveyards where the dead are spread out as well. The burial mounds also
served as an important remainder that we are all one people, all related.
When you came to pay respects to the dead, it was not just an individuals
grave, but the collected graves of all your ancestors stretching back through time.

25
There were a number of Mound Building cultures in North America and
started in the region of the Mississippi River, a major trade route for natives and
spread from there.
It never reached Canada or most of the Algonquin tribes, only a few Algonquin
tribes from Lake Erie down to Virginia and North Carolina.
For those readers who are Algonquin and from the Erie region, my cousin
Tecumseh Brown-Eagle is Chief of the Eire Mound Builders, contact his tribe for
details about his tribe. [1]
Every group adapted their own culture to accommodate larger populations
and the building of cities, so it was mainly a great experiment with forms of
government, and this shaped the views of Carolina Algonquins.
The Chesepiooc (Chesapeake) Tribe was the Principle tribe of our people
during the days of mound building and our great cities were in their territory. The
Panther Clan was the principle clan of the Chesepiooc, and the Panther Clan were
the professional soldiers of the Nation and under the control of the Sachem
(Monarch or Chief) of the Chesepiooc, who was the Massasoit Sachem (Great
Monarch or Principle Chief) of the Nation.
The society was structured with distinct social classes. The Royal Family of
the Chesepiooc were at the top. Next in power were the Sachem's (Monarchs) of the
tribes of the nation. Next was my tribe, the Man'toUghQueMend, principle clan Bear
Clan. Our principle town was a holy place and located next to the territory of the
Chesapeake within the Borders of the Great Dismal Swamp, which also was a holy
spot for the Weapemeoc.
One of the duties of the Man'toUghQueMend was preparing the bodies of the
Kings for burial and the keeping of their Manito (Spirit). We were funeral directors
overseeing the preparation of the body. We acted as priests conducting the funeral
service, and as a grief consular for loved ones.
The body of the Sachem would be carefully wrapped in reeds forming a casket
around the body. A private ceremony would be conducted for the family and close
friends. The body of the Sachem would then be taken to our holy site where his body
was placed in a small Longhouse, slightly bigger than a man. set within a mound.
The roof would then be placed on the Longhouse and covered with dirt. The reed
casket provided the material to quickly compost the body, leaving only the bones.
Some nearby Algonquin nations did not compost the body, but removed the
flesh by hand, so even among nearby related nations, individual customs varied
slightly just as did their language. Every tribe and nation was unique in some way.

26
When only the bones were left, they would be dug up, and carefully wrapped
in deerskin. While the body was composting, we would make a small statue that
represented the dead Sachem. After the bones of the Sachem ware dug up and
prepared a great ceremony would be held. Throughout this process a small statue
representing the departed accompanied the body.
The statue representing the Sachem would be placed on top of his bones and
all the people would come to pay their respects to the departed. They would speak to
the statue as if the Sachem was still alive. This was so the Spirit of the Sachem
would enter the statue.
In our beliefs everything had a Manito, or spirit, rocks, trees, springs, and holy
sites all had a Manito. Everything that lived, that had the Breath of Life breathed
into them by the Great Spirit, the Creator, also had a soul.
We believed there was also a third spiritual body which was attached to the
physical body, that Seers used to travel in their dreams. This would be what many
call the Astral Body today. So like the heavens, a human had 4 parts, the Physical,
the Astral, the Spirit and the Soul.
After the public ceremony the statue with the Manito of the Sachem would be
taken to a Great Longhouse atop on of the Mounds and placed there with the Manito
of all the Sachems of the Past. The Sachems of the people would come to the
Longhouse of Chiefs to seek the guidance of their ancestors.
After the spiritual leader who prepared the dead for burial came the other
spiritual leaders and healers of the people in the social structure of the Chesapeake
Mound Builders.
Next in the social hierarchy was the Clan Mothers were next in the hierarchy,
followed by the leaders of special interest groups like the Hunter society, Fisherman
and guilds like Wampum makers and boat builders. Finally came the normal
members of the tribe.
It was also a time of experimenting with more abstract concepts like a federal
government and the first state issued I.D. Men had two tattoos to show their Male
and Female ancestral lines. Men moved within the nation living with the tribe and
clan of their wife.
In the past when populations were small, everyone knew the family lines of
each other. If you did not, you took them at their word. As populations grew, the
marriage customs of the past were enforced by laws and men were tattooed to
prevent them from lying about their ancestry.

27
While each mound-building culture was unique, they stated to collapse and
disappear before first contact with Europeans, though a few were still hanging on at
the time Europeans arrived they would soon be gone as well.
Experts have cited the great extended drought that hit North America as one
of the causes for the collapse of the Mound Builders, but that was just one small
factor from the Native view.
The drought decreased crop yields, forcing nations into conflict over land to
feed their populations. This was an environmental factor and not that important
from the native view, what mattered was the governments failure in dealing with the
problems that arose.
Many tribes like the Cherokee blamed the hereditary chiefs for this failure and
abolished the monarchies at that time.
Overpopulation and drought may have started the decline of the Mound
Builders, but it was depopulation the struck the killing blow. The diseases brought
from the Old World swept across North America killing many before they had ever
seen a European or even heard of their arrival.

The Weapemeoc Nation

Because each Mound-building culture was unique, the reactions to their
failure was also unique to each Native nation. The collapse of the Chesapeake
Mound Builders had profound effects on the People, the social and governmental
structure was completely changed. The Chesepiooc Tribe was removed as the
Principle Tribe of the Nation and the Weapemeoc Tribe became the Principle Tribe of
the Nation.
By tradition the name of the Nation was taken from the name of the Principle
Tribe. Latter this would cause confusion among the English, so the Weapemeoc tribe
changed its name to Yeopim, the name of the creek they lived on, and left the name
of the Nation as Weapemeoc. But despite this change, there is still confusion today
among historians on this subject.
The Weapemeoc nation consisted of 25 tribes at this time. Other Carolina
Algonquin nations were as large or larger than the Weapemeoc, and there were a
number of independent tribes as well. So I estimate there were around 200 tribes
within the Carolina Algonquin people before first contact with the English.
The changes in the structure of Weapemeoc society during this time would
have profound effects on the history of my people.

28

Weapemeoc Society
The Chesepiooc Mound-building nation had a very structured society with a
distinct hierarchy of classes within the nation. Status could be determined at a
glance. The number and type of tattoos, body piercings, hair style, body paint and
ornamentation clearly defined which social class one belonged too.
The Weapemeoc abolished class distinctions. All people were equal, everyone
contributed to society and as all jobs were considered necessary, all were equal. Men
and women were equal and slavery was not allowed as all humans were considered
equal and no one had the right to own another. The Weapemeoc never took slaves,
but other native nations did.
The Chiefs no longer had elaborate burial rituals, but were treated the same
as everyone else. The use of tattoos piercings and other body art declined as did the
use of jewelry and highly decorated clothing. Such things became a matter of
personal choice, not social status. And as most people did not want to look
pretentious, such ornamentation declined overall.
Thus affected relations with the English settlers in Virginia latter as the
Weapemeoc looked more civilized, and their women were considered exceptionally
beautiful.
The pearls, beads, dyes and inks used for such ornamentation were valuable
trade items the Weapemeoc now had a surplus of. Besides trading for other goods,
they made valuable diplomatic gifts to maintain peaceful relations with NonAlgonquin nations. Thus the Weapemeoc maintained peaceful relations with the
other tribes of the region for most of their history.
War is seldom, if ever, in the best interests of the people of a Nation, and the
Weapemeoc were a peaceful people given the chance and always sought diplomatic
solutions if possible.
Without the population needed for cities, the people reverted to the old ways
and lived in small communities with one or more Long Houses for the Tribe/Clans
and individual homes or on small farms for a single family.
The Weapemeoc were in a loose alliance with the other Carolina Algonquin
nations and tribes who were all related. Each nation and independent tribe was
sovereign, but they respected the opinion of other Sachems, and would consult with
each other on matters that mutually affected them.
However it was the stance against slavery that would influence the choices
and define the history of the Weapemeoc People the most.

29

Weapemeoc Government Structure

The governmental structure was based on 4 directions and so the government
had 4 branches. The people felt that the government of the Chesapeake was not in
balance with the 4 directions, and instituted changes to bring the government into
balance.
Tribal Government
There was a purely Democratic branch of the government, The Tribal Council.
Any member of the tribe could voice their opinion and vote on any proposal they
wished. It took a majority for a proposed action to pass.
There was also a Representative branch of the government, The Council of
Elders. This was composed of leaders within the tribe, often the head of merchant or
craftsman guilds, warrior societies and other such groups. This gave special interest
groups a direct voice in government. It took a majority for a proposed action to
pass, which limited the power of individual special interest groups.
The next branch of the government was the Monarchy, specifically hereditary
Chiefs called Sachems which could be male or female. They got one vote in the
government, and two of the three branches of the government needed to agree for an
action to pass. The Sachem acted as a mediator in tribal disputes and during
councils. They also acted as a Representative of the tribe in national government
and with outsiders. They were also often spiritual leaders with a vision for the tribes
future. One had to be considered mature to become Chief, no child monarchs like
Europe had, another family member would be Chief in the interim. Also the Old
Chief could appoint a successor if the Chief had no family or at the founding of a
new tribe.
The Clan Mothers were the next branch of the government. They functioned
much like the Supreme Court. They were the guardians of the future of the tribe. If
they believed an action was not for the good of the tribe, but done out of self
interest, they held veto power. If necessary they could change the government of the
tribe and replace the Chief with another member of his family if deemed unfit. Like
the other branches of government, a majority among the Clans was needed for
such an action.
If irreconcilable differences could not be resolved, a tribe would often divide
into two tribes, and there would be no hard feelings. Such groups might rejoin at a
latter date and are family after all, so it was wise to maintain good relations if
possible.

30
National Government
It was at the national level that even closely related nations differed greatly on.
Emperor Powhatan of the Virginia Algonquins believed that the monarchy needed
absolute power at the national level. The Weapemeoc went to the other extreme and
stripped the national government of its ability to pass laws without the full consent
of the people.
National governments that are an abstract form of government, not directly
answerable to the people. Regardless of how good their intentions, such a
government is not in touch with the people and will pass unpopular and unjust
laws, even if it was done for the good of the people.
The Chesepiooc had all men branded with tattoos to mark their family lines on
the off chance a man might lie about his family to marry the woman he loved. The
Weapemeoc Nation abolished that law as an excessive intrusion into private affairs.
If a man did lie about his family to marry the woman he loved, that was between
them and the Great Spirit and not a matter the government needed to meddle with.
The Weapemeoc would rather be a Moral nation rather than a nation of laws.
No one needs a law to know that murder, rape, or slavery was wrong, the Great
Spirit taught us this was wrong in ancient times. The teachings of the Great Spirit
are written on our hearts, we did not need laws to remind us of this.
The Weapemeoc Nation was composed of Sovereign Tribes, which passed laws
as they saw fit for their tribe, and they were few in number. Overall it was
government by policy and custom rather than by force of law.
The Massasoit Sachem (Principle Chief) of the Weapemeoc Nation acted as a
spiritual leader who's vision for the future of the tribe provided direction in decision
making. The Massasoit Sachem acted as a mediator for disputes between tribes. The
Massasoit Sachem was also the diplomatic for the Weapemeoc Nation when dealing
with other nations.
When the Massasoit Sachem of the Weapemeoc made a treaty with other
nations, it had to be ratified by the Sovereign tribes of the nation, much like
Congress today must ratify treaties the U.S. enters into. This is also proper under
current international treaty law.
Dual and Multiple Citizenship: While the concept of dual or multiple
citizenship is a fairly new idea for Modern governments, it was at the heart of
native governments since ancient times.

31
Each person was a citizen of their Sovereign Tribe, they were citizens of the
Nation as a whole, and also a citizen of nations which they were in an alliance with,
much like the European Union and other geopolitical unions of nations today.
International Governments
In the days when we were called the Chesapeake nation we had more formal
international governments and more formal alliances. As the Weapemeoc most of
these international alliances were not formalized, but a collection of sovereign
nations which valued the friendship and opinions of other nations when dealing
with common problems.
The Weapemeoc were in such a loose alliance with the other Carolina
Algonquin nations and tribes, and even non-Algonquin tribes like the Tuscarora who
were neighbors. As each nation within the alliance was sovereign, they were free to
disagree or leave the alliance if they wished. For the most part though, the tribes of
North Carolina kept peaceful relations with each other, unlike the warring nations
around us.
We showed that the cooperation of natives nations could solve the problems
that caused the collapse of the Mound-building cultures. Peace was better than war
and the natives of North Carolina prospered.
Soon after the collapse of the Chesepiooc government, the Weapemeoc would
enter into a formalized international government, with the English, soon after first
contact with Europeans.
References:
[1] Erie Indian Mound Builders Tribal Nation
http://www.eriemoundbuilders.com/

32

Chapter 7: First Contact

The events surrounding first contact between unknown nations often defines
the view and the relationships between those nations. This was true for the native
people of North Carolina as it was for many others.
For the Weapemeoc nation, first contact was not with the English. When the
Englishman Lane first explored North Carolina he tried to trade for pearls. It was
obvious to him that they were used to trading with men like him and knew well the
value of their pearls. [1]
In our oral history we traded with ships that came to the coastal waters of
North Carolina. We also took in people abandoned or stranded on the coast. They
could have come from several sources, Moorish or Spanish ships as well as pirates
that traded and raided the coast of North America.
In one tale we took in some refuges abandoned on the coast. They were
Indians of an unknown nation far to the south that had been taken as slaves by the
Spanish and so we knew of their atrocities against native people before we meet the
English.
The coast of North Carolina was treacherous, and ships could get damaged on
the shifting islands of the Cape. These Islands protected the nations around the
Albemarle Sound from raids. It would be dangerous to attempt a quick escape from
the Albemarle Sound.
The Carolina Algonquins were also known for their great dugout canoes. They
averaged 45 feet in length, but were only limited by the size of the tree used in
construction. These seaworthy canoes had a removable mast and sail, similar to the
Viking Longboats or permanent masts depending on its use. They were fast and had
a shallow draft. Overall it was safer to trade than to raid the Carolina Algonquins.
So the Weapemeoc had knowledge of Europeans before first contact with the
English. The contacts were sporadic, but a good leader gathers information about
the world around him, and the world of the Native People was changing quickly.
The world changes. Turtle Island had changed much since we first came to
this land. Now new people had come and we did not know enough about them, so
the Carolina Algonquin Nations agreed to a policy of tolerance because they did not
know our ways either, until we knew more about each other.

33
The Lost Colony of Sir Walter Raleigh, Roanoke
There has been much speculation about the Lost Colony, and more theories
than one can count. All I can offer to the discussion is the oral history of my people,
backed up with as much historical evidence as I can find.
In the oral history of our people, the Weapemeoc and the Chowanoc are more
than just allies of the English, they are English citizens, Subjects of the Crown. The
Secotan, Croatan and the Mangoac latter called Tuscarora were in an alliance with
us as well before the English came
In our history the Croatan took the colonists in, and for their safety it was
decided to divide the colonists into groups, with each of the nations of our alliance
protecting one group. The group that went with the Weapemeoc lived with the
Chesapeake tribe.
There are a couple of points to consider in this story. For their safety? Were
they in danger? Why enemy tribes would want to attack the colonists? This is the
question I will try to answer first.
Native nations to the west and south of us had a monopoly on the copper
trade, and copper was highly prized among many tribes. The English had knowledge
of metal working, and this threatened their trade monopoly on the copper trade, and
of they taught us advanced metalworking, the balance of trade could shift.
Greed is an ugly thing and much evil has been done in the pursuit of wealth.
Even some Native tribes succumbed to greed. The Weapemeoc did not seek wealth
for the sake of wealth, but others often did, and greed would be the root of the
crimes done to the Weapemeoc People. The English traded copper when Lane was
there and copper was very valuable. So greed could have been behind an attack on
the colony.
It is also possible that the Pamilico Nation still held a grudge from when Lane
was there and killed their Chief. The colony did have bad relations with the Pamilico
when they settled, and we may have taken them in for that reason.
However an attack by enemy tribes is unlikely. Their was no signs of fighting
and the agreed warning sign was not left. They seem to have left peacefully of their
own will.
Another reason they may have left is that they were in a bad location and may
not have survived storm season on the coast. The most likely reason for relocating
them is because they were starving to death.

34
There was independent confirmation that some of the Lost Colony were living
with the Chesepiooc, and that proof came from our enemy, Emperor Powhatan of the
Virginia Algonquins. Powhatan boasted to the Englishmen of Jamestown that he had
killed Englishman before who were living with the Chesepiooc, and produced iron
tools and other items as proof of his claim.
There is considerably more evidence to support that we had an alliance of
Native nations in North Carolina and we allies of the English and citizens of the
Crown, in the account by Lane as he explored the region of North Carolina around
the Roanoke area, and his writings about that expedition are enlightening. [1]
Before Lane, an expedition was sent to map the coast in 1584, and they made
contact with Secotan and Croatan. This laid the groundwork for Lane's expedition.
For the most part Lane tried to establish peaceful relations with the Native
Nations of North Carolina, but he was no diplomat and made two blunders that
would shape the history of North Carolina during the colonial period.
Lane took the son of the Massasoit Sachem, King Menatonon of the
Chowanoc, as a hostage. Then Lane's group lost a silver cup, and assumed the
Indians of a small village they had recently visited had stole it. They attacked and
sacked the village searching for the cup, which they never found.
It was a village of the Pamilico Nation, who had close kinship ties with the
Weapemeoc. The Pamilico Nations Chief wanted revenge, to wipe the English out,
but such a war did not have widespread support among the people of that nation. So
the Massasoit Sachem of the Pamilico, King Pemisapan started trying to recruit
warriors from the other Carolina Algonquin nations to aid him in the attack.
When Chief of the Chowanoc learned of this, he feared for the life of his son
still held hostage by Lane, and called for a Counsel of the Nations to find a way to
resolve this before open war broke out.
It was decided that the nations should enter into a formal alliance with the
English, and when Chief Pemisapan saw this, he would not risk a war against his
allies and extended family.
So the Massasoit Sachems of the Chowanoc and the Weapemeoc came to Lane
and swore their allegiance as allies of the English and subjects of the Crown. Not
only did the Massasoit Sachem of the Weapemeoc, King Okisco, come, but also the
Sachems of the other 24 tribes of the Weapemeoc Nation and pledged that from that
day forward, them and their descendants would recognize Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth the First as their Principle Sovereign [1].

35
All the Sachems of the Weapemeoc tribes came so that Lane would know that
the Weapemeoc People were of one accord in this decision.
When treaties or oaths were exchanged between Native nations and other
nations, often one or both sides did not understand the full implications of what
they were agreeing too. Legally this means there was not a Meeting of the Minds
and the agreement is null and void.
That was not the case here. The Weapemeoc and Chowanoc viewed England
as a Nation Of Nations, just like the great formal alliances between nations native
people had, and Queen Elizabeth was the reining Sovereign of that great nation.
Lane had came here under the orders of his Chief Sir Walter Raleigh to found
a colony, and Chief Sir Walter Raleigh was a under the Queens orders. The
Weapemeoc and Chowanoc knew full well that by this oath they would become
Citizens of England. Dual and multiple citizenship was common among native
nations, they saw this as being no different.
This citizenship meant that they were English Colonies of English citizens with
the right of Self Governance. Lane also understood that by their oath they were
Citizens of the Crown. Lane was impressed Weapemeoc, but would be more
impressed by them as their actions would showed they would stand by that oath.
When history books take about Lane's expedition they picture him as bravely
fighting off an attack by the Pamilico Indians. A nice story to swell the patriotic pride
of young hearts, but not the whole truth. Chief Pemisapan had gathered a force fully
capable of wiping Lane and his men out.
But the native nations allied with the English and the Weapemeoc sent almost
700 warriors to Lane's aid. As the enemy approached, at the agreed signal they
emerged from the woods. Upon seeing the force against him, Chief Pemisapan
retreated. It was hoped that this display of force and alliance with the English would
make Chief Pemisapam reconsider the path of war.
That such a small force was needed showed how unpopular Chief Pemisapan
call to war was. The alliance could field over 6,000 warriors on short notice, The
Capitol of the Chowanoc over 700 warriors by itself by itself. [1] Yet Chief Pemisapan
could barely raise a few hundred warriors, we only needed 700 to make him retreat.
But Chief Pemisapan would not listen to reason. In the end it was decided that
him and a couple of his close followers should be eliminated to end the war effort,
and was carried out by Lane with the help of the Weapemeoc [1].

36
But due to the conflicts and lack of provisions, Lane thought it would be best
to head back to England and start a colony on another voyage. 15 men were left
behind, and were likely killed by friends of Chief Pemisapam as revenge for his
death.
Lane had stayed there for 10 months. When he returned, he provided details
of the expedition to Sir Walter Raleigh. Lane had been impressed by the Chowanoc
and Weapemeoc nations, and it seems Sir Walter Raleigh was impressed by them as
well, and ordered that a permanent colony should be established on the Chesapeake
Bay, the land of the Weapemeoc nation.
1587 the Lost Colony set out with 115 colonists. They were to stop at Roanoke
to pick up the 15 men left behind, and proceed to the Chesapeake Bay to found a
colony near the Weapemeoc Nation.
When they got to Roanoke they could not find the 15 men, just one skeleton,
but the commander of the fleet would not let the colonists back on the ship, refused
to go the the Chesapeake bay, and dumped the colonists there.
John White, the leader of the colony sailed back to England with the fleet to
inform them of the colonies plight and request aid.
It would be 3 years before aid would come, and no trace of the 90 men, 17
women and 11 children were found, there was no signs of a battle, and the only clue
was Croatoan on a tree and Cro on a post.
They were told to leave a Maltese cross carving if they had been forced to
leave, no such cross was found.
Many tribes from North Carolina have claimed that they took in members of
the Lost Colony. If the colonists did break up into smaller groups, for whatever
reason, then the history of all those tribes may be correct.

References:
[1] Ralph Lane Lane's Account of the Englishmen Left in Virginia 1585-1586
American Journeys Collection Wisconsin Historical Society Digital
Library and Archives Document No. AJ-035
http://www.americanjourneys.org/pdf/AJ-035.pdf

37

Chapter 8: Jamestown, The Early Years

There are few records from the early days of Jamestown and the tribes of the
Weapemeoc are hardly mentioned at all. Two main reasons, think of the average
news show, the bad guys get all the media coverage. The same is true in many
historical accounts. Powhatan is remembered because of his conflicts with the
English and their battles recorded, no real reason to write about the good guys who
never cause problems.
Another reason is because Jamestown was burnt to the ground several times
in its history, and one time it was part of a conspiracy to steal the lands of the
Weapemeoc and wiped them from history. It was not entirely successful and there is
still a wealth of information in the colonial records to support the oral history of the
Weapemeoc people and the Carolina Algonquins.
The Powhatan Empire
Virginia was more densely populated than North Carolina, and war between
Native nations and tribes more common. Powhatan inherited a small confederacy of
tribes his father formed during the collapse of the Chesapeake Mound Building
culture. The Virginia Algonquins had also been a part of this culture.
Powhatan started subjugating other tribes under his authority and formed an
empire of subjugated and tributary tribes and nations. His Empire was large,
powerful and in a good location, but he was worried.
A Shaman prophesied that his empire would be destroyed by a nation from
the Chesapeake Bay. It is a good example of a self-fulling prophesy. It comes true
because he believed it, and acted on it, setting in motion the very events which
cause it to come true.
Powhatan assumed that the Chesepiooc tribe would rise as a nation again,
like in the days of the Mound Builders not long past.
His surprise attack on the Chesepiooc was successful, but costly. He did not
wipe the tribe out as some historians have suggested, but they were greatly reduced
in number. The The MeTaCH'Kwem (Metachkwem) tribe of the Weapemeoc retaliated
almost immediately, and our allies the Chowanoc declared war on the Powhatan
Empire as well.

38
Powhatan tried to bribe the Chowanoc, even offered a political alliance by
marriage. When he saw that would not work, he invited the Massasoit Sachem of the
Chowanoc to another meeting, and murdered him. The Chowanoc people buried him
where he died, and would place pine boughs on his burial mound as they passed.
Perhaps Powhatan thought it would break their will to fight, but he was
wrong. Two nations of the Carolina Algonquins were now at war with him, and no
diplomatic solutions.
My tribe, the Man'toUghQueMend escaped this war and many troubles for a
couple of reasons, one was its remote location on the border of the Great Dismal
Swamp was inaccessible by canoe and not easy to get to on foot, which prevented
surprise attacks. The other was its status as a holy site. Sometimes natives would
seek sanctuary there, just like at a church. A band of the Accomac fled there and
named their band Rickalake, meaning People of the Lonely Place, in their language
[1]. The Virginia Algonquins also still practiced ritual burial for the Chiefs, so
Powhatan might have needed us to be buried properly.
Powhatan once invited the English of Jamestown to witness the the great
ceremony of honoring the bones of a Chief. Perhaps he hoped for that kind of
immortality, of being among the great chiefs. He could not have known his name
would become immortal in the history books.
Jamestown Founded 1607
The English founded Jamestown in the middle of this war zone. In a sense this
was lucky. Virginia was heavily populated, but this war zone was largely empty now
except for roving bands of warriors and a few brave settlements. In fact Jamestown
was built on a swampy area no one wanted anyway. They landed on perhaps to only
spot of ground unclaimed or uncontested in Virginia. It was not a good location to
live, but it was defensible.
Powhatan did not know or understand the English, and they did not
understand his people, and their relationship was rocky at best.
Now the Englishmen of Jamestown were aware of Lane's account of Roanoke,
as finding out what happened to the Lost Colony was one of their goals. This means
they also knew that the Weapemeoc were English subjects. The few surviving
records from the early days of Jamestown does not mention this explicitly, but their
actions do.

39
Jamestown did not have any female colonists. All these single men caused
some problems at first, and Jamestown had to pass its first set of laws. Two of these
a notable. One made it a crime to rape an Indian woman. Clearly the men were
getting a bit overzealous in the absence of women.
The second law made it a crime to leave and live with any savage Weroance.
Men were running off and marring native women, which by native custom, would
then live with the womans tribe. By custom it also would give the husbands people
permission to build on their land, and the Spanish used this custom to acquire
native land the easy way.
The Englishmen of Jamestown did the same thing, knowingly or not. The early
settlements they built near Jamestown was on land that by their maps of the day,
was Weapemeoc land, and on sites of former Weapemeoc settlements.
In our history some of the Englishmen of Jamestown married Weapemeoc
women, and settled on some of our former sites we had no use for because so many
had died in the war with Powhatan. Some women, not a lot. Just because there was
a town full of single Englishmen did not mean our women were lining up to marry
them.
Some historians point to the law forbidding men to marry and live with
savage Weroance as proof the men of Jamestown did not marry native women. If
that was the case they would not have needed a law preventing it.
Weroance is a word that roughly translates as War Chief or Commander. It
could refer to a Chief, or any person in charge of a group, that took orders from
someone else. In Powhatan's Empire, the Chiefs of tribes he had subjugated were
Weroance under his command and had to lead their warriors as he directed.
However the term savage is also interesting. When the men of Jamestown
explored south of the Chesapeake, Weapemeoc land, they spoke of the tribes of the
Weapemeoc in favorable terms. The men were tall, well built, athletic and so on, the
women were praised for their beauty, modesty, and so on. Other nations like the
tribes of the Powhatan did not receive such praise, and descriptions of them tended
to focus on their savage appearance, body art and ornamentation and sometimes
compared them to the savage Celtic tribes of their history.
The only real difference between the Weapemeoc and other nations of the
region was that we had, for the most part, abandoned many of the rituals from the
days of Mound-building, and the use of tattoos and other ornamentation to denote
status in society.

40
But to the English who had never seen such body art and did not understand
the meanings behind it, it must have seemed to their religious Christian culture a
savage practice.
So the law forbidding men to run off and live with the Indians seems to be
directed at the tribes of the Powhatan empire. This conclusion is also supported by
the colonial records showing that when men were brought back and punished for
breaking this law, it was Powhatan tribes they had married into.
That the English came and took their men back and did not allow them to
marry Powhatan women was a great insult to Powhatan.
Powhatan Attacks 1622
For 15 years Powhatan had tried everything he knew to form an alliance with
the Englishmen of Jamestown, gifts, trade, he invited them to his sacred
ceremonies, even offers of his women and marriage.
His war with the Weapemeoc and Chowanoc was in a stalemate. No large
engagements, fighting was done by small bands of warriors roaming the disputed
region. But 15 years had given him time to rebuild his armies.
When he saw that the English were building settlements on Weapemeoc land
unopposed, the only conclusion he could make was that the English and his enemy
were allies.
His response was to use the same tactic he used against the Chesepiooc, a
surprise attack on the unsuspecting English. Like the attack on the Chesepiooc, it
would be a coordinated attack against a number of settlements at once. It worked as
planned and his army suffered few losses and the English heavy losses. Jamestown
survived only because a Native boy warned them of the attack, but not in time to
warn the other settlements.
The English respond in force and for over 10 years systematically attack and
destroy Powhatan settlements. The colonial records say that the children were
spared and adopted by the English.
There are some problems with this story. First, from a military point of view, it
is unlikely. Powhatan's army wiped out a significant portion the English population,
and Powhatan's army suffered almost no losses in the attack.
Despite these losses the English go on the offensive, destroying defended
Powhatan towns with almost no losses without help. Really?

41
The English would have had to leave a force to defend Jamestown when they
went on the offensive, meaning they had precious few men for battle, and these
colonists are not professional warriors.
Powhatan's army was again at full force, and the English greatly reduced in
number. Even with the help of new colonists, they would be at a military
disadvantage.
The English tried hard to not let the Powhatan's know that their guns of the
time were not as effective as Native bows. The smooth-bore muskets they used were
inaccurate and lacked killing power at long range, slow to reload and prone to
misfires. The smoke and noise they made impressed natives at first, but that had
worn off by this time. They were a good defensive weapon, when walls protected the
men from arrows, but as an offensive weapon against a defend position, they were
largely ineffective unless employed in large numbers, which the English did not
have.
The next big problem with this story are the children the English adopted. The
English destroyed many Powhatan towns over the course of this campaign, which
would mean hundreds and hundreds of children were adopted. Potentially more
children than the entire population of English colonists.
Yet this large number of children are completely unaccounted for in colonial
records. They are not in the census records the English regularly took. They don't
appear in death records, or latter marriage records. I can not find any trace of them
in the colonial records after their adoption.
Besides, most of the colonists of Jamestown at this time were not married.
Hard to imagine these single men willing to take on several children to raise. If they
did, surly there would be some record of their actions and the children, but there
are no records, these children disappeared completely from history.
While historians say that sparing the lives of children was a very Christian
thing to do, it was also a very Indian thing to do. It was common for tribes to adopt
and raise the children of their slain enemies.
The Chowanoc and Weapemeoc helped the English fight their mutual enemy
the Powhatan, and like many tribes we adopted the children into our tribes. The
Metachkwem and Chesepiooc tribes of the Weapemeoc and the Chowanoc nation
would have adopted most of them, as they suffered the greatest losses in the war
against Powhatan.
But technically both the Chowanoc and Weapemeoc were English citizens, so
it was not a lie when the colonials records said the English adopted these children.

42
1646 Powhatan is finally defeated and forced to sign a treaty with the English
establishing the boundary between his nation and the colony. What is interesting is
the boundary between the Powhatan and the English is exactly the same as the
boundary between the Powhatan and the Weapemeoc before our war [2].
This was our region of land before the war with Powhatan. We had suffered
great losses during the war and did not need all that land. In our history we gave
that land to the English, but retained the right to live, travel and hunt freely on it.
Maps as late as 1666 show the Metachkwem tribe of the Weapemeoc nation living in
their traditional land, within the boundary of the English colony [3].
One of the conditions of this treaty was that the Powhatan tribes had to return
escaped slaves they took in. More on this in the chapter on slavery, but we were not
the only nation to take in escaped slaves into our tribes [4]. The treaty also required
the Powhatan tribes to gain permission to enter the colony. The treaty of 1677 added
that they must be accompanied by Friendly Indians who lived within the colony
[5].
Of interest in the 1646 treaty was this clause, And it is further enacted &
Consented That such Indian children as shall or will freely & voluntarily come in &
live with the English, may remain without breach of the art Articles of peace, provided
they be not above twelve yeares old. [4]
While the tribes of the Weapemeoc and Chowanoc were living within the
border of the colony, the war had reduced their numbers, but this clause allowed
Native children of other nations to join us and the English, and greatly increased the
numbers of Natives living within the colony.

References:
[1] The American Anthropologist Vol. XI No. 9 Sept. 1898 by William Tooker
[2] 1586 map by John White
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~molcgdrg/sur/2w/white7a.htm
[3] 1666 map of Carolina
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mainegenie/HILTON.htm
[4] http://nativeheritageproject.com/2014/05/16/powhatan-treaty-october-1646/
[5] The Middle Plantation Treaty of 1677
http://www.powhatanmuseum.com/Historic_Documents.html

43

Chapter 9: The Theft of a Nation

The population of the colony in Virginia continued to grow for both natives
and colonists although the colony did not keep track of native populations within
the colony like they did their own. From 1646, the treaty with Powhatan, to 1676
and Bacon's rebellion, there was considerable intermarriage between the the natives
living within the colony and the colonists.
At the time of the treaty with Powhatan, there was about 8 Englishmen for
every Englishwomen in the colony, no surprise then that many married native
women at this time.
With peace and the safety it brings, people were free to move around more and
at this time the Weapemeoc in North Carolina started to intermarry more frequently
with the English, and escaped slaves who fled south to our territory.
The growing colony needed more room, and the Chowanoc and Weapemeoc
provided them with land. New colonists brought diseases with them with swept
through the Native nations with deadly results.
The small tribes living within the colony suffered the least, as they had
intermarried considerably and gained resistance to the diseases in the process. Out
side the colony the effects were devastating, but the death toll varied from nation to
nation and tribe to tribe.
The Weapemeoc in North Carolina suffered a death toll of around 40% based
on the number of settlements from older maps and ones made around the time. The
Weapemeoc had been intermarrying with outsiders for 100 years, and this is
perhaps why their death toll was not as high as other nearby nations.
The Chowanoc suffered terrible losses, their great nation was reduced to a
handful of tribes.
1652 The Massasoit Sachem of the Weapemeoc was Chief Kilkokanen, son of
Chief Okisco, at this time. He gave the Chowanoc land within his territory for them
to live. The Chowanoc gave their land to the colony at the request of the Weapemeoc,
as they had fought against the colony in 1644, as a gesture if good will.
1653 Then a land grant is given to Roger Green, clarke, from the Governor of
Virginia, to be located on the Roanoke River and the south or west side of the
Chowan River, as a reward for inducing settlements to be made there. [1]
So far the Weapemeoc had given a large portion of their land to help get the
Virginia colony started, and the Chowanoc gave all of their land in North Carolina to
the colony to help it grow without conflicts with other nations for land.

44
Greed, the Beginning of the End
1663 The Lord Proprietors are appointed by the King to govern the land from
the Virginia Border south to Florida. However the Crown recognized the Native Title
to the land, so they did not have authority over the land of Native Nations. Like
Virginia they had to found a colony, and negotiate with Natives from there. They
would not found a colony until 1670.
The Lord Proprietors were known for their meddling in local politics and
failure to protect the colonies they founded, and were removed in 1729. However
that would not be before greed caused these men to betray their King and steal the
land of the Weapemeoc Nation.
The land the Chowanoc gave to the English 10 years before, was settled by
colonists from Virginia, and was technically within their jurisdiction. In fact this
would give them a head start in settling the colonies south of Virginia.
To the Lord Proprietors this was a business venture. They had paid the King
for the right to establish colonies. Once they were established, they would make
their money back from their share of taxes.
The trouble started when they saw the many fine homes and farms across the
river in Weapemeoc territory next to where the colonists from Virginia were settling.
This region was owned by the Weapemeoc and known as the Albemarle region.
The land was settled and if the Lord Proprietors could gain title to it, they
could start taxing it immediately. But they had a problem, it was Indian Land, and
Native title was sovereign by English law, they could not touch it, so they started
denying that it Indian land.
Surely these fine homes and farms did not belong to Natives. They had to be
English colonists from someplace else that relocated. In the colonial records they
invent all kinds of crazy ideas to support this. They were the Lost Colony, the Cape
Fear colony, a failed colony from South Carolina or the Caribbean that relocated.
Even that several such groups found each other and settled in the Albemarle [1].
So in September of the same year they empower Governor Berkeley of
Virginia to establish a government in the Albemarle (Weapemeoc Nation). However
Virginia was a Royal Colony separate from them, and they had no authority to order
him to do anything.
Governor Berkeley was also a friend of the Weapemeoc and Chowanoc nations
and a loyal subject of the King. The King had ordered that the lands and people of
their Indian allies be respected. Governor Berkeley refuses their request.

45
1664 The Lord Proprietors commission William Drummond as Governor of
the Albemarle (Weapemeoc Nation). However even at that time, no record of his
formal commission can be found and his authority is disputed [1]. There is good
reason why there was no official document, it was illegal, and the Lord Proprietors
did not want a paper trail linking them and their crimes against the Kings Law.
1665 William Drummond files the Great Deed of Grant, even the name
sounds fake. This Great Deed of Grant granted the Lord Proprietors permission the
give land to newly arrived settlers, just like in Virginia.
Various efforts were also made from time to time by the
authorities both in England and in Albemarle (Weapemeoc Nation),
to nullify this deed by declaring that not only that it was a revocable deed,
but that it had at various times actually been revoked and annulled.
Governor Gabriel Johnston, a very arbitrary official in his dealings
with the colony, was especially urgent in pressing this view of the case. [1]
Now the Massasoit Sachem of the Weapemeoc, Chief Kilkokanen was far wiser
than he is pictured in the Colonial records. Starting 3 years before this in 1662
Chief Kilkokanen started deeding land to individual members of the nation.
The first land deeds in North Carolina was to George Durant, Nathaniell Batts
and friends. Only latter in the colonial records is it reveled that they are leaders of of
the tribes, and King Kilkokanen latter names George Durant's son John Durant as
his successor [2].
Colonists that had married into the nation had advised King Kilkokanen on
English land law. When the Lord Proprietors deeded land to a new colonist on land
already deeded by the Chief, the courts always upheld the deed from the natives as
it had greater authority.
1668 The Lord Proprietors rule that the Great Deed of Grant is valid and
that William Drummond is the legal governor of the Albemarle (Weapemeoc Nation).
Which is no surprise as they commissioned him.
Their decision is appealed, the first of a number of challenges against this
Great Deed of Grant. The deeds granted by Chief Kilkokanen continues to be a
problem for the Lord Proprietors.
The Weapemeoc people also controls who lives in their land by shunning
newcomers they don't want. No one speaks to them, no one will buy or sell with
them.
Now the Lord Proprietors had big problem on their hands. Their answer, a plot
that would make any Hollywood evil genius proud.

46
Bacon's Rebellion 1676
The Lord Proprietors had disobeyed a direct order from their King and broke
English law by trying to steal Weapemeoc land. Even Nobles such as themselves
could get in trouble for such actions. The Chowanoc had enough of the Lord
Proprietors attempts to seize control and went to war in 1675, and along with other
Indian problems, this set the stage for Bacon's Rebellion.
The Lord Proprietors had legal challenges against their fake governor, legal
challenges against their fake Great Deed of Grant, and the Weapemeoc were
blocking their ability to grant land successfully.
They needed to get rid of the Weapemeoc, but they did not have an army. They
needed to get rid of any evidence that the Weapemeoc had claim to the Albemarle
region, but that proof was in Jamestown, which was outside of their direct control.
Virginia at the time was in an economic slump, with a small number of
wealthy owners controlling most large tracts of land, and little work or opportunity
for the poorer members of Virginia society.
Greed, resentment and political unrest was the perfect environment to recruit
people that would be useful. There were many causes for Bacon's Rebellion and why
it had as much support as it did.
Our view of these events is just another perspective on one of the many forces
at work which led to it and why some events happened as they did.
The Lord Proprietors needed someone to lead the rebellion. Someone who
hated both the friendly Indians and Governor Berkeley. Nathaniel Bacon was that
man, and if things went badly, well that would be bad for Bacon, not them.
Bacon's Rebellion was funded by a number of wealthy individuals, who were
outside his social circle [3].
With an army of 500 he marches into Jamestown and at gunpoint is
commissioned to take care of the Indian problem One of the reasons given in his
declaration for this action was that Governor Berkeley failed to protect the colony
from hostile Indian attacks.
But instead of attacking hostile tribes outside the colony, he starts a
campaign of attacking friendly tribes of Indians, allies of the English within the
colony. After several months of attacking friendly and allied tribes, he again marches
on Jamestown, this time to seize control of the colony. This was Treason under
English law.

47
Governor Berkeley escapes Jamestown and Bacon burns Jamestown to the
ground along with most of its records. Bacon only saved selected documents. Bacon
was losing the battle for control of the colony with Governor Berkeley when he burnt
Jamestown on September 19th, and then shortly afterwords, on October 26th, Bacon
abruptly dies and his body never found. Interesting!
Governor Berkeley regains control of the colony, and during his investigation
of the rebellion, 23 people were hanged for treason for their part in the rebellion,
many of them prominent and wealthy individuals, like William Drummond, the
illegal governor of the Albemarle and the person who filed the Great Deed of Grant
William Drummond, the illegal governor of the Albemarle, appointed by
the Lord Proprietors, and the person who filed the Great Deed of Grant
stealing the Land of the Weapemeoc, was hanged for Treason as a ringleader of
Bacon's Rebellion.
Governor Berkeley was recalled to England because a committee thought he
executed too many prominent citizens, and the Lord Proprietors were finally free of
him, one of the greatest allies of Native people.
From a military point of view, the attacks on friendly and allied tribes was
meant to provoke a retaliation that could then be used to raise public support for a
war to wipe them out. It would also strike fear into those tribes and perhaps make
them leave, freeing up their land. The burning of Jamestown and the saving of only
selected records wiped out the history of the Weapemeoc Nation as allies and our
claim to the land.
It did strike fear into many friendly and allied tribes. Some did flee the colony.
Many of the Weapemeoc tribes retreated to the Albemarle (Weapemeoc Nation)
because the battle for our right to self governance as an independent colony had just
begun.
The Battle for the Right to Self-governance
George Durant, Wealthy landowner and merchant, hero of the Albemarle and
a political leader who battled for the rights of the People his whole life. Much has
been written by historians about this man and his role in colonial history, but all of
them, even modern historians neglect to mention one very important detail about
his life, George Durant was a Chief of the Wecocomike tribe of the Weapemeoc, and
his son John Durant latter becomes the Massasoit Sachem of the Weapemeoc
Nation!
Historians, even modern ones, continue to try and erase our people form the
history books. It is no secret Durant was a leader of the Weapemeoc, historians just
choose to ignore that fact or never even noticed the connections.

48
Culpepper's Rebellion 1677
1677 After the execution of William Drummond for treason, the Lord
Proprietors appoint another illegal governor to replace him, Thomas Eastchurch.
Eastchurch had long expressed his desire to be governor to the Lord Proprietors,
however once appointed, he was too interested in drinking and chasing wealthy
women to bother with being a governor, and sent Thomas Miller as his
representative. Miller was also a drunk who had been charged with treasonous
speech in Virginia as a vocal supporter of Bacon [4].
George Durant started Culpepper's Rebellion while in England and threatened
the Lord Proprietors with open revolt. If we had not been an independent colony,
Durant would have been arrested on the spot for treason, but they waited until he
returned to North Carolina where Miller tried to arrest him. However it was Miller
who was arrested and thrown in jail by John Culpepper, also a Chief of the
Weapemeoc. John Culpepper may have been related to Governor Berkeley's wife who
was also a Culpepper, and at the least was a close friend of the family. This
relationship may also help explain the events surrounding Bacon's Rebellion and
why Governor Berkeley was a great supporter of the friendly and allied Natives [4].
The Lord Proprietors charged Culpepper with treason, and he went to England
to defend himself and was acquitted of any wrongdoing in English court. George
Durant took control of the government, until the Lord Proprietors appointed a new
governor of the Albemarle six years latter, Seth Sothel in 1683.
Sothel proved to be so corrupt that the Assembly removed him from office and
banished him. So the battle between the Weapemeoc Nation and the Lord
Proprietors for control of the Albemarle waged back and forth. A temporary peace
was obtained when local leaders of the Albemarle, (Sachem of the Weapemeoc) were
allowed to govern themselves for the most part. The Weapemeoc People considered
themselves a separate sovereign colony, like Virginia, a Colony of the Crown, the
14th Colony of America.
Cary's Rebellion 1711
Thomas Cary of the Weapemeoc was Governor at the time, and the Lord
Proprietors made their next attempt to seize power by replacing him Edward Hyde.
Governor Cary and the local government refuses to acknowledged Hyde as the new
governor, this time they are also supported by the Quakers.
The Quakers were the only religious group the Weapemeoc ever allowed in
their nation. We have a long history with them and some of or people did become
Quakers, and the Quakers slowly accepted our native religion as being as valid as
their views.

49
Cary's Rebellion was short lived, the Lord Proprietors had had enough and
was ready to do anything to secure their control of the Albemarle. Governor
Spotswood of Virginia was more receptive to requests from the Lord Proprietors, and
assembled an army to enforce the Lord Proprietors illegal government.
The Marines landed first, and the residents of the Albemarle surrendered
peacefully before the main army could approach. This was in July of 1711, in
September the Tuscarora War broke out, more on that connection soon.
Governor Cary and other leaders of the Weapemeoc were put in chains and
sent to England for trial, where they were released and returned!
At this point even the writers of the colonial records were having doubts that
the Lord Proprietors had any legal authority over the Albemarle. it may well be
doubted whether the legal authority of the government against which Cary rebelled
was any greater than that of the government against which Culpeper rebelled thirty
years before. [1]
However the use of force to impose an illegal government, and the sending of
allied Indian Chiefs to England in chains would have profound effects and change
the relationship between Native Nations and the Colonies forever.
The Tuscarora War 1711
Most historians say that the Tuscarora War came as a complete surprise to
the colonists because many of the tribes that joined them had been long time allies
of the colonial government and had peaceful relations.
What a joke, any idiot should have seen this coming, if they had not tried so
hard to deny our existence and wipe us from the history books that is!
The Tuscarora and and other North Carolina tribes had been allies of the
Weapemeoc for hundreds of years. They were fully aware of recent events. They now
knew the colonial government could not be trusted, what other options did they
have but war?
The Weapemeoc and Chowanoc nations tried to be a shinning example that
Native Nations and European Nations could coexist peacefully. Evil men whose
greed and lust for power controlled the colonial government and they would never
allow Natives to be treated as equals. They lied when they said they did not want our
land, they wanted our land badly and would do anything to take it, kill us, enslave
us, write us out of history.

50
The Lord Proprietors finally got what they wanted, but it would cost them
dearly. Other tribes started attacking. Seeing the colonies were near defenseless, the
French and Spanish also took advantage of the situation.
1729 The Lord Proprietors were replaced due to their incompetence and
political meddling. The southern colonies were near defenseless because the Lord
Proprietors in their greed had neglected to pay for defenses and an army as was
their duty.
Now not all of the Lord Proprietors were evil men. Sir William Berkeley who
was also Governor of Virginia for a time was an ally. We also had at least one other
ally among the Lord Proprietors, most likely Sir George Carteret or Earl William
Craven, or perhaps both. But that still left the other Lords which opposed us in the
majority. Besides, who knows for sure as their were no official records for many of
their actions against us, it may have been just one or two evil men acting without
the knowledge of the other Lords.
1730 The new government under the New Lord Proprietors was even less
tolerant of Natives, but even they were forced to admit Sovereign Tribes of the
Weapemeoc still existed within the Albemarle. Governor Burrington starts
conducting a census. Native nations that are tributary or subjugated are counted
first. None of the tribes of the Weapemeoc appear in this census (Recd 14th Sept
1730).
1731 Governor Burrington records that there are 6 Native nations living
within the colony, all tribes of the Weapemeoc. Dr. Brickwell is credited with
'Finding' one of them. "a nation called the Pasquotanks, who kept cattle and made
butter, but at present have not cattle." [5]
1732 Governor Burrington estimated the total number of Whites at 30
thousand, 6 thousand Negroes and less than 800 Indians within the colony.
However he did not consider that a number of the Whites and Negro populations
that considered themselves Indians.
1740 John Durant, Yeopim Chief, petitioned North Carolina on behalf of
himself and the Yeopim Nation" to be permitted "to sell and exchange their lands as
may best [suit] their conveniency". The Yeopim reservation was subsequently sold
[2].
After the events of the Tuscarora war and armed force to impose an illegal
government, the faction of the Weapemeoc lead by Sachem Laster of the
Man'toUghQueMend tribe, which felt it was time to leave and find a new homeland
for our people had been gaining in popularity. By 1740 most of the Weapemeoc
Nation agreed with this view.

51
References:
[1] Preface to Volume 1 of the Colonial Records of North Carolina. Saunders, William
Laurence, 1835-1891 1886 Volume 01
[2] Deed Book 3, pgs. 24-26
[3] Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty!: An American History New York: W.W. Norton &
Company, 2009
[4] William S. Smith, Jr Culpepper's Rebellion New Data and Old Problems A paper
submitted to the Faculty of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences in
Candidacy for the Degree of Master of Arts in Liberal Studies April 1990
[5] In Ancient Albemarle Author: Catherine Albertson June 16, 2008 [EBook
#25805]
[6] Governor George Burrington, with an account of his official administrations in
the colony of North Carolina Colonial Records of North Carolina

52

Chapter 10: The Laster Tribe of Perquimans County

The Man'toUghQueMend Tribe of the Weapemeoc Nation, and latter the nation
itself, was also known historically as The Laster Tribe of Perquimans County North
Carolina. The Principle Clan of the Tribe is the Bear Clan. Other known clans from
colonial times are the Long Hair Clan and Coe Clan.
The Issue of Slavery
Coe is a surname that became used as a clan name. By tradition when a male
of the Chiefs line married a woman, she came to the tribe and her clan was added to
the tribe. If such a clan already existed, a variation of the name would be used, like
if there was a Bear Clan already, her clan may be called Little Bear Clan as an
example.
One of the early native Chiefs of the Man'toUghQueMend tribe married a
runaway slave girl named Coe, and her name and her children became a new clan
within the tribe.
Slavery started in Virginia in 1618 with the first slaves from Angola Africa. I
was told the surname Goins came from the Angolans who were some of the first
escaped slaves to be taken in by the Weapemeoc.
The Great Dismal Swamp was one of the few locations where an escaped slave
could flee to. Early colonists considered the Swamp impassable and any slave that
made it there in those early days was considered dead by the colonists.
The Weapemeoc had tried to build a society where every person was equal and
valuable members of the nation. Slavery had been practiced by other tribes in
various forms before Europeans arrived but we opposed slavery in all forms.
The Man'toUghQueMend tribe due to their location would have been the first
tribe of the Weapemeoc they would meet fleeing into the Great Dismal Swamp. Of
course we were not the only Indians to take in runaway slaves, one of the conditions
of the 1646 treaty with the Powhatan was the return of all runaway slaves [3].
Not all runaway slaves were from Africa. The Spanish had been enslaving
South American Indians from the start, and the American colonies soon jumped in
on this profitable trade. Native people soon became a source of huge profits for the
rich and powerful.

53
If a crime was committed against a colonist by a Native, there was no trial.
The nearest Native village would be blamed, burnt to the ground, the People sold
into slavery, and their land taken.
Between 1670 and 1715 Charles Town South Carolina merchants alone
exported 30,000 50,000 Native Americans as slaves. The Northern colonies
preferred Native slaves to African ones, and native female and children as
slaves/servants were in demand in Europe as well. Male Natives from North America
were often shipped to the Caribbean to be broken, till they stopped accepting them
due to slave revolts they lead. Native women were used as slaves and for breeding
with African slaves, as the United States bought mostly male African slaves. [4, 5, 6]
It was slavery more than war or disease that destroyed the small coastal
tribes. As early as 1683 the (Lord) Proprietors had heard settlers were making war on
Indians around Winyah Bay in order to obtain slaves. Since the (Lord) Proprietors had
given permission to sell Indian captives in the West Indies, the trade in slaves was
stimulated and soon the colonists could not distinguish between Indians taken in war
and those acquired in other ways. [6]
Greed of evil men like the Lord Proprietors set the stage for profiting from the
destruction of Native Americans.
The Laster Tribe
My ancestor Peter Laster arrived at a crucial point in history just before
Bacon's rebellion when there was still hope of Native Nations and European Nations
existing together peacefully.
1666 My ancestor Peter Laster arrived at Jamestown and bought land in the
county of Isle of White on June 6 of that year [1]. The Laster surname is very rare
and only 2 men named Laster arrived in North America during the early colonial
period. The other Laster landed in the New England area, and was a Quaker.
It is not known is the two men were related or knew each other, but the
Weapemeoc Nation and the Quakers have a long history that started very early and
if they were related, may explain why the Quakers were the only religious group
allowed in Weapemeoc land.
A map made in 1666 showed that the Metachkwem tribe of the Weapemeoc
was living within the colony at that time. The Man'toUghQueMend And Chesepiooc
tribes of the Weapemeoc were also still living within the Virginia colony at this time,
but were far fewer in number. Peter Laster's farm just happened to be near the
Man'toUghQueMend tribe.

54
Not long after Peter Laster arrived, Bacon's Rebellion started. Like other
colonists, this event forced many to choose if they were on the side of the Governor
and allied Indians, or part of the rebellion, which carried a chance of hanging for
treason. It is surprising Bacon had as many supporters as he did all things
considered.
Peter Laster obviously choose to remain loyal to the King and the allied
Indians. There are few records about the Laster family after that, and marriages
between Englishmen and Native women were seldom recorded and few records from
that time exist as well. No other colonists arrive with the Laster surname before the
Laster Tribe emerges from the southern side of the Great Dismal Swamp [7, 8, 9,
10].
There are various accounts of the Laster Tribe. It is believed that it was called
the Laster Tribe because it was the most common surname, [11] however that is
only close to the truth. The Massasoit Sachem of the Weapemeoc was Chief Laster of
the Man'toUghQueMend tribe, but there were also a number of similar surnames
like Lester, Luster, Lassiter in the Weapemeoc Nation. Each was an English
surname of a separate family line, but over time they have been confused with each
other in official records.
Bacon's Rebellion had several effects. It forced colonists to either side with
Natives or oppose them. Bacon's Rebellion was also an act of Treason against the
Crown. Colonists who sided with the Indians viewed themselves as Loyalists, and
the Anti-Indian faction as traitors, and this view would dominate the Weapemeoc
Nation.
Mixed Bloods and Natives of the Weapemeoc retreated into the Albemarle
region of North Carolina, Weapemeoc land. The Albemarle region was dominated by
The Great Dismal Swamp, a Sacred Place for the Weapemeoc.
The details of the story have been lost, but it was the location we first settled
upon reaching the ocean. Here is the basic story.

The Great Dismal Swamp was not always a swamp, it was a good
land when we first lived there. We followed a White Spirit Bear who left
no tracks to its Den, but the Den was empty. The Den was dug into the
roots of a Great Tree with a Grape Vine wrapped around it. There was a
good spring nearby. So we knew that the Great Spirit had made this
place for us that we may live there.

55
The Great Dismal Swamp was important in the Weapemeoc history as well. It
provided a place for those who wanted to live a more traditional lifestyle and an
important place for hunting, fishing and foraging. It was a hiding place safe from the
eyes of colonial government.
Surrounding the Great Dismal Swamp was land more suitable for farming
with plenty of rivers and streams. The homes and farms here resembled those of the
English in construction, but functioned the same as Native farms. What looked like
a slave quarter to outsiders, functioned the same as the Weapemeoc Long House in
a typical village.
We adopted the technology of the Europeans, but not their society and
retained our national identity and history. It was not planned, but adopting the
technology of the Europeans caused us to blend into society and remain largely
unnoticed by outsiders as Natives. That were intermarried considerably also helped
us to blend in at an early date.
Divisions within the Weapemeoc Nation
When Governor Spotswood of Virginia sent troops to enforce the Lord
Proprietors rule, it was a great blow to the Weapemeoc. The Tuscarora war broke out
and we could do nothing. Governor Spotswood of Virginia would not send troops to
help North Carolina, he needed them in case the Weapemeoc revolted or other tribes
attacked his colony.
We were completely surrounded by the colony, war would have meant suicide.
We had no choice but to accept the new government for the time being.
But a number of people within the Weapemeoc nation felt we would never
regain the Right of Self Governance, that the colonial government, no matter how
many times we won in court, would never recognize our rights and never see us as
equals.
Rather than staying and fighting useless legal battles, this group wanted to
leave and look for a new homeland. The darker skinned Weapemeoc and those that
preferred a more traditional lifestyle were the biggest supporters of this idea.,
because they were the ones most at risk.
Others wanted to stay, it was their ancestors land and contained their bones.
They wanted to stay and continue to fight for their land and their rights legally. In
such a case there is no real compromise.

56
It was decided that the Nation should divide and the people of the tribes go
where they choose. When natives tribes moved or new ones formed, it was common
to take a name to describe their new home land. Weapemeoc means People at the
Nice Ocean
If the people moved, they would no longer be the People at the Nice Ocean. So
the Weapemeoc would remain the name of the nation for those who choose to stay
and continue the legal fight for our rights.
The Man'toUghQueMend tribe was chosen to be the principle tribe of those in
search for a new home. There were many capable leaders among the Weapemeoc,
many were better leaders than the Laster Line was, or turned out to be. Rather the
choice was based on the name of the tribe and our history.
Man'toUghQueMend means Spirit of Her the Earth and we would become
restless Spirits upon Her the Earth, wandering, restless spirits searching for a
home. In ancient times when we were nomads wandering the Earth, the Bear Clan
were the leaders of the people, and so it would be again. The Bear Clan was the
principle Clan of the Man'toUghQueMend tribe.
The Moorish/Islamic Connection
It was due to the Moorish influence that the Man'toUghQueMend became
known as The Laster Tribe.
The Weapemeoc tribes along the Albemarle Sound had traded with Moors and
Pirates before they ever meet the English [12]. The trade with pirates was noticed by
outsiders during the colonial period as well; the Albemarle settlement came to be
known in Virginia as "Rogues' Harbor". [13]
Some of the Moors and Pirates which traded with us also had wives among the
tribes. There is even a story that the famous Black Beard the Pirate, had a
Weapemeoc wife.
When George Durant and others established merchant fleets, the trade went
both ways. Our long history and intermarriage with Moors and Pirates gave our
merchant ships a degree of protection at sea other colonial merchants did not have.
The People that wished to find a new homeland traded to obtain supplies and
so the Moors came into contact with Chief Laster of the Man'toUghQueMend.

57
A Moorish Ship captain fell in love with the daughter of Chief Laster and as
was custom at the time, gave him a gift of his Scimitar for permission to marry his
daughter. Some of his crew also married into the tribes and lived with us. They
formed their own branch of The Laster Tribe that was recorded as late as the 1940's
still living near Hertford where they first married into the nation [7, 8, 9, 10, 11].
A few did move from there. My Blood-Brother was Islamic and a member of the
tribe. He became my Blood-Brother by saving my life when he dove in front of me to
block an arrow meant for my heart. Thanks to the Great Spirit the arrow was
deflected by a heavy copper collar he wore around his neck. Native, Christian and
Islamic faiths have coexisted within my people for hundreds of years. If we can do it,
others can if they try, we can all live in peace while respecting each others faith.
So the Man'toUghQueMend became known in history books and in oral
traditions as The Laster Tribe of Perquimans County North Carolina. The Scimitar
the Moorish ship captain gave Chief Laster was passed down from chief to Chief till
it came to me. This sword is no ordinary sword. Made of the finest maiden hair
Damascus steel with traces of the extensive gold leaf still visible. This sword did not
belong to an ordinary ship captain, but a Moor of high social standing, a nobleman.
The Nation remained divided until 1740 when Chief John Durant sold the
remaining tribal lands and the nation became one again, we had lost any hope of
regaining our rights through legal means.
Exodus
1712 Marks the beginning of the main period exodus of the Weapemeoc
people from North Carolina. This was no rushed exodus of refugees, but a planned
evacuation that lasted over 100 years. This was due to several reasons. We needed
to explore and establish way-stations and relationships with other tribes, and as
conditions grew worse in North Carolina, more and more of the People decided to
leave. Also wars interrupted our exodus.
It was decided that the wisest action would be to send out small groups,
basically small tribes with at least 4 clans and 4 male lines present within the
group.
Such small groups could travel undetected better. Also when encountering
other tribes, such small groups would not be seen as a threat, and it would be easier
to establish peaceful relations. We needed to explore first as we know little about the
land and the tribes on the other side of the mountains. It would be a risky
undertaking.
Population growth in the Albemarle region was still slow, but new settlers were
arriving, and some still became members of the Weapemeoc nation.

58
1736 John Gibbs bought 500 acres on Whapopin Creek in Camden County
[14]. His son, Harry Gibbs is later listed as one of the "headmen" of the Yeopim.
1737 Peter Jefferson, father of Thomas Jefferson moves to the Albemarle
region. While he does not have any known connections to the Weapemeoc, he would
have seen a culture there that believed all men were created equal and opposed
slavery. Some of them had what appeared to be slaves, but were treated like family
and often were family. This might explain Thomas Jefferson views on slavery and his
actions with his own slaves.
By this time the Weapemeoc were not obstructing new settlers as much as in
the past, and some were selling their land so they could buy provisions for the
exodus.
1740 Even though the Weapemeoc sold the last of their tribal lands, they still
owned considerable private lands and maintained a community at Indiantown.
1745 John Squires and Long Tom are listed as two Indians at Accomac
Virginia, employed as Indian interpreters for the Colonies (Willard). John Squires is
also referenced as King of the Arrowmuskeet, Marrowmuskeet and Mattamuskeet
Indians at Yeopim Indiantown (Willard)
Other Native nations were also allying with the Weapemeoc in the exodus out
of North Carolina.
1758 An Assembly met at New Bern, to answer to a petition presented by
John Harvey of Perquimans County, they passed an act for the erection of a town at
Phelps Point in Perquimans County. The little village was called Hertford. Received
from the Council the Bill for granting an Aid to his Majesty &c. also the Bill For
establishing a Town on the Land of Jonathan Phelps on Perquimons River. Endorsed
May 2, 1758 Read In the Upper House the first time and passed.
The colonial government was overjoyed to hear of this request and gladly paid
for the construction of a new town. The Albemarle region had stunted growth for
over 50 years, they built no roads or towns of note in that time, basically they still
lived like Indians on small family farms. Many people did not even want to settle
there, so this was seen as a positive development.
The Weapemeoc was not trying to develop the region, rather we need the trade
the town would bring. The Albemarle Sound was slowly closing and as the region got
more developed, some of our Moorish and Pirate trading partners started
considering it too risky to trade there.

59
1761 Rev. Thomas Bray established a school for the Society for the
Propagation of the Gospel in the Albemarle (Weapemeoc Nation). This was the first
denomination other than the Quakers in the region.
Bray wrote that the area was "Peopled by English intermixed with the Native
Indians to a great extent." This is considered the origin of the Bray and Brayboy
surnames found in the tribes of the Weapemeoc.
1763 George Washington made his first visit to the Great Dismal Swamp and
suggested draining it and digging a north-south canal through it to connect the
waters of the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia and Albemarle Sound in North Carolina.
This would be our first contact with George Washington the surveyor, but not
the last. Work on the canal started in 1793 and opened in 1805. In our history some
of us works as laborers or under the guise of slaves to earn money for the exodus.
The draining of the Great Dismal Swamp was the worst news the Weapemeoc
could have heard. We had a significant population that lived within or depended on
the Great Dismal Swamp, it was part of our history. Those within the swamp had to
move before construction started.
We had already established a settlement in the region now known as
Washington Bottoms West Virginia as a way-point. While we had a few others, but
this was on our main staging area for the Ohio River. It was out of the site of
colonists and favored by those that wanted to remain unseen.
1770 George Washington first sees the region known as Washington Bottoms
and survey's it the next year. The Revolutionary War and the Indian wars would
prevent settlement till around 1800.
Shortly before settlers arrived, The Laster Tribe abandoned that way-station,
except for one Matriarch who was too old or unwilling to leave, Aunt Laster. On
the farm now owned by C. W. Butcher and on the site of the present residence, there
used to be an old log cabin where old "Aunt Laster" (colored), held sway. She was a
relic of pre-war days and famous for her cooking and hospitality, especially the
former. Near this place, under a gigantic elm tree, a famous spring has quenched the
thirst of man and beast with an inexhaustible supply of clear, cold water since time
began. [16]
Over 50 years had passed since the Weapemeoc first decided to leave North
Carolina. So at this time a significant but unknown number of Weapemeoc and
allies had already left the State when war broke out in this region.

60
Lord Dunmore's War
1774 war broke out between the colony of Virginia and the Shawnee and
Mingo Native Nations over settlements south of the Ohio River, modern day West
Virginia, Southwestern Pennsylvania and Kentucky.
The Weapemeoc and our allies had also started settling in this area with the
permission of local Native Nations. They knew our story and how the colonial
government betrayed us. We also stood besides our new allies and fought in this war
against the corrupt colonial government.
The Rare Laster surname is found today among the Shawnee for they accepted
some of us into their nation. We were brothers fighting hand in hand and some of
them married into our people as well over time.
The Revolutionary War 1775-1783
The Revolutionary War once again stirred hope in the hearts of the
Weapemeoc people. If England wins and defeats the Traitors to the Crown, surly the
King will recognize us.
So once again some of the Weapemeoc in North Carolina placed our hopes on
the Royal Family and sided with the Crown during the Revolutionary War. Among
those that fought for the King was the noted Tory Chief Thomas McKnight of
Indiantown.
Chickmauga Cherokee War 1776-1795
We had also established relations with the Cherokee and had been given
permission by them to establish way-stations for our people exodus. When war
broke our we stood with Dragging Canoe and the Cherokee on the side of the
English during the Revolutionary War, but our the colonial government would
continue past the end of the Revolutionary War.
My cousin Chief Tecumseh Brown-Eagle has Cherokee in his family line
starting at this point in history. Also the rare Laster surname is still found among
the Cherokee today.
The War of 1812
The King of England had promised his native allies a Nation of their own
under English protection. The United States saw this as a move to oppose their
westward expansion into Indian Land. The United States declared war on England.

61
As loyal English subjects without a home, this offer was too good to pass up,
and we joined our Native Allies along with the English to oppose the United States
that we may finally have a home.
The Seminole Wars 1814-1819 1835-1842 1855-1858
The Seminole wars united Slaves and Indians against the government. Some
historians call the first Seminole War the Gullah War. The Gullah were slaves who
were also Indians.
Slaves were expensive and since colonial times, the Greedy landowners and
government officials found a way to save themselves considerable expense by
breeding male African slaves with Native women taken as slaves.
Compared to other countries in the Americas the United States imported only
a fraction of the slaves in the slave trade, and they were almost all men. The self
sustaining slave population of the United States was built on breeding African men
to Native women.
Under slave law, anyone born to a female slave was a slave for life. Under
Indian marriage custom, anyone born to a Native woman was part of her tribe and
clan. The result was that the colonies and latter the United States had breed a
Nation of Black Indians who rose up in revolt and were aided by the tribes.
The Tyrant Andrew Jackson showed his true colors at this time. His hatred of
Indians was so great he would break international law and risk war with both
England and Spain to enter Spanish land and destroy Negro Fort and execute two
Englishmen for helping the Black Indians there.
The Weapemeoc had also explored south looking for a new homeland and got
involved in these wars. Some of us did so intentionally to help free our relatives who
had been enslaved. The rare Laster surname is found among the Seminole People as
well because of this period in history.
The Indian Removal Act of 1830
The Tyrant Andrew Jackson would again defy the Law and the Supreme Court
in his vendetta against Native people. Many of our people were living among the
southern tribes and nations and suffered with them through the atrocities of Indian
removal.
The fact that the American Government honors this tyrant by putting his face
on the $20 bill is an affront to both Native Americans, African Americans and
anyone who values morals and justice.

62
The tribes of the Weapemeoc were scattered amongst the Native Nations
affected by relocation and some of us suffered that removal with them and became
absorbed into their nations.
The rarity of the Laster surname has been very useful in researching such
connections and the Laster surname is found among other tribes coast to coast.
1835 North Carolina passed a constitutional amendment prohibiting Indians
(and Blacks) from "voting, serving on juries, testifying against whites, bearing arms,
and learning to read and write". [17]
This forced nearly all of the remaining Weapemeoc out of North Carolina and
the heaviest period of migration was at this time. By 1840 most had gotten out of
the State if at all possible.
If your family ancestors left North Carolina from 1835 to around 1840, they
may have had a real good reason for it!
Modern History
Not all of the Weapemeoc left the Albemarle region of North Carolina, I already
mentioned the branch of the Laster tribe that stayed. The Shiloh Church remained a
community center for Yeopim Tribe descendants. In 1860 there were 448 members
and 79 of the members were considered "colored," [17] The post office at Indiantown
remained open until 1934. The Yeopim tried to gain support for recognition through
the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) from 2006 2013. However recognition through
the BIA is hugely unpopular among the Weapemeoc, and they never got the support
they needed among the other tribes of the nation.
Likewise my cousin Chief Tecumseh Brown-Eagle and the Erie Mound
Builders tribe have no interest in recognition through the BIA, and they are not
alone in this sentiment. Recognition through the BIA is almost universally opposed
by the Weapemeoc people.
The period starting with the 1950's to now has been the hardest in many ways
for the scattered tribes of the Weapemeoc. Till then it was easy to maintain our
identity, we lived in communities and kept in contact with one another.
Census records of my family show this and recorded the same people in
different locations from census to census, they who were with relations in other
states or counties at the time. My Great Grandfather traveled extensively most of his
life maintaining contact with various groups, as did my grandfather for the first half
of his life.

63
During the 1950's my Grandfather feared that we would lose our identity if
were moved to the big cites for jobs and lost contact with each other. He tried to
convince people not to leave, but in the end he could not even stop his own wife
from moving to Detroit for work and taking his son and daughter with her. He
became a drunk after that and died in 1968.
In a long and sad tale I will not bore you with, my Grandfather and my Father
fought and my Dad and Grandmother disowned him, his family and the tribe. Still,
my Dad did his best to teach me about my heritage.
But my grandfather did not realize how resilient our people are. Some did get
lost in the relocation to find jobs, but others reconnected in those places. A branch
of the Laster tribe formed in Detroit and they are now part of the Erie Mound
Builders. My Aunt Ollie would meet me after school in Detroit and walk me home
telling stories of our people, and sometimes bring another elder with her.
When I moved back to Paducah Kentucky, most of the tribe there had left,
only a few friends from my childhood summers there remained. I was shocked when
years latter an Indian walked into my shop and gave me the Scimitar which had
been passed down since the 1700's from Chief to Chief.
Why me? Surly there was someone more qualified than me, more educated, a
better leader. Most of my local tribe was gone and all we really had left was the
stories told to me in my youth.
Perhaps the Great Spirit does not choose those best qualified, but those who
will act. In the past reuniting the scattered tribes would have been impossible.
Likewise finding the historic proof of our history in records would have been a
monumental task, but the internet has changed all that, even publishing a book is
now easier than ever.
I now have hope that the history of my people will not be forgotten and that
there is a chance the Weapemeoc Nation and its tribes can be restored, and that our
story will help other tribes with their history, and maybe, help them restore their
nations as well.

64
References:
[1] page 511 from Cavaliers and Pioneers Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and
Grants 1623-1666 by Nell Marion Nugent, 1983
[2] 1666 map of Carolina
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mainegenie/HILTON.htm
[3] http://nativeheritageproject.com/2014/05/16/powhatan-treaty-october-1646/
[4] Tony Seybert Slavery and Native Americans in British North America and the
United States: 1600 to 1865
http://web.archive.org/web/20040804001522/http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/hi
story/hs_es_indians_slavery.htm
[5] Dina Gilio-Whitaker The Untold Story of American Indian Slavery
http://nativeamericanhistory.about.com/od/controversies/a/The-UntoldHistory-Of-American-Indian-Slavery.htm
[6] William Moreau Goins, Ph.D. The Forgotten Story of American Indian Slavery
Teachers Guide, South Carolina Indians Today
http://www.pantribalconfederacy.com/confederacy/useful/pdf/indian_slavery.pdf
[7] Berry Brewton Almost White Social Science 1963
[8] National Genealogical Society Quarterly 1992 page 8 National Genealogical
Society
[9] Gilbert 1948
[10] Amir Muhammad Early History of Muslims in America
http://www.muslimsinamerica.org
[11] B. G. Trigger Handbook of North American Indians Northeast publisher
[12] Ralph Lane Lane's Account of the Englishmen Left in Virginia 1585-1586
American Journeys Collection Wisconsin Historical Society Digital
Library and Archives Document No. AJ-035
http://www.americanjourneys.org/pdf/AJ-035.pdf
[13] History of the USA http://www.usahistory.info/southern/North-Carolina.html

65
[14] County Courthouse deeds, Currituck County, North Carolina, Willard
[15] Minutes of the Lower House of the North Carolina General Assembly North
Carolina. General Assembly April 28, 1758 - May 04, 1758 Volume 05, Pages 9981012
[16] West Virginia Archives & History History of Washington Bottom C.R. Rector
http://www.wvculture.org/history/agrext/washbott.html
[17] The Daily Advance Centennial Edition, Sunday, November 12, 1972

66

Chapter 11: Warriors of the Rainbow

The prophecy of the Warriors of the Rainbow comes from several tribes and
vary from a simple childs tale to the long Hopi versions and they can be found on
the link given in this reference [1].
Lelanie Anderson's Cree version of the Warriors of the Rainbow is the shortest
full version, so I will start with it and fill in some details from longer versions.

There was an old lady, from the "Cree" tribe, named "Eyes of Fire",
who prophesied that one day, because of the white mans' or Yo-ne-gis'
greed, there would come a time, when the fish would die in the streams,
the birds would fall from the air, the waters would be blackened, and the
trees would no longer be, mankind as we would know it would all but
cease to exist.
There would come a time when the "keepers of the legend, stories,
culture rituals, and myths, and all the Ancient Tribal Customs" would be
needed to restore us to health. They would be mankinds key to survival,
they were the "Warriors of the Rainbow". There would come a day of
awakening when all the peoples of all the tribes would form a New World
of Justice, Peace, Freedom and recognition of the Great Spirit.
The "Warriors of the Rainbow" would spread these messages and
teach all peoples of the Earth or "Elohi". They would teach them how to
live the "Way of the Great Spirit". They would tell them of how the world
today has turned away from the Great Spirit and that is why our Earth is
"Sick".
The "Warriors of the Rainbow" would show the peoples that this
"Ancient Being" (the Great Spirit), is full of love and understanding, and
teach them how to make the "Earth or Elohi" beautiful again. These
Warriors would give the people principles or rules to follow to make their
path right with the world. These principles would be those of the Ancient
Tribes. The Warriors of the Rainbow would teach the people of the ancient
practices of Unity, Love and Understanding. They would teach of
Harmony among people in all four comers of the Earth.

67

Like the Ancient Tribes, they would teach the peoples how to pray
to the Great Spirit with love that flows like the beautiful mountain stream,
and flows along the path to the ocean of life. Once again, they would be
able to feel joy in solitude and in councils. They would be free of petty
jealousies and love all mankind as their brothers, regardless of color, race
or religion. They would feel happiness enter their hearts, and become as
one with the entire human race. Their hearts would be pure and radiate
warmth, understanding and respect for all mankind, Nature, and the
Great Spirit. They would once again fill their minds, hearts, souls, and
deeds with the purest of thoughts. They would seek the beauty of the
Master of Life - the Great Spirit! They would find strength and beauty in
prayer and the solitudes of life.
Their children would once again be able to run free and enjoy the
treasures of Nature and Mother Earth. Free from the fears of toxins and
destruction, wrought by the Yo-ne-gi and his practices of greed. The rivers
would again run clear, the forests be abundant and beautiful, the
animals and birds would be replenished. The powers of the plants and
animals would again be respected and conservation of all that is
beautiful would become a way of life.
The poor, sick and needy would be cared for by their brothers and
sisters of the Earth. These practices would again become a part of their
daily lives.
The leaders of the people would be chosen in the old way - not by
their political party, or who could speak the loudest, boast the most, or by
name calling or mud slinging, but by those whose actions spoke the
loudest. Those who demonstrated their love, wisdom, and courage and
those who showed that they could and did work for the good of all, would
be chosen as the leaders or Chiefs.

68

They would be chosen by their "quality" and not the amount of

money they had obtained. Like the thoughtful and devoted "Ancient
Chiefs", they would understand the people with love, and see that their
young were educated with the love and wisdom of their surroundings.
They would show them that miracles can be accomplished to heal this
world of its ills, and restore it to health and beauty.
The tasks of these "Warriors of the Rainbow" are many and great.
There will be terrifying mountains of ignorance to conquer and they shall
find prejudice and hatred. They must be dedicated, unwavering in their
strength, and strong of heart. They will find willing hearts and minds that
will follow them on this road of returning "Mother Earth" to beauty and
plenty - once more.
The day will come, it is not far away. The day that we shall see
how we owe our very existence to the people of all tribes that have
maintained their culture and heritage. Those that have kept the rituals,
stories, legends, and myths alive. It will be with this knowledge, the
knowledge that they have preserved, that we shall once again return to
"harmony" with Nature, Mother Earth, and mankind. It will be with this
knowledge that we shall find our "Key to our Survival".
This is the story of the "Warriors of the Rainbow" and this is my
reason for protecting the culture, heritage, and knowledge of my
ancestors. I know that the day "Eyes of Fire" spoke of - will come! I want
my children and grandchildren to be prepared to accept this task. The
task of being one of the........"Warriors of the Rainbow". [2]
Much of this story seems to have come true already, Fish Dying, the worlds
population of fish is rapidly declining and large die off of fish are becoming common.
Birds falling from the air that has been happening as well with unexplained dead
birds littering the ground and making it into the news because of the fear of Bird Flu
outbreaks. The Waters being blackened sounds like an oil or mine spill to me.

69
The longer versions of this story found among the Hopi gives more details
about these Warriors of the Rainbow. They will be a tribe of many tribes, they will
come from all nations, cultures and religions. They will teach the way of Peace, and
love for the Creator and all his creations, they will heal the Earth and Mankind.
Some members of the tribes of the Weapemeoc have said that we are the
Warriors of the Rainbow, but that is not entirely correct.
All of the People of the Earth who value the ancient ways and wisdom are the
Warriors of the Rainbow. The tribes of North and South America, the tribes of
Russia and Mongolia, the Pagans who still follow the old ways, the Korean, Tibetan,
Chinese and Japanese, all the people of Asia that preserved their ancient history
and traditions, the tribes of Africa and the Island People of the great oceans and the
Natives of Australia, Environmentalists and all those who love the Earth, we are all
the Warriors of the Rainbow.

The tribes of South America have a similar prophecy called The

Eagle and the Condor [3] Inca Elder Willaru Huayta: This is the prophecy
of the Inka Wayna Qhapaq that says: "When the Condor of the South
comes together with the Eagle of the North, the spirit of Mother Earth Pacha Mama - will awake, then She will awake millions of her children,
this will be the Resurrection of the Dead."
The Cosmic Night has come to our culture, and it will last for 500 years.
During these years the King of the Darkness will govern. Then the King of
the Light will again open the doors to the Superior Dimension and there
will be a great awakening of the conscience. That time will be called the
Resurrection of the Dead - not for the dead, but for the spiritually dead.
The Inkas will resurrect among them as well as the Eagles, the Masters
of the Northern Tribes, and the Condors, the fallen Masters of past lives.
These two Masters will come together, unite and speak about the
Resurrection. [4]
This version comes from the Andes, remember one of the tribes of the People of the
North went south in our history, we are all one.

Exactly five hundred years had passed since the coming of the
European conquerors to the New World, and an Incan prophecy was
asking for fulfillment. The white mens arrival had been prophecied before
they ever set foot on this continent.

70

The white brother, forgetful of many things, would enact awful

cruelties on the native peoples during the first five hundred years. There
would be disrespect of the most fundamental rules of the proper human
relationship to the earth, and the resulting catastrophes would affect
Pachamama, the Great Earth Mother.
But after five hundred years, a great turnabout would occur. The
white brother would awaken, like a sleepwalker, from his violent trance.
There would be an amazing healing that would affect the entire world,
helping with the purging catastrophes that were coming. The spirit of the
Condor (South America) was asking to dance with the Eagle (North
America). From their flight would emerge great joy and brotherhood
between the peoples of North and South America and a new
understanding between the children of the white brother and of the
traditional peoples. A new relationship between the earth and all of
humanity would ensue. [5]
Columbus landed in 1492 and the destruction of Native People that was
foretold soon came to pass. If we use 1500 as a round date for the start of this 500
years oppression, the Year 2000 would mark the beginning of a new age. This is not
an exact match with the Mayan calendar, but close enough I guess, prophecies are
seldom literal and exact.
But about 500 years latter another prophecy 2000 years old came true, and in
my youth many experts in genetics claimed it was impossible and would never
happen, a White Buffalo calf was born, and more since than. This was the
fulfillment of the Sioux prophecy of the White Buffalo Calf Woman.

We Lakota people have a prophecy about the white buffalo calf.

How that prophecy originated was that we have a sacred bundle, a
sacred peace pipe, that was brought to us about 2,000 years ago by what
we know as the White Buffalo Calf Woman.
The story goes that she appeared to two warriors at that time.
These two warriors were out hunting buffalo, hunting for food in the
sacred Black Hills of South Dakota, and they saw a big body coming
toward them. And they saw that it was a white buffalo calf. As it came
closer to them, it turned into a beautiful young Indian girl.

71

That time one of the warriors thought bad in his mind, and so the
young girl told him to step forward. And when he did step forward, a
black cloud came over his body, and when the black cloud disappeared,
the warrior who had bad thoughts was left with no flesh or blood on his
bones. The other warrior kneeled and began to pray.
And when he prayed, the white buffalo calf who was now an
Indian girl told him to go back to his people and warn them that in four
days she was going to bring a sacred bundle.
So the warrior did as he was told. He went back to his people and
he gathered all the elders and all the leaders and all the people in a circle
and told them what she had instructed him to do. And sure enough, just
as she said she would, on the fourth day she came.
They say a cloud came down from the sky, and off of the cloud
stepped the white buffalo calf. As it rolled onto the earth, the calf stood up
and became this beautiful young woman who was carrying the sacred
bundle in her hand.
As she entered into the circle of the nation, she sang a sacred song
and took the sacred bundle to the people who were there to take of her.
She spent four days among our people and taught them about the sacred
bundle, the meaning of it.
She taught them seven sacred ceremonies.
One of them was the sweat lodge, or the purification ceremony. One
of them was the naming ceremony, child naming. The third was the
healing ceremony. The fourth one was the making of relatives or the
adoption ceremony. The fifth one was the marriage ceremony. The sixth
was the vision quest. And the seventh was the sundance ceremony, the
people's ceremony for all of the nation.

72

She brought us these seven sacred ceremonies and taught our

people the songs and the traditional ways. And she instructed our people
that as long as we performed these ceremonies we would always remain
caretakers and guardians of sacred land. She told us that as long as we
took care of it and respected it that our people would never die and would
always live.
When she was done teaching all our people, she left the way she
came. She went out of the circle, and as she was leaving she turned and
told our people that she would return one day for the sacred bundle. And
she left the sacred bundle, which we still have to this very day.
The sacred bundle is known as the White Buffalo Calf Pipe because
it was brought by the White Buffalo Calf Woman. It is kept in a sacred
place (Green Grass) on the Cheyenne River Indian reservation in South
Dakota. it's kept by a man who is known as the keeper of the White
Buffalo Calf Pipe, Arvol Looking Horse.
When White Buffalo Calf Woman promised to return again, she
made some prophecies at that time.
One of those prophesies was that the birth of a white buffalo calf
would be a sign that it would be near the time when she would return
again to purify the world. What she meant by that was that she would
bring back harmony again and balance, spiritually.
No matter what happens to Miracle in the coming months and
years, Joseph Chasing Horse says the birth is a sign from the Great Spirit
and the ensuing age of harmony and balance it represents cannot be
revoked. That doesn't mean, of course, that the severe trials Native
Americans have endured since the arrival of Europeans on these shores
are over. Indeed, the Lakota nation mounted the longest court case in U.S.
history in an unsuccessful effort to regain control of the Black Hills, the
sacred land on which the White Buffalo Calf Woman appeared 2,000
years ago.

73

Still, despite their ongoing struggles, Native Americans are

heartened by the appearance of a white buffalo in Janesville, and have
hope for a harmonious and prosperous future.
"Mention that we are praying, many of the medicine people, the
spiritual leaders, the elders, are praying for the world," says Joseph
Chasing Horse. "We are praying that mankind does wake up and think
about the future, for we haven't just inherited this earth from our
ancestors, but we are borrowing it from our unborn children." [6]
The fulfillment of this prophecy stirs hope in the hearts of Native people that
the end of the age of suffering is at hand. Hope has stirred action and Native people
around the world are starting to stand up for their basic rights. Groups like the
United Nations are starting to agree that the rights of Native people needs to be
protected.
Farmers, ranchers, townsfolk, environmentalists, Occupy and many others
are now standing in solidarity with Natives defending the Land from greedy Oil and
Gas development like leaky pipelines and fracking as well other environmental
threats.
They are all Warriors of the Rainbow. The time is upon us, are we up to the
challenges that await?
There are many more native Prophecies in North and South America, and
many that have fulfilled or in the process of being fulfilled. For the Weapemeoc one
of the most important of Native prophecies is one shared by the Algonquin people,
for the obvious reason that we are Algonquin and the story is also part of our
history, The 7 Fires Prophecy.
The 7 Fires Prophecy
The 7 Fires Prophecy was given to The People of the 3 Fires, Odawa, Ojibwe
and Potawatomi Nations. Each Fire is a separate prophecy given by a separate
prophet, except the 4the Fire which has two prophets because it has two possible
outcomes. It ends with the 7th Fire, and the hope that it will light the 8th Fire of
eternal peace and love to one another. [7, 8, 9]

74
The prophecies of the first 3 Fires are about the journey to there new
homeland from the East Coast.
For the Weapemeoc it shows a continuous history between us and other
Algonquin nations.
The 3 tribes of the People of the North settled on the East Coast, (Lanape,
Virginia and Carolina Algonquins) and as they grew large, split and formed new
tribes that settled new land. The 3 tribes (Odawa, Ojibwe and Potawatomi), of the
People of the 3 Fires say they came from the East Coast to settle in their lands.
The prophecy of the 4th Fire foretold the coming of a Light-skinned race and
the two possible outcomes.

The first prophet said, You will know the future of our people by
the face the light-skinned race wears. If they come wearing the face of
brotherhood then there will come a time of wonderful change for
generations to come. They will bring new knowledge that can be
combined with the knowledge and traditions of this country. By doing
this, two nations will join to make one mighty people. This new nation will
be joined by two more so that four will form the mightiest nation of all.
You will know the face of brotherhood if the light-skinned race comes
carrying no weapons, bearing only their knowledge and a hand shake.
The second prophet said, Beware if the light-skinned race comes
wearing the face of death. You must be careful because the face of
brotherhood and the face of death look very much alike. If they come in
suffering or carrying a weapon, beware. Their hearts may be filled with
greed for the riches of this land. If they are indeed your brothers, let them
prove it. Do not accept them in total trust. You shall know that the face
they wear is one of death if the rivers run with poison and the fish
become unfit to eat. You shall know them by these many things.
The Weapemeoc knew about these prophecies of our fellow Algonquins, and
for our part tried our best to make the first one come true, we did all we could to
coexist with the colonists.

75
Also elements of the 4 directions and the 4 races are found in the first part of
the 4th Fire prophecy. By doing this, two nations will join to make one mighty people.
This new nation will be joined by two more so that four will form the mightiest nation
of all.
The Native people would be One nation joined with another and Two more
would join to make Four. Native, English, Spanish, and French were the main
nations in the founding of North America, 4 Great Nations. If they had come in
peace and brotherhood, the mightiest nation of all would have happened, and
brought peace to the world. But they did not and we have had War ever since upon
the face of the Earth. The Weapemeoc was fooled by the Face the colonial
government first showed, they never intended to coexist with us. Now the rivers run
with poison and the fish are filled with toxins, the Sacred Waters of the Earth are
dying.

"In the time of the Fifth Fire there will come a time of great struggle
that will grip the lives of all native people. At the waring of this Fire there
will come among the people one who holds a promise of great joy and
salvation. If the people accept this promise of a new way and abandon
the old teachings, then the struggle of the Fifth Fire will be will be with
the people for many generations. The promise that comes will prove to be
a false promise. All those who accept this promise will cause the near
destruction of the people."
Weapemeoc Interpretation
The False Promise is the Promise of Assimilation. If only Native people would
assimilate into society, they would be accepted as brothers. If the history of any
Native Nation proves this to be a lie, it is the history of the Weapemeoc Nation.
We tried to live like the newcomers, and that only made them want our land
more. We tried to coexist as a sovereign colony of this new great nation, but they
forced their rule of government upon us at gunpoint.
After 1871 when the government stripped us of our rights as a Nation, in
violation of their own Constitution, we had no choice it seemed but to coexist by
assimilating into society.
It was still a lie. Indians and People of Color are never fully accepted into
society, we are always second class citizens at best and often treated with contempt
and racism. Assimilation has caused the near destruction of my people.

76

"In the time of the Sixth Fire it will be evident that the promise of the
Fifth Fire came in in a false way. Those deceived by this promise will take
their children away from the teachings of the Elders. Grandsons and
granddaughters will turn against the Elders. In this way the Elders will
lose their reason for living ... they will lose their purpose in life. At this
time a new sickness will come among the people. The balance of may
people will be disturbed. The cup of life will almost become the cup of
grief."
The 6th Fire speaks of the fate of those deceived by the False Promise of
Assimilation. The fate of the Weapemeoc People is seen in the 6 th Fire. Many left the
teachings of the Elders considering them silly relics of the past. My Grandmother
and Father turned there backs on the tribe, my Grandfather drank himself to death.
Many left in the pursuit of wealth and possessions. They fell to the sicknesses of
modern society. Confined to the bottom of society, life has lost its joy and turned to
grief.

"In the time of the Seventh Fire A New People will emerge. They will
retrace their steps to find what was left by the trail. Their steps will take
them to the Elders who they will ask to guide them on their journey. But
many of the Elders will have fallen asleep. They will awaken to this new
time with nothing to offer. Some of the Elders will be silent because no
one will ask anything of them. The New People will have to be careful in
how they approach the Elders.
The task of the New People will not be easy. "If the New People will
remain strong in their quest, the Drum of the Lodge will again sound its
voice. There will be a rebirth of the Algonquin Nations and a rekindling of
old flames. The Sacred Fire will again be lit.
"It is this time that the light skinned race will be given a choice
between two roads. If they choose the right road, then the Seventh Fire
will light the Eighth and final Fire, an eternal fire of peace, love
brotherhood and sisterhood. If the light skinned race makes the wrong
choice of the roads, then the destruction which they brought with then in
coming to this country will come back at them and cause much suffering
and death to all the Earth's people."

77
The New People, The Warriors of the Rainbow, composed of many people, the
Lost Tribes of Natives who have lost their way, and those who are not native but
seek the Values, Traditions and Wisdom of the Native People.
Many natives call the people of the Lost Tribes wannabe they say we are not
Indian enough or they do not think we have suffered like them, but they are
wrong. We have always been Natives, even if many of us have lost our way. We need
the support, the teachings and the wisdom the Elders that the recognized tribes
have preserved if we are to walk in the ways of our ancestors. If no one will teach the
Warriors of the Rainbow, how then can they walk in the paths of our ancestors?
The recognized tribes have endured much suffering and hardships that they
may preserve the wisdom of our ancestors. We must honor and respect the sacrifices
they have made to hold onto this wisdom for future generations.
The Warriors of the Rainbow must show they are willing to walk the path of
our ancestors and gain the trust of the Elders.
The Weapemeoc Nation took in many people into their tribes. These people
learned our ways, saw the value of our beliefs and culture, and proved themselves to
be valuable respected leaders of the tribes, like George Durant and and Peter Laster.
Some had said that technology is bad. Technology is not bad, it is what we do
with technology that can make it bad. Solar, wind and micro water power can
improve the lives of many. Modern medial care can save lives, technology can
improve lives or lead to destruction with bigger and better ways to kill people and
the planet. The wasteful economics of mass consumerism of cheap inferior products
is killing the Earth and all life on it, including us.
Not that long ago we did not throw things away, but modern economics has
produced a throw away society where even people are disposable.
Economic growth should not be determined by the money spent, but by the
value gained. Are the People feed well and happy, are children and women treated
with respect and the elderly cared for with love. These and many more things which
have nothing to do with money but is the true strength of a nation.
The Economics of Unfettered Greed is destroying the world. Wars are fought
and innocent people die to feed the endless greed of corporations and the politicians
they control. The wealth of the world is in the hands of a few and it is still not
enough for them and so they oppress the poor with economic slavery to fill their
hunger for ever greater profits.

78
If we do not change the path we are on, they will consume the Earth and all
life on it to satisfy their greed, their love of unlimited possessions, and their lust of
power and control.
Few people are greedy and evil, many wealthy people have good hearts, George
Durant was a wealthy businessman who was a leader of the People and his son
became Chief of the Yeopim. It does not take many evil men to cause damage to a
society. The land of the Weapemeoc was stolen by a few corrupt men in power, and
most of them hanged for treason for their part in the crimes, but the damage was
never undone.
Left unchecked, even a few evil men with sufficient money and influence can
corrupt an entire government, corporation, church, or any other group.
References:
[1] http://www.welcomehome.org/rainbow/prophecy/prophecies.html
[2] Lelanie Anderson's Cree version of the Warriors of the Rainbow
http://www.welcomehome.org/rainbow/prophecy/stone.html
[3] http://www.pachamama.org/blog/the-eagle-and-the-condor-prophecy
[4] http://www.maitreya.org/english/PNative%20Americans/pInca-Eagle-CondorMaitreya-Explanation.htm
[5] http://dreamcoat.wordpress.com/the-eagle-and-the-condor-prophesy/
[6] http://kstrom.net/isk/arvol/buffpipe.html
[7] http://www.chi-manidoo.com/7fires.html
[8] http://www.wabanaki.com/seven_fires_prophecy.htm
[9] http://www.potawatomiheritage.org/history/7-fires-prophecy

79

Chapter 12: Rebuilding the Nations

Many tribes have struggled with rebuilding their tribe or nation, and it is no
easy task. While the internet has made research easier, cell phones and unlisted
numbers make it harder to find individuals so phone books are almost useless these
days. I have two men serving as ambassadors/detectives trying to track down
scattered groups, with limited success.
Looking at what other tribes have done has not worked well for us. The
Lumbee for example share some of our history. But they are a close knit group of
related families over a limited geographical area, where we are scattered in family
groups, basically small tribes, coast to coast.
During the period of the exodus we divided into small groups of at least 3-4
couples and their children. Each of these small tribe had at least one Chief from one
of over a dozen monarchies/hereditary chiefs. By the time of the 1850 Census, just
the Laster monarchy established over 50 such tribes, and the 1850 census did not
cover some southern states were we settled the most and no state at the time had
any where near 100% coverage in the 1850 Census, but the 1850 census is often a
good place to start.
The Myth of the Cherokee Princess?
Many people have the family story that an ancestor married a Cherokee
Princess. Don't say that to a Cherokee unless you want a long lecture about the fact
they did not have Kings, and therefore no Cherokee Princess. They and other tribes
abolished the monarchies, probably before the first Europeans ever arrived.
However many East Coast tribes did have monarchies, although their power
varied from tribe to tribe. Emperor Powhatan ruled with as much authority as any
European King. The Massasoit Sachem of the Weapemeoc was limited by the other
branches of government, and treaties and such needed to be ratified. The Principle
Chief of the Chowanoc was between these two extremes. They were all monarchies
and the colonists recognized that fact calling us by the title of their monarchies,
Kings and Queens. If you married a Chiefs daughter there was a chance your child
may become Chief one day.
The Cherokee were kind to the tribes of the East Coast fleeing colonial
expansion, and let many of us settle within their land, just as we did so at one time
for the Chowanoc. We owe the Cherokee and other Native Nations which took us in a
great debt for this kindness, for it more than anything else has helped to preserve
our People.

80
All those people who claim to have a Cherokee Princess in the family tree may
well have an Indian Princess in the family, but she was not Cherokee. Most likely
she was from one of the East Coast tribes that the Cherokee allowed to live on their
land.
Type of Federal Recognition Affects Enrollment
The type of Federal recognition or lack of it affects the number and type of
people seeking membership in a tribe. In the United States there are two ways to
legally become recognized as a Native Nation since they stripped us of our
Constitutional Right of making a treaty with the United States. Recognition through
the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) or through an Act of Congress. All tribes today in
the United States, as far as I know, are under the BIA. The Weapemeoc are seeking
recognition through an Act of Congress.
Recognition through the BIA has many benefits. The government gives you
land for a reservation. The BIA then provides a host of services for the tribe and they
are then also eligible for grants to help the tribe. So it is no surprise that there are a
number of tribes seeking recognition through the BIA.
The BIA and the government provides these services for several reasons. The
Government wronged these tribes in some way, theft of land, murdering innocents,
breaking treaties, or to fulfill current treaty obligations.
The Weapemeoc had their nation stolen by a handful of evil greedy men, many
of whom were hanged for treason to the Crown. The United States did not exist at
that time. Furthermore we sold our lands legally and moved both before and after
there was a United States. So the government does not owe us any land.
The Weapemeoc never relinquished any of their Sovereign rights by treaty
before or after there was a United States. We fought against the United States from
1775 1858, but our Nation as a whole was never defeated and never forced into a
treaty. The 1871 Rider to the Indian Appropriation Act stripped us of our
Constitutional Right to make a Treaty with the United States. So we have no treaty.
After 1871 we had no choice but to blend in as citizen of the United States, to
assimilate enough to hide but still maintain our identity. We suffered no more than
any other minority. We were never wronged directly, so we are not owed anything for
wrongs done to us. So other than recognition, the government does not owe us
anything.
We survived on our own the best way we saw fit without the help of the
government. We never needed their help, why should we need it after recognition?

81
The Yeopim tribe of the Weapemeoc tried for 7 years to gain support for
recognition through the BIA but never could because it is so unpopular with the
People. So there are more reasons than just distrust of the BIA for why recognition
through the BIA is unpopular for the Weapemeoc.
Because the Weapemeoc considered themselves English citizens, there is more
support for recognition from the United Kingdom than through the BIA. Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II and the British-American Parliamentary Group are aware of our
efforts to document our history and their replies showed that they read, understood
our request and gave a thoughtful response. This is more than I can say for any of
the American politicians and government officials I have contacted so far.
I do not know if the United Kingdom will recognize yet, it is to early to tell.
However Her Majesty does not have absolute authority over the government as her
namesake Queen Elizabeth the First whom we first swore allegiance with. It will
most likely take an Act of Parliament or at least a new class for British Overseas
Territories Citizen that would apply to us.
Another reason why the Weapemeoc do not want recognition by the BIA. The
potential enrollment in the Nation based on family lines alone could be over 1
Million people or even more.
If we are not receiving handouts from the government, people looking for
benefits will not apply, only people who really care about their heritage will apply.
Lastly recognition by the BIA would cost taxpayers millions, billions over
time. Why should American Taxpayers be forced to pay for services we don't
need and don't want?
U.S. Recognition by an Act of Congress
The United States Supreme Court left another option for a Native Nation to be
Federally recognized other than by the BIA, which is by an Act of Congress ( U.S. Vs
Nice, 1916 ).
This is the obvious choice for the tribes of the Weapemeoc. No cost to
taxpayers. All we are asking for is to be recognized and the right to buy land in our
name. We petitioned the government for the right to sell our land to individuals, it is
only fair we should be able to buy land as well.
Because the Weapemeoc is a nation of sovereign tribes, we recognize the
sovereign rights of States within the U.S. And would also have to have the
permission of an individual State to buy land for our use.

82
Because one of the duties of the Man'toUghQueMend was to care for and heal
the Earth my vision was that we could raise money to but abandoned mining land
that is damaged and restore it, heal the land. Most States have abandoned mining
lands and looking for someone to fix them.
By healing the land we make that land Sacred to us. Then can we can once
again meet on sacred ground. A place to keep our traditions and culture alive.
I thought it was the obvious way to go, a Win Win for taxpayers and us. Now
I won't name names, but I have written a number of U.S. Politicians and government
officials and only got one halfhearted reply. A staffer was assigned to my request,
and the BIA told her to tell me it was in the best interests of my People to apply
through them. She relayed their message, case closed, end of discussion.
Well I did not expect it to be easy, but I did think it would be easier to talk to
somebody. Still this is just the beginning, federal recognition by any means is a slow
process. The more organized we are and the more tribes there are united, the harder
it will be for the government to ignore us.
International Law
If the United States still refuses to recognize the Weapemeoc Nation, we still
have the option of taking our case to an International Tribunal.
The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights states in Article 15, (1)
Everyone has the right to a nationality. (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of
his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
The Weapemeoc Nation has existed continuously longer than the U.S. has
existed as a nation, and they do not have the right to arbitrarily deny and thereby
deprive us of our nationality. The U.S. Arbitrarily made all Natives U.S. Citizens, but
dual and multiple citizenship is recognized by most countries, including the United
States, so there is no good reason to deny recognition of the Weapemeoc Nation.
In Article 2 it states: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set
forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex,
language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property,
birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the
political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a
person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any
other limitation of sovereignty.
This article explicitly states that the United States has no justification under
international law to deny the existence of the Weapemeoc Nation because we are a
Native Nation. Or because of our current legal status with the government.

83
Article 30 states, Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying
for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act
aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.
Again International treaty law clearly states they do not have the right to
destroy the Weapemeoc Nation even by erasing us from history, which was done, or
continuing to do so by not recognizing the Weapemeoc Nation.
Article 8 states, Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the
competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by
the constitution or by law.
Lastly the Weapemeoc Nation has the right to take this matter to International
Court. This of course is our last option. We will make every attempt to present our
case to the United States and show that formal recognition is in the best interests of
the United States and the Weapemeoc Nation, and the people who are citizens of
both nations. However I will continue to contact and correspond with other nations
and world leaders to gain their support if it does have to be resolved in international
court.
Restoring the Nations, Historic Time-line and Location
Any tribe or group trying to rebuild needs to retrace their steps. They need to
be aware of the historic time-line and the events and geography which shaped it.
The location of the Weapemeoc between Jamestown and Roanoke was
important. The dangerous coastline of North Carolina discouraged raids from coastal
ships and promoted peaceful trade instead. The Great Dismal Swamp was both a
sacred place, and a refuge for those wishing to hide.
Events can cause migrations of people, change the society, and profoundly
affect the views of people for generations. The collapse of the Mound-building
cultures cased the Weapemeoc the form a society were All Men are Created Equal
and everyones contribution to society was considered valuable.
The 7 Fires prophecy influenced the Weapemeoc as well, we tried our best to
coexist so the best outcome for Natives and Europeans could come true. The
Quakers were the only religious movement to understand our beliefs and accept
them, and we built a strong relationship with them.
For the Lost Tribes of North and South America, tracing our history is a
detective case that makes the coldest police case simple by comparison, but the
truth can often still be uncovered in historical records.

84
Ethnic cleansing of historical records can make the search even more difficult.
Virginia and North Carolina were perhaps the two best examples of ethnic cleansing
of historic records. The first half of the 20th century they changed peoples race from
Indian to white or black and destroyed countless records they could not change, in
order to wipe the history and ancestry of Native Americans from the records.
Even when records have been destroyed or altered, history and geography can
help uncover the truth. By looking at what the Weapemeoc did in this search to
prove their oral history, other Lost Tribes may discover how to retrace their path
through history as well.
Migrations and Family Surnames
Many Lost Tribes seeking their heritage have only a few family surnames to
build upon, but the Weapemeoc have the opposite problem, too many. But because
the Weapemeoc intermarried with other tribes, and other tribes migrated with us, by
working with other Native Nations, we may be able to help them rebuild as well.
If your family goes back to historic Virginia, and they moved to the Albemarle
Region of North Carolina around the time of Bacon's rebellion, 1676, they were most
likely Indian or part Indian fleeing for their safety. As tribes within the Virginia
colony were taking in children 12 and younger from other tribes, your family could
be of almost any tribe in Virginia at the time, even if it was a Weapemeoc tribe they
married into.
If your family is from the Albemarle region of North Carolina, Currituck,
Camden, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Chowan, and Gates counties, and were there
before 1711, you are almost certainly of Weapemeoc or Chowanoc descent.
If your family is from the Albemarle region from 1711 1840 the odds are
good that your are of Weapemeoc, Chowanoc or Tuscarora decent, but some other
tribes of North Carolina were also joining the exodus so a small chance of being from
another nation as well.
1835-1840 was a mass exodus of all tribes and nations from North Carolina
due to the anti-Indian law stripping of of our civil rights.
This history means a lot of family surnames were recorded in historical
records so the tribes of the Weapemeoc and others can trace family lines from a
much earlier date than most other tribes.
I started compiling a list of surnames from the Albemarle and those with
known connections to the Weapemeoc People, and when it quickly reached over
1000 family names, I realized it was too large a task for me. So here is a partial list
of family surnames found among the Weapemeoc.

85
A
Adams, Adcock, Adcox, Addison, Adkins, Albertson, Aldeson, Alexander, Allen,
Allmond, Almond, Alston, Altin, Amason, Anderson, Archard, Archer, Areline,
Armistead, Armestead, Armstrong, Arnell, Arnet, Arnold, Arrington, Arthur, Askew,
Askewes, Aspill, Atwells, Austin.
B
Bailey, Bailie, Baily, Bains, Baker, Balance, Baley, Ballard, Banks, Barber,
Barbour, Barecock, Barfield, Barfields, Barker, Barklift, Barlow, Barnes, Barns,
Barrington, Barrow, Bartlet, Bass, Bastabel, Bateman, Bates, Batts, Baxter,
Beabury, Beard, Beasley, Beasly, Beazley, Beckett, Bell, Benbury, Bennet, Bennett,
Benthall, Benton, Bercham, Berde, Berry, Berrye, Berryman, Beverly, Billups,
Bingham, Birch, Bird, Bishop, Bivans, Black, Bland, Blango, Blanshard, Blanthard,
Blevens, Blewet, Blitchenden, Blount, Boatman, Boggs, Bohannon, Bolden, Bolin,
Bond, Bonner, Bonners, Booge, Boone, Borden, Borum, Boughton, Bounds, Bowser,
Boyd, Bozewell, Bradby, Branch, Branham, Braswell, Bravebey, Braveboy, Bray,
Brayboy, Brian, Brice, Bridger, Briggs, Bright, Broadaway, Brooke, Brooks, Brough,
Brown, Browne, Bryan, Bryant, Buck, Bufkin, Bunch, Buncomb, Bunt, Burch,
Burden, Burkham, Burly, Burnet, Burras, Bush, Butler, Bynam, Byram, Byrd.
C
Cage, Cahoon, Cain, Cale, Callaway, Callis, Caloway, Cammerial, Campaign,
Campbell, Campen, Canaday, Cannon, Carawan, Carman, Carpenter, Carron,
Carrow, Carruthers, Carter, Cartwright, Cash, Castell, Castellan, Catchmaid,
Chambers, Champion, Chapman, Chappell, Charles, Charlton, Chavis, Cheaston,
Chesson, Cheven, Chicod, Christian, Cisco, Cityson, Clair, Clark, Clay, Clayton,
Cleare, Clement, Cleverly, Cockrill, Coe, Coffield, Cogdell, Coker, Coldom, Cole,
Coleman, Colins, Collins, Colman, Colquhaun, Colvin, Cooke, Cooper, Copeland,
Copes, Corprew, Costen, Cotsmur, Cotton, Covington, Coward, Cox, Craford, Credle,
Crofton, Cross, Croxom, Culpepper, Cumbaa, Cumbo, Curtis, Custalow, Cutaloe.
D
Dafnell, Darden, Dare, Daughan, Daugherty, Davis, Dawson, Deas, Debnam,
Degges, Delamar, Delph, Denhans, Denman, Dennis, Dennody, Dew, Dickinson,
Diggs, Dingus, Dix, Dixon, Dockton, Doggett, Donnor, Dorsey, Doughtie, Dove,
Dowers, Downs, Dowry, Drake, Driggers, Duckinfield, Dudley, Duff, Dukes, Dumas,
Duncan, Dungoe, Durant, Dutton.
E
Eason, Eden, Ederton, Edwards, Egerton, Elberson, Eliot, Elks, Elliot.
Ennitch, Estress, Etheridg, Eure, Evans, Evens, Evett, Evins, Ewing, Eyeland.

86
F
Falconberg, Falconer, Falls, Farlow, Farrow, Fauquire, Felts, Ferebee,
Fernando, Fisher, Flake, Fletcher, Flood, Flowers, Flowrs, Floyd, Forbes, Forbush,
Forrest, Forster, Fortune, Foster, Fox, Franck, Frank, Franklyn, Frederick,
Freeman, French, Frilie, Fulcher.
G
Gale, Garrett, Gascoyne, Gaskill, Gaskins, Gatlin, Gayle, Gee, George, Gibbs,
Gibby, Gibson, Gibsons, Giddens, Giles, Gilliam, Gipson, Glover, Godfrey, Goins,
Gooding, Goodman, Gording, Goulding, Grace, Grady, Gramme, Gray, Green,
Greene, Gregorie, Gregory, Griffin, Gring, Gurganus, Guthrie, Gutridge, Gwynn.
H
Hague, Hains, Halam, Haley, Hall, Halsey, Hamilton, Hammed, Hammond,
Hanby, Hancock, Handcock, Handy, Harald, Hardee, Hare, Harlow, Harmon,
Harper, Harrel, Harrington, Harris, Harrison, Hartless, Hartsfield, Harvey, Harvie,
Harvye, Hatch, Haughton, Haulsey, Hauser, Hawkins, Hawks, Haynes, Heath,
Hecklefield, Helms, Hemmington, Henderson, Hendley, Henley, Henly, Hersey,
Hewet, Hicks, Hill, Hinds, Hindsly, Hinton, Hiter, Hix, Hlnde, Hobbs, Hocott, Hodge,
Hodges, Hoffman, Hogge, Hogins, Hogon, Holly, Holmes, Holoway, Hooper, Hopkins,
Horback, Hore, Hornbeck,Hornsblow, Hosea, Hoskins, Houghton, Houser, Howard,
Howe, Howell, Howelt, Hoyter, Hudgins, Hudler, Hudson, Hughes, Humfrey,
Humpries, Hundley, Hunt, Hunter, Hutchins, Hynde.
I
Inceste, Indian, Ingram, Ipock, Isler, Ivey.
J
Jackson, Jacobs, Janson, Jarman, Jasper, Jeffery, Jenit, Jenkins, Jennette,
Jurnigan, Jessop, Jessup, Jewell, Johns, Johnson, Johnston, Jolly, Jones, Jonson,
Jordan, Jormal, Jourden, Jowers, Junr.
K
Keeble, Keen, Keetons, Keith, Kellum, Kelly, Kemme, Kennedy, Kenyon,
Kersey, Keys, Kidd, Knight, Kim, King, Kingman, Kinsey, Kirbey, Kirchin, Kitching,
Kite, Knuckles.

87
L
Lacy, Laker, Langston, Lasley, Lassie, Lassiter, Laster, Lathan, Lawless,
Lawrence, Laws, Lawson, Laydon, Layn, Leak, Leary, Leaton, Ledbetter, Lee, Lees,
Leigh, Lester, Lethcoe, Leveritt, Lewellyn, Lewis, Liles, Lilley, Lillie, Lillington, Lilly,
Linington, Little, Lloyd, Lockart, Locker, Lockhart, Locklair, Locklear, Long,
Longlather, Longton, Lovick, Lowery, Lowry, Lowther, Lucas, Ludlow, Luster, Luten.
M
Mabson, Macintosh, Mackey, Mackinne, Macklenden, Mackleroy, Macklewean,
Macknejh, Macoy, Maleys, Mallard, Maner, Manly, Mann, Mannering, Marchant,
Mardsen, Martin, Martyn, Mason, Mathis, Matthews, Maudlin, Maul, Maule, Maxey,
Mayo, Mays, Mayse, McAlpen, McCoy, McIntosh, McKnight, McLawhorn, McLlvailly,
McNider, McNish, McPherson, McTeohe, McVey, Meade, Meadow, Mecham, Mechen,
Mecoy, Meekins, Mellikan, Melteer, Melton, Mequire, Mercer, Merree, Merrimoth,
Midelton, Midgette, Miles, Miller, Millet, Mills, Mims, Ming, Minge, Minshaw, Mise,
Mitchel, Mitchell, Mitchem, Mlton, Moir, Mongon, Montagu, Montgomery, Moon,
Moor, Moore, Moorman, Morgan, Morgin, Morice, Morris, Moseley, Muckleroy,
Mueller, Mullen, Mullens, Mullins, Munds, Mushrad, Myllet, Mylton.
N
Nail, Neal, Needham, Nelson, Nevil, Newberry, Newby, Newton, Nicholes,
Nicholls, Nichollson, Nickens, Nicole, Nicols, Nixon, Nobles, Noblin, Norcom,
Norcomb, Norfleet, Norflet, Norlen. Norris, Norton, Nuckles.
O
Odeon, Old, Oldham, Oliff, O'Neal, Ottiwell, Outlaw, Owen, Owens, Oxendine.
P
Padgett, Page, Paget, Pain, Painter, Palin, Palmer, Paramore, Parish, Parker,
Parris, Parsons, Patchet, Pattenson, Patterson, Payne, Pearce, Peed, Pelyou, Pendal,
Pendleton, Penrice, Perisho, Perkins, Perry, Pettiver, Peyton, Phelps, Phevens,
Phillips, Philpots, Pickett, Piecock, Pierce, Pilkington, Pine, Pinkham, Pinn, Pitman,
Pollock, Pool, Popelston, Porter, Poston, Potts, Powell, Powers, Prat, Precklove,
Prescott, Preslar, Preslie, Press, Prestwood, Price, Pricklove, Prince, Pritchard, Pritlo,
Proffitt, Pugh, Pultz, Pumphrey, Purifoy, Pushing, Putham, Pyne.

88
R
Ragsdaile, Raiford, Rambeau, Ramsey, Rand, Rasberry, Raspbury, Ratcliff,
Rattlift, Read, Reading, Redcross, Reece, Reed, Reele, Reelle, Reels, Reeves, Reid,
Reig, Respress, Ricks, Righton, Riley, Riouset, Robards, Robbins, Roberts, Robinson,
Roe, Rogges, Rombrough, Ross, Roundtree, Rowe, Rufoote, Rusell, Russell, Rustul,
Ryle.
S
Sadler, Salter, Salton, Sampson, Sander, Sanders, Sanderson, Sanderton,
Sands, Sawer, Sawyer, Sawyers, Scot, Segar, Sendlove, Shaberdge, Shackelford,
Shakelford, Shaler, Shaw, Shearwood, Sheets, Shepard, Sheppard, Sherrel, Sherrod,
Shifflett, Shiflet, Shine, Shipp, Sidden, Simmons, Simons, Sims, Sirman, Skinner,
Slade, Slaughter, Small, Smart, Smith, Smyth, Snoad, Snoden, Sole, Sondhill,
Sorrells, Southards, Southers, Spann, Sparrow, Spears, Speight, Speller, Spellman,
Spence, Spencer, Spenser, Spier, Spivy, Springle, Squires, Stallings, Standing,
Staples, Starte, Stepney, Stevens, Stevenson, Steward, Stewart, Stilley, Stillwell,
Stilman, Stinkberry, Stitson, Stokes, Stubbs, Sturgeons, Styron, Suggs, Sumner,
Suprlock, Suthards, Sutton, Swann, Swearingen, Sweat.
T
Tallant, Tally, Tappan, Tate, Taverner, Taylor, Tenerton, Terrell, Terry,
Thickpen, Thigpin, Thomas, Thompson, Thomson, Thredgill, Tidway, Tillet, Timons,
Timothy, Tisson, Toler, Tom, Tomes, Tomkins, Tomlin, Toms, Tonehberg, Toney,
Topan, Trip, Trotman, Truelove, Trull, Trumbald, Tucker, Tulle, Turner, Tuten,
Tydway, Tyree, Tyson.
U, V
Ussery, Vail, Vaile, Van Guilder, Viccars, Voliva.
W
Wahab, Wait, Waker, Walker, Wall, Wallas, Walton, Ward, Warner, Warren,
Waters, Watson, Watts, Weamouth, Weaver, Webb, Weeks, Welch, Welches, Welchs,
Wells, West, Weston, Wetherington, Whedbee, Whichcote, Whidbey, Whidby, White,
Whitehead, Whitfield, Whitford, Wicker, Wiggins, Wild, Wilde, Wiles, Wilkins,
Wilkinson, Willes, Williams, Williamson, Willis, Williston, Willks, Willobe,
Willoughby, Willson, Wilson, Wilyde, Winberey, Winder, Winn, Winsloe, Winslow,
Witherington, Withers, Wodley, Wolard, Wood, Woodbine, Woodhouse, Woodstock,
Woodward, Word, Worlds, Worrell, Worrsly, Wotton, Wright, Wyles, Wynn, Wythers.

89
Y
Yates, Yeamons, Young
This list of over 1000 family surnames is only a partial list, and many of the
surnames are just slight variations in spelling from others. Some of these names are
common family names, so just finding your family name on the list does not mean
you are of Weapemeoc decent, only that you might be. Surnames are just another
tool in restoring a tribe, not one of the best, but for many tribes, it is all they have.
Hereditary Chiefs and Clans
Those Tribes that have Hereditary Chiefs, have another tool for finding
decedents of their tribe. Hereditary Chiefs are a form of a monarchy. Like other
monarchies, both men and women married into the tribe of the Chief when they
married into the monarchy.
Of the 25 tribes of the Weapemeoc Nation, only a few of them and their Chiefs
are known, and for the other Native Nations of North Carolina, even less is known to
me.
Weapemeoc Hereditary Chiefs and Tribe
Culpepper: PaSKWoTank Tribe (Pasquotank)
Durrant: WiKoKoMaik and YeoPim Tribe Combined (Wecocomike, Yeopim) Principle
Clan: Turtle
Gibbs: CurRiTuck Tribe (Currituck) Translated Wild Geese Principle Clan: Wild
Goose
Jenkins: MasKaMi'ng Tribe (Mascoming)
Laster: Man'toUghQueMend Tribe (Manitoughquemend) Translated Spirit of Her the
Earth Principle Clan: Bear
McKnight: CheSePioOc Tribe (Chesapeake) Translated By the Big River Principle
Clan: Panther
Moore: PerKweMan Tribe (Perquiman) Translated Land of Beautiful Women
Principle Clan: Beautiful Woman

90
Phelps: MeTaCh'Kwem Tribe (Metachkwem)
Powell: PaTeSKit Tribe (Poteskeet)
But more research into historic documents may uncover Chiefs of tribes not
now known.
Hereditary Chiefs of Other North Carolina Tribes
Blount: Tuscarora Nation
Freeman: Hoyter, Pooens, Robbins: Chowanoc Nation
Meekins: Hatteras
Squires: Arrowmuskeet
Russell: Mattamuskeet
There may be more listed in historic records or oral histories I am not aware
of. Just researching the historic records pertaining to the Weapemeoc has been
challenging. I have tried to make note of things that may help other tribes and
nations while doing so.
Lost tribes must work together for the benefit of both. I intend to work with
other tribes of Virginia and North Carolina that are also retracing their path through
history.
Despite all the purging of records to eradicate Native people from the history of
Virginia and North Carolina, they can't hide one basic truth, before 1711 the
colonists intermarried extensively with Native people in both States.
So he search for truth affects many lost tribes, not just those of the
Weapemeoc. Even tribes as far away as South America came here as slaves and the
early slave population of America was built on African men and Native women sold
into slavery.
It is a story that affects all Americans, it is part of our shared history of
Americans. Many forces shape the events we call history, the story of Natives and
Slaves are part of that story. If you don't know where you have been, how can
you know where you are going?

91

Chapter 13: A Vision For the Future

The first goal of this book is accomplished. I wanted the stories and history of
my people told before they are lost, but this book is also about a vision for the
future.
The restoration of not only the lost tribes of the Weapemeoc, but the Lost
Tribes everywhere around the world. The coming of the Warriors of the Rainbow, a
time of peace where nations live together in harmony with each other creation and
the Creator.
The history of our people goes back 100,000 years, and I hope it will continue
for another 100,000 years or more. We must learn to live in harmony, this vision
must come to pass, for the only other option is the death of this planet and all life on
it, due to the greed a few evil men.
Will the People of the North explore the stars and test ourselves against the
harsh environments we find there like our ancestors who explored the Earth before
any other, or will mankind fail and leave only a dead dust ball in the night sky
which was once the Earth?
The warriors of the Rainbow are more than just the Lost Tribes, they will come
from all races and all walks of life. They are already rising and joining together, the
Weapemeoc is just one of many on that journey.
Short Term Goals
First the Weapemeoc and other Lost Tribes need to trace their history and
restore their tribes. I will be compiling a database of the genealogies of everyone that
applies to the Weapemeoc. That database along with the databases of other tribes
from Virginia and North Carolina can reconstruct the family lines of tribes.
Federal recognition of our existence would be nice, but not a necessity. We
were here for thousands of years before the United States existed. The paper
genocide of our history conducted by the colonies and the United States may have
erased some of our history, but we are still here. If the Federal government does not
recognize us there are other options. Other countries are more progressive than the
United States on the subject of Native Rights, and thus international recognition is
possible without the help of the United States.
The Weapemeoc is also blessed with a long history with the countries of the
Middle East and The Laster Tribe is a part of Islamic history in the U.S. So
international recognition through the countries of the Middle East is another
possibility if the U.S. refuses to acknowledge our existence.

92
One of the sacred duties of the Man'toUghQueMend tribe is to care for the
Earth, and so one of my hopes is that we can buy damaged mining land and restore
it, healing the Earth one plot of land at a time if need be.
The best way to heal the Earth is from the mountain tops down. It is hard to
restore the land with toxins and waste pouring down on it from higher elevations. I
would like to see the Weapemeoc establish communities in the mountains, based on
traditional native values, that use technology and Native wisdom to heal the land.
Solar, wind and micro to medium hydro-power can bring the comforts of
electricity to people without the damage of fossil fuels. Micro hydro-power has great
potential in the mountains. Unlike huge dams which damage nature and kills
migrating fish, the small drops in height, as little as 2 feet to generate power, is an
obstacle fish can overcome during migrations. Micro hydro-power can not only
provide electricity for those living in mountainous regions, but the surplus electricity
can be sold providing poor families with another income [1].
In the same paper I outline a waste management system that converts trash
into useful fuels [1].
Besides modern technology, Native wisdom is an invaluable tool. For example
some weeds that farmers try to eradicate are better food crops than what they are
growing.
Amaranth is one of the super-weeds plaguing farmers and can handle any
poison Monsanto can throw at it. The plant absorbs nitrates and poisons and
deposits them in its leaves and stems. A very effective defense mechanism designed
by nature, and nature is a much better designer than anything Monsanto can think
of.
Amaranth is also a very nutritious, gluten free grain and produces high yields.
Natives have eat it for ages and in South America they cultivated it for over 8,000
years. Besides being a valuable food crop, farmers could use it to reduce runoff
pollution. [2]
Because Amaranth is so good at absorbing excess nitrates, planting Amaranth
between farmers fields and streams would help prevent nitrates from entering the
water supply and the associated problems nitrate pollution causes.
The Wild American Sunflower is another weed that farmers hate because it
attracts pests. It is also known as the Sunchoke and Jerusalem Artichoke. While
farmers are close to the land, they are not as close to the land as Natives, or they
would have seen that attracting pests is really a good thing.

93
When I first planted Sunchoke in my garden I was shocked at the amount of
bugs attracted to it. The good thing, they were so attracted to it they left my garden
alone. The large number of pests also attracted a large number of beneficial insects
which ate those pests and helped protect my garden in the process.
The Sunchoke does grow like a weed and will take over an area if you let it.
The best way to control it is to dig up the potato like roots. The nutritious and tasty
roots are very useful for people who have to limit the amount of glucose in their diet
as the body breaks it down into fructose rather than glucose. [3] These are only a
couple of examples of the hundreds of native foods overlooked till recently.
East Coast tribes used the 3-Sisters planting method consisting of corn,
squash and beans. They were planted on a small mound which often had a fish or
bird buried in it for fertilizer.
The mound represented the burial mound of the Corn Maiden who gave her
life to bring the gift of corn, and the first corn grew from her grave. Her sisters came
to weep at her grave and turned into the squash and bean plants. This represents
another kind of Native story, an instructional fable, in this case the 3-Sisters
planting method.
Blue Corn came from the tears of the Corn Maiden's blue eyes, Red Corn from
her blood, White Corn from her white skin and Yellow Corn from her yellow hair.
The 4 Races of Corn came from one root as the 4 Races of Man come from a
common root. If Blue is replaced with Black, even the colors of the 4 races of Corn
and the 4 Races of Man match.
If you wish to try the 3-Sisters planting method, try Native Tepary Beans.
Modern climbing beans have a vigorous growth rate and will overrun the corn
plants. Tepary Beans will be bush or climbing depending on how much light they
receive after first sprouting. Plant beans and squash after corn is at least 6 high so
when the beans sprout they will be in partial shade and climb the corn plants.
Today, planting techniques like this is called Companion Planting, and we now
know the beans help supply nitrogen to the corn increasing crop yield without
nitrate fertilizers. Companion Planting is also a concept used in Permaculture.
Permaculture is a creative design process that is based on ethics and design
principles. It guides us to mimic the patterns and relationships we can find in nature
and can be applied to all aspects of human habitation, from agriculture to ecological
building, from appropriate technology to education and even economics. [4]
This is not a new concept to Native People. America was not a wild paradise
the natives roomed, rather it was a managed landscape designed to produce the
greatest benefit for both man and animal. When native populations declined, then
the land went wild.

94
We cleared the woods of deadwood which we used, and yearly we burnt the
forest underbrush and fields. This prevented forest fires, allowed new growth for
wildlife to feed on, discouraged troublesome plants and encouraged useful plants.
This burning also incorporated charcoal into the earth. Science is only now
discovering what Natives have know for hundreds of years, charcoal has many uses
from soil enhancement and pollution control to waste management [5].
The miracle soil Terra Preta, which produces large yields without the need
for fertilizer, and discourages pests, eliminating the need for pesticides. Absorbs and
retains water while allowing roots to breath, in short, the perfect soil. It was first
created by the Native Tribes of the Amazon as part of their waste management
system [5].
North American tribes also used charcoal for waste management. Based on
this Native Wisdom I updated it to work with modern waste management and soil
enhancement systems [5]. Charcoal was used in mound building to control pollution
from burial mounds for making pine sap glue, and a hundred other uses. I also hope
to finish my paper on how to restore life to our rivers and streams as well soon. So
much to do and so little time.
Long Term Goals
Restoring the land is really a long term goal that can be started in the short
term. Establishing communities based on natives values is both a short and longterm goal. One of the advantages of a number of small sovereign tribes with their
own community is innovation.
Different groups will apply native wisdom to modern communities in unique
ways. As a whole it allows us to explore and find what works and what does not.
This is no different than what our ancestors did. Each tribe took the traditions of
their ancestors and applied them to their own tribe in unique way. This is why,
while Native People share many things in common culturally, each tribe varied in
the details, with unique elements of their own. Thus many tribes trying various
things will spur innovation better than money will, and let us know what works best
in a given situation.
In the modern world it is hard if not impossible for native communities to live
completely apart from modern society. Trying to coexist while maintaining native
values.
Even recognized tribes with government help suffer poor economic growth and
high poverty rates. As the communities of the Weapemeoc grow in size, they will
need an economy that reflects natives values and that can interact with modern
profit based economies to produce economic growth.

95
The start of the next chapter is a paper I wrote laying the foundation of an
economic model based on Native society and traditions. It is hard for an economist
to get published in a professional journal, so someone like me has little chance of
getting published in a peer reviewed journal.
The few economists that that have looked at this concept found it interesting
and workable. I hope this book gives me some more feedback on it. Also established
tribal communities may find some of the concepts in it useful.
References:
[1] Charles Laster Making Money Saving The Planet Part 1 Energy
https://www.academia.edu/1900497/Making_Money_Saving_the_Planet_Part_1_Energy

[2] Teri Gruss 10 Reasons To Use Amaranth in your Gluten-Free Recipes About Food
http://glutenfreecooking.about.com/od/nutritionmealplanning/a/amaranth.htm

[3] What Is A Sunchoke?

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-a-sunchoke.htm
[4] What is permaculture? http://permacultureprinciples.com/
[5] Charles Laster Laster Making Money Saving The Planet Part II Livestock Waste
and Soil Management
https://www.academia.edu/8081866/Making_Money_Saving_the_Planet_Part_II_Livestock_Waste_an
d_Soil_Management

96

Chapter 14:
An Economic Model
For Native Nations/Tribes
By
Charles A. Laster

"This

paper outline the foundation of an economic model that matches the values
found in native communities around the world.

Modern economic models have failed to lift native cultures out of poverty. While there
are many reasons for this, a major factor is they are not compatible with native
values.
While this paper only lays the foundation, hopefully it shows that a viable economic
model based on native values can be constructed. "
Modern economic models have failed to lift native population out of poverty. A
number of approaches have been tried and failed. Why they have failed is a subject
of debate and studies have identified a number of reasons why economic
developments in native communities have failed. But such studies were done from a
modern European economic viewpoint, and one of the reasons stated for their failure
is that Tribal cultures get in the way [1].
On the contrary they have failed because no one has studied native cultures
and how they operated before contact with Europeans. They have failed because the
modern profit based economic models only represent of the native economic
model.
Modern economic models are profit based (capitalistic). Profit is the amount
over the cost of an item or service received from others. Status under a purely for
profit economic model is achieved by the accumulation of wealth. Accumulated
wealth is not moving through the economy therefore produces no benefit for society
until it is used and is moving through the economy once again.
Native cultures understood the value of time and materials, and making a
profit, but profit was not the only driving force in their economy. Status in native
cultures could be gained by donating/gifting to others and the community. This
created a second economic system that stopped the accumulation of wealth and
kept the wealth flowing through the economy.

97
Modern profit based economic models consider such charity a loss. While
some status in society can be gained from charity, it is not sufficient to prevent the
accumulation of wealth.
Native people need an economic and monetary system that works with native
values and culture and along side private for profit economic activities.
It should be possible to design an economic model based on values of native
cultures that will work with modern economies. Such an economic model has not
been done to my knowledge, so this must be built slowly, starting with the
foundation, currency.
As we will see an economic model based on native values is complimentary to
modern for profit models, and more accurately represents the GDP of a nation when
used in conjunction with profit modern profit based economic models.

Native Currency Wheel Money

Money/currency, at its most basic essence, is just a representation for the
labor and materials plus profit of products and services. The concept of money for
this makes trade move more freely, money is the wheel that helps the economy move
efficiently.
However to do that job, money must have some value. Money can get its value
from a real commodity, like gold, but most money today are based on more abstract
concepts of value, like the good faith others have in a nations economy.
Ultimately the wealth of a nation is based in the land and the labor of its
people. Native cultures view the land as sacred, something beyond price, it is our
Mother, which gives us life and sustains life, and it is made of the bones of our
ancestors who have returned to the Earth [2].
Because the wealth of the people flows from the land and then the labor of the
people, the money should also get its base value from the land and then from added
labor.
Modern economies treat the land and their people differently than native
cultures. In modern economies the land is privately owned and generates
considerable economic activity and tax income for the government.

98
When land privatization was tried with native cultures, the effects were
disastrous, fragmenting the tribes and allowing non-natives to purchase native land
[5]. Native cultures generally consider the land communal property [3].
The solution is to base the value of a native currency on the land and its
people. While the value of the land is priceless, a Present Value for land is commonly
used today. Land is given a dollar value all the time in profit based economies.
If the land owned by a native tribe is valued at 1 million U.S. dollars, then the
tribe would have I million in native land value, if every Native Wheel Dollar is
equal to 1 U.S. Dollar. A tribe or native nation could use this as a starting value for
the amount of currency the nation has to spend.
This represents the base worth of the nation, in money, and also limits the
amount of currency present in the economy. Thus the native currency would have
real value, based on the land. Because the money is limited in supply, it will not lose
value easily. But that does not give the tribe any income, in modern economies that
is done through taxes.

Land Taxes
In any economy, the land generates revenue and produces economic activity.
In modern economies the contribution from the land flows from it to individuals, and
then to the government through taxes on the land. In most developed nations the
government has the highest title to the land, and that gives them the right to tax the
land.
For native people, the land is owned communally, and therefore not taxed,
which limits the income of governments and their ability to supply services for the
people. Modern economics is starting to try and account for what natives have
always known that even undeveloped land contributes to the worlds economy.
The field of Environmental-Economic Accounting tries to account for this
natural contribution using modern accounting procedures, but is in the
experimental stage [4].
This environmental accounting method is very complex, but the most accurate
way yet to estimate the value ecosystems contribute to the economy.
However we do not have to have an accurate number, in this economic model
an approximation can be used to represent the tax revenue from the land, and there
is a very convenient number called the Natural Log we can use for this.

99
The Natural Log has a value of 2.718 and is called the Natural Logarithm, as it
automatically springs from, and appears often in, mathematics and in nature. It
does not need calculus or other abstract math to calculate, and can be considered a
natural base counting system. Thus it makes a good reference point for our
economic model.
This number then can be used to calculate the growth of value in the
ecosystems of the land. The value of the land would grow by 2.718% a year naturally
without human intervention. This number is slightly below the 3% growth
economists recommend as the minimum percentage of increase needed in an
economy for growth. When the value of human labor is added, it is easy to see why
native cultures had such thriving economies and extensive trading before European
contact.
As the money supply is determined by the value of the land, this 2.718% also
represents the tax revenue the government/tribe receives from the land yearly. The
results are the same in both modern and a native economic model, the tax revenue
just flows in the opposite direction.
Typically revenue flows from the land to individuals, who then pay the tax on
the land to the government. In this economic model the tax from the land flows to
the government, and then to the people.
The base value of the land can go up, by adding topsoil and plants, or the
value can go down from removing natural resources and/or pollution. Because the
yearly budget is based on land value, it is in the best interest of the tribal
government to care for the land and this also reflects native values.
The tax interest from the land is the base yearly budget for the government,
making for a small government compared to other countries. This tax revenue is
small compared to the number of taxes and rate of taxation in developed countries,
but native governments have considerably fewer costs.

Labor based Taxes

The labor of people has always been taxed in some form by the cultures of
Eurasia. The cultures of the Ancient Middle East and Feudal Europe are good
examples. The government took a share of everything, commodities like crops and
part of the profits of commerce and other forms of taxation like tolls.
While some native cultures may have required their people to work on some
projects, generally native people donated their time and skills to community projects
like civil engineering, education, caring for the elderly, sick and hungry.

100
Money also represents the time, skill and labor invested by people. When
someone donates his or her time and skill, it is the equivalent of donating money.
In profit based economic models, donating time or money is considered a loss.
Such charity is not counted as part of the GDP of a nation, even though such
activities contribute to society and the economy.
In a native economic model, such charity can count as part of the GDP of the
nation because its contribution to the economy can be recorded as such, like when
work is donated to the government trough tribal services like health care. Private
charity between individuals would be too difficult to account for.
If someone volunteered their time to deliver meals to elderly in their homes
through a tribal health care system, the dollar value of their time is recorded as a
donation to the government and would help to pay the costs of the tribal health care
system.
Such volunteer work is a labor-based income for the tribal government. It is
not a tax, as the government does not compel such charity. Historically many
cultures demanded labor as a form of tax, but North American natives did not
commonly do this.

Job Training and Education

Small community projects are easy to organize, but large projects that took a
long time, like Mound Building, are different and requires more planning. It would
be a burden on the people to work for free for an extended period of time, so most
cultures provided for the people at that time as a form of compensation and
generally it was a break-even arrangement. In an economic model, the tribal
government could pay the value of labor as compensation for service to the
community. This would balance the income/costs of labor in community projects.
On such large project ancient government also had to provide training for the
people, depending on the work performed. A modern native economic model should
also use on the job training and classes as part of its education system. The wealth
of a nation comes from its land and its people, so educating people improves the
overall economy.
People that donate their labor to the tribe should receive credits for work and
training that can be applied to a degree or certification in a related field. Unskilled
individuals can donate time to government services like education and healthcare
while working towards a degree in that field. The government needs to provide
training to these individuals and adult education and online educational models are
a good method to implement such classes.

101
Tribal members then could get certification in trade skills or obtain a degree
by donating their labor to tribal services and still receive a small income at the same
time. As the tribe is likely to be the largest employer, this would provide secondary
education for many individuals within the tribe.
A trained and educated workforce is vital to economic prosperity, and for this
reason if no other native governments need to provide this service to their people.

Home Ownership
The private ownership of a home has been a part of the American Dream for
a long time, but in most native cultures home ownership is a basic human right.
Land was shared and an individual could not claim ownership of the land, but
a family home built on the land was privately owned.
In most modern economies, individual pay taxes on their homes as well as the
land, but a native economic model must take a different approach.
The tribal government receives its tax revenue directly from the land, and the
value of the land is based on its resources including ecosystems present on the land.
Thus home construction could affect the amount of tax revenue received.
Most traditional native homes, small and built from local materials, had little
to no impact on the land. Most modern home construction uses materials and
methods that have a negative impact on the land from an environmental standpoint.
Such modern homes are dependent on outside sources of energy and water, and
depend on others to take care of their waste.
So the typical American suburban home would decrease the value of the land
and the tax revenue received in this native inspired economic model. While tribal
governments do not normally tax homeowners, a tax on a home like this could be
justified to replace tax revenue lost from the land it is built on.
Home do not have to negatively affect land values and modern green designs
for homes may have no overall impact environmentally and may even improve land
value increasing land revenue for the government and the home owner.
Until environmental accounting becomes codified and an universally adopted
accounting practice, such determinations will be largely subjective. This is not a
problem for many native cultures which are ruled by traditions rather than by
written laws.

102
A home built into a hillside would have almost no impact on the local
environment, and if its waste was composted, could produce more bio-mass than
the land would produce naturally in a year if built on barren land.
Other factors would include things like solar and wind, does the home
produce its own energy needs? Any surplus would energy could be sold, producing
private sector income for homeowners. If the home has a garden, that would often
also increase the value of the land, provide food for the owner and possibly some
income as well.
Home ownership is vital to the well being of individual and an economic asset
increases the disposable income of a family, as ownership is cheaper than renting.
Because many native cultures consider home ownership a basic human right,
and because it is so important to society and the economy, tribal governments
should take an active role in helping its people to own their own home.

Home Financing
The tribal government would act as the bank in granting loans to first time
home-buyers. In most native cultures the community helps a young couple too build
their home. The tribal government as a representative of the people is obligated by
tradition to assist in home ownership.
Tribes generally do not tax or lay interest on their citizens, and the tribal
government is not a profit based enterprise, so first time home loans through then
should be interest free.
The local community can still help in the construction of a new home, and
such donated labor would save individuals a considerable amount on their new
home. The tribal government loan only helps tradition by making it easier for
citizens to build a quality home.
The loan can also be paid off by donated labor to government services. In this
way a young couple can have an affordable home, get experience in a trade or career
while working towards a certification or degree.
Home ownership and education lay the foundation for economic prosperity.
Native communities are among the poorest in the world and building an economy
from the ground up will be no easy task. Thus tribal governments should focus on
those issues that lay the foundation for future economic prosperity.

103

Conclusion
This model allows traditional native cultures start an economy from the
ground up with a monetary and economic system compatible with other countries.
The private for profit and non-profit enterprises would operate the same as in
modern economies. Both tribal and modern economic models work together, each
enhancing the other.
While this article only touches the surface of an economic system for native
cultures, I hope it shows that it is possible to create an economic and monetary
system that reflects native values and can help lift native people out of poverty.

References
[1]Joseph Kalt and Stephen Cornell (2008) What Can Tribes Do? Strategies and
Institutions
in American Indian Economic Development Harvard Project on American Indian
Economic Development
[2]Ignition (2011) World Mythology Parragon Books; Bath, UK
[3]John Koppisch (2011) Why Are Indian Reservations So Poor? A Look At The Bottom
1% Forbes 12/13/2011
[4]United Nations Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs Environmental-Economic
Accounts
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/envaccounting/default.asp
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_reservation

104
In modern profit based economic models, profit is the only motivating factor
driving innovation and the economy.
But people do act without the incentive of profit. People donate time and
money to causes they care about. Inventions are made everyday because someone
saw a need or wished to make a difference in the world.
I invented an earthquake resistant masonry design because I wanted to make
a difference and help save lives and homes. I did not try to patent the idea to make
money from it, but offered the idea freely. It has received a number of endorsements
from experts in earthquake resistant design. It is currently being used by the Water
for People Sanitation technology development group in Peru lead by Karn Shah, to
bring water and bathrooms to remote villages.
More importantly the Water for People group has made a design change that
eases construction by eliminating the need for a special corner block, with only a
small sacrifice in earthquake resistance. An innovative design that received further
innovation on its first project, and no profit incentive.
Profit should not be the only reason in any economic model for the economy
as that does not match reality.
In economics, one of the foundation of the model is that all people have
unlimited wants. That is simply not true, not all people are greedy. Religious groups
like the Amish do not have unlimited wants that can be satisfied with mass
consumerism. Many cultures prefer a simple lifestyle. Products used to be made to
last, not disposable. We need to use the limited resources on this planet to reach
other planets, our history has taught us one thing, the more crowded the planet, the
greater the number and scope of conflicts there will be.
The economic model of profit, based on greed, is not viable and a detriment to
society. It needs a balancing force, and for native people, a not for profit economic
model based on natives values can supply that.
But to implement such an economic model Native Nations and Tribes need to
unite in an international union [2] for the benefit of all Native People.
I know I was a poor choice for the task of leading the Weapemeoc Nation. I
hope I have used the gifts the Great Spirit gave me to do my best. Finding historical
evidence to support our oral history, and the research on green technology that
reflects native wisdom as well as the economic model presented took far more time
than I would have liked. Hopefully I have laid the groundwork for other, more
qualified leaders to expand on what I have done and to lead our people and the
Warriors of the Rainbow into the future.

106
References:
[1] Charles Laster Earthquake Resistant design for Masonry Walls Utilizing a
Mortar-less Construction System
https://www.academia.edu/1834227/Earthquake_Resistant_design_for_Masonry_W
alls_Utilizing_a_Mortar-less_Construction_System
[2] Charles Laster Legal Issues Facing Native Peoples and Sovereign Rights
https://www.academia.edu/3688353/Legal_Issues_Facing_Native_Peoples_and_Sovereign_Rights

107

Chapter 15: Messages and Contact Information

Naming Conventions
By tradition the Nation used the name of the Principle Tribe for the name of
the Nation. This caused confusion historically so King Kilkokanen changed the name
of his tribe from Weapemeoc to Yeopim. I have chosen to follow his example and not
use the name of my tribe for the Nation. Because Weapemeoc is the known historical
name for the Nation I have decided to leave the name of the Nation as Weapemeoc.
The Weapemeoc were also in an alliance with other Sovereign Tribes and
Nations, and the alliance did not have a formal name, or if it did, was not passed
down through history.
As the Weapemeoc Nation will be seeking an alliance with other tribes and
nations, for now I have chosen the English translation of my tribes name. Spirit of
Her the Earth as the name for the alliance. The name encompass the whole earth
and signifies the Spirit of cooperation found in an alliance of sovereign tribes and
nations of the Earth. The name of my tribe will retain the original Carolina
Algonquin pronunciation, Man'toUghQueMend (Manito-Ugh-Que-Mend).
Spirit of Her the Earth
Weapemeoc
Man'toUghQueMend

Alliance
Nation
Tribe

I hope this naming convention will avoid confusion while remaining true
history and traditions of the Carolina Algonquin People.

To the Nations of the World and the U.N.

Some nations today have taken a stand in the recognition of the rights of
native people, like Bolivia. In other nations natives are based on the concept of
reservations, and other countries are just trying to figure out what to do with native
populations.
I urge these nations to speak openly with Native People within their county to
find solutions that will benefit everyone.

108
Please read my papers on alternate technology based on Native Wisdom like
the role of Terra Preta as part of a waste management system [1, 2]. There are many
green technologies being tested today that along with renewable energy can improve
the lives of all people if implemented, and the sooner the better. Countries like
Germany have taken a lead in the use of renewable energy. Them and other
countries doing so have shown that the economic benefits are clear.
Lastly I am asking that Native Nations and tribes join together in a union for
their economic benefit like many other nations have joined together in international
unions [3 ,5]. I ask that you as recognize the United League of Indigenous Nations
or join and take an active role in it [3].
Sadly the United League of Indigenous Nations is not a very active group, but I
hope that will change. The only other choice would be to form a new international
organization for native people that will take a more active role internationally.

To the United States of America

The troubles facing native people due to the government has lessened during
my lifetime. I no longer feel the need to hide my child from the eyes of the
government as I was hidden as a child. However that does not mean the government
has earned mine or my peoples trust when it comes to issues affecting native people.
I think the problem is that you have failed to understand native people and
their cultures. We have received opposition to our legal request for recognition by
Congress rather than the BIA. The BIA, Congressmen, and numerous government
officials have refused to even acknowledge our requests with a reply.
The number of Americans reconnecting with their native heritage is on the
rise, fueled by sites like Ancestry and other genealogical sites. It is not feasible to
give reservations to all these people and tribes and treat them as wards of the
government as you have done in the past.
I ask that you consider recognizing tribes by an Act of Congress, (U.S. v. Nice,
1916), in exchange for tribes dropping all claims against the government, for those
that wish to take that path. Many of us do not want government handouts. We only
ask that we be recognized by out tribal heritage. Doing so will save the government
and taxpayers billions of dollars. Not doing so will only cause more unrest among
those natives who have been marginalized by your current policies.

109

To the Officially Recognized Native Nations and Tribes of the World

You have suffered much to preserve the traditions of our ancestors and
maintain your identity. Today you still stand in defense of the Earth and all life on
it. For all this and much more the world owes you a debt of thanks.
The struggle is not over, it has just begun. Ancient prophecies have and are
coming true in our lifetimes, the words of our ancestors can be heard across the
gulfs of time, a new age is coming.
I can not tell you anything you do not already know. Because you have
sacrificed so much and are recognized by the Nations of the world, you are the
natural leaders of the effort to unite Native People around the world.
I urge you to consider joining the United League of Indigenous Nations which
currently is composed of native nations of the Pacific Rim . The ULIN currently
consists of 11 Indigenous Nations from the United States, Canada, New Zealand and
Australia [5]. It is the closest thing to my vision of a truly world wide organization. It
is not the only international organization of native people I am aware of.
The Arctic Council is composed of native nations of the circumpolar regions [8]
and this venerable organization is active in the fight for native people. The Arctic
Council is actually has smaller native international groups as part of its
membership.

To the Officially Recognized Native Nations and Tribes of the U.S.

There is one legal option in the U.S. I would like to bring to your attention for
consideration. The option to be recognized by an Act of Congress, (U.S. v. Nice,
1916), applies to Native Nations and Tribes already recognized by the BIA. The
Supreme Court made it clear that when Native Nations are ready to become fully
sovereign and independent of government aid then they may, by an Act of Congress,
be recognized as a fully sovereign nations.
However this means an end to federal aid and the services offered by the BIA.
In essence it means you will start with a clean slate. Your land held in trust by the
government becomes yours, and you can then, like any sovereign nation, be truly in
control of your destiny. Many tribes however are dependent on the aid they receive
from the government, so this option is not for all tribes. If you are largely self
supporting however, this may be a viable option for you to consider as well.

110
I urge you to consider this carefully, while it has many advantages, it also has
drawbacks to consider, and once done you can never go back to receiving aid from
the federal government.

To the Unrecognized Tribes in the U.S.

You have struggled with racism and oppression from all groups. You have
been lost in, but not assimilated into society, trying to hold onto your native identity
and trying to reclaim your native roots. You are not the first in this struggle, nor the
last, but times are changing and there is hope.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is considering some changes to its rules
which will make it easier to become recognized through the BIA. The bad news, it is
still through the BIA [4]. You still only get one chance at recognition and if denied,
then nearly all hope is lost. So make sure you have all the documentation you need
if you plan on gaining recognition through the BIA.
Sadly you may have to abandon your traditional form of government and be
forced to accept a form of government approved by them. If your people have mixed
tribal heritage, forget it, you can only claim one. This and many other problems with
the BIA makes it a poor choice for many native tribes. There lack of understanding
of native culture means they may inadvertently destroy your native culture rather
than preserving it with their rules and regulations. But if you think the BIA is the
right path for your people, than by all means seek recognition through them as the
benefits and services they offer can be of great use to a tribe.
However if all you seek is recognition of your native heritage, and don't want
or need the services of the BIA, then you may want to consider formal recognition
through an Act of Congress.
The United States has not recognized a tribe by such an Act of congress, to my
knowledge, but the Lumbee have tried this legal option before. The more tribes that
seek this option, the more likely the government will start using this method of
formal recognition.
I would also urge you to join an international organization of native tribes and
nations like the ones I have listed. However it may be difficult for unrecognized
tribes to be accepted into such groups.

111
Historically the Weapemeoc accepted tribes into the alliance of tribes and
nations we were part of, like the Chowanoc. We also accepted tribes that broke away
from their nation, like the Rickalake. For those tribes excluded from other native
organizations or their nations, we will gladly consider your tribe for membership in
the Spirit of Her the Earth alliance we are forming, to reflect the type of alliance we
had with others historically. If and when we obtain land for our use, members of the
Alliance will have full access to that land to meet and hold their sacred ceremonies
so they may retain their traditions and culture.
Some unrecognized tribes may have a historical connection to the Weapemeoc
Nation. If that is the case, please consider joining us as a Sovereign Tribe of the
Weapemeoc Nation. Contact me with the details of our historical connection if this is
the case, our contact information is at the end of this chapter. Membership for
existing tribes are free. If members of your tribe want their family history in our
database, it will cost the same as for regular membership, but is not required of
existing tribes.

To the Nations and Tribes of Virginia and North Carolina

The Weapemeoc were in an alliance with most of the nations and tribes of
North Carolina throughout most of our history. The same is true of most of the
nations and tribes of Virginia, except during our war with the Powhatan Empire, and
when it was over, we re-established relations with our brothers and sisters of the
Powhatan.
Our oral history says that many nations and tribes joined us in the exodus
from oppression in the colonies and the search for a new homeland. I suppose this
was because we had established a secure staging area in the Albemarle region, and
way-station's along the way to the interior of the country.
Only some of these alliance are found in colonial records and our oral history,
but might be found in the oral history of other nations and tribes. The Wicocomico
Nation has a story that the descendants of Chief William Taptico and members of
the Nation first moved to North Carolina, and than latter into Tennessee. The family
line of Chief Taptico latter changed their surname to Tapp [11]. The Wicocomico
Nation also has a website, and if you think you are related to the tribe, please
contact them [12].
King John Squires of the Arrowmuskeet, Marrowmuskeet and Mattamuskeet
Indians (Willard) along with Long Tom and others served as Indian interpreters for
the Colonies (Willard) in Accomac Virginia, and worked as scouts, both for the
colonies and the Native Alliance. This tactic and others proved quite useful in
keeping our actions hidden from colonial eyes.

112
When Native Nations and Tribes unite, they are a powerful force. Thus I urge
the Nations and Tribes of Virginia and North Carolina to join the Alliance of
Colonial Era Tribes [13].
The Alliance of Colonial Era Tribes has strict membership qualifications, so all
tribes may not meet their membership requirements. If that is the case, please
contact the Weapemeoc for membership in the Spirit of Her the Earth Alliance.
We are stronger united than separate, and with our combined historians,
genealogical data bases and other resources, we can do more for our people than we
could individually.

To the Unwanted, those Natives Dis-Enrolled and Rejected

You are in a difficult potion. You know your ancestry and history, you have
maintained your cultural identity, but have been rejected by your own people. I am
saddened by your plight.
A sovereign native nation or tribe has the authority to say who is a member
and who is not. This has always been true, for by such disagreements new tribes
and nations have came into being.
If you are part of an established tribe that has rejected your people, you still
have several options available to you.
Unlike the old days, there is no new land for you to settle and make your own.
Under the new rules proposed by the BIA, some may be able to file for recognition
separately from the tribe or nation that rejected you. If you feel that is the right
path, I urge you to investigate it.
If and when the Weapemeoc obtain land, you are welcomed to use it as a
meeting place to preserve your traditions and culture until you find a solution that
is acceptable to you. You are welcomed in the Spirit of Her the Earth Alliance.
Other bands may wish to become a sovereign tribe of the Weapemeoc, under
your own tribal name and following your traditions. We will welcome those of you
who choose that path as well. In that case, when we obtain the right to buy land,
you can then buy land in the name of your people.

113
Individuals rejected by their tribes do not have as many options. In our history
the Weapemeoc accepted such individuals into our nation and they followed their
own tribal traditions. We would welcome you into the nation. Just as many of our
people, through intermarriage follow the traditions of other tribes, you may follow
yours. The Weapemeoc Nation will be using a sub-category to denote various tribal
ancestry. This is needed to preserve the tribal traditions of members, and also helps
with the database in determining tribal genealogies. If you wish to apply to a BIA
recognized tribe at a latter date, we will remove you from the rolls temporally so you
can apply to your tribe under the rules of the BIA, which allows only one tribe to be
claimed in your heritage. If you are still rejected by your tribe you can then be reenrolled with the Weapemeoc if you wish.

To African Americans
Most African Americans descendent from slaves have at least some Native
American Indian ancestry. Only recently has this topic been discussed by scholars.
The United States has tried hard to hide the connection between Africans and
Indians due to slavery in the United States.
As recently as the 1940's, States lead by the ideals of Walter Ashby Plecker
started a paper genocide campaign against native people of mixed heritage and
hide their Indian ancestry. Plecker even compiled a list of family surnames he
intended to wipe out. Here is his list of families he intended to wipe out. [14]
Adams. Adcock, Adcox, Adkins, Allmond, Atwells, Barlow, Bass, Beverly,
Bolden, Boughton, Bradby, Branham, Bright, Brooks, Bunch, Byrd, Cash, Castell,
Clark, Coleman, Collins, Colvin, Cooper, Custaloo, Custlow, Dawson, Delph, Dennis,
Dingus, Doggett, Dorsey, Duff, Duncan, Dungoe, Eppes, Epps, Floyd, Fortune,
Freeman, Gibson, Gipson, Goins, Gutridge, Hamilton, Hammed, Hammond,
Hartless, Hawkes, Hawkins, Hicks, Hoffman, Holmes, Howell, Huffman, Hughes,
Johns, Johnson, Keith, Kidd, King, Knuckles, Langston, Lawless, Lethcoe, Locklair,
Locklear, Martin, Mason, Maxey, Mays, Mayse, McVey, Meade, Miles, Mise, Mitchell,
Moon, Moore, Mullins, Nelson, Nuckles, Olliff, Page, Painter, Phillips, Porter, Powell,
Prince, Proffitt, Pultz, Pumphrey, Ramsey, Redcross, Riley, Roberts, Robinson,
Sawyer, Segar, Shepard, Sheppard, Shifflett, Shiflet, Sorrells, Southerds, Southers,
Southwards, Spurlock, Stewart, Stillwell, Stuart, Suthards, Tally, Tate, Terry,
Thomas, Tyree, Tyson, Weaver, Willis, Wood, Worlds, Worley, Worrell, Wynn, Young.
While this is not a complete list of families targeted for Paper Genocide
Plecker seems to have held a grudge against these families. Note that many of these
names are also on the list of Weapemeoc surnames compiled from historical sources
200 years before Plecker started his racial cleansing campaign.

114
If you want to learn more about this history, please look at the Face book page
for the National Congress of Black American Indians [6]. You can join the National
Congress of Black American Indians on their main web page as well [7].
Because of the long history of the Weapemeoc Nations opposition to slavery,
you may be related to the Weapemeoc. The Laster line has a large number Indians
that also are African American as well. The Coe family surname, which is also a
Clan of the Weapemeoc, has both Europeans and African Americans within the
Clan. So if you family came from North Carolina, we will gladly consider you for
membership in the Nation. If your family came from the Albemarle region of North
Carolina, than you are without a doubt Weapemeoc and most likely of the
Man'toUghQueMend tribe.
Being part of a Native American Indian Nation does not diminish your African
Tribal heritage. The African tribes have a lot in common with other native tribes
around the world. Many escaped slaves maintained their tribal traditions and those
of our people as well, and did so in harmony. Be proud of all your heritage.

To Groups like the Melungeons, Cajuns, Red Bone and others.

The individual stories of each of the many ethnic groups in the United States
is complex and whole books have been written about them. However, one thing is
clear, they are tribes and nations by definition.
Tribe: 1. A unit of sociopolitical organization consisting of a number of
families, clans, or other groups who share a common ancestry and culture 2. A
political, ethnic, or ancestral division of ancient states and cultures 3. A group of
people sharing an occupation, interest, or habit 4. Informal A large family. [9]
Nation: 1. an aggregation of people or peoples of one or more cultures, races,
etc, organized into a single state. 2. a community of persons not constituting a state
but bound by common descent, language, history. 3. a federation of tribes, esp
American Indians. [10]
Census records show that members of the Weapemeoc settled in the same
regions as Melungeons, Cajuns, Red bones and other groups, but we are only a
small part of your history. If some of you have a connection to the Weapemeoc, we
will be happy to accept you as a sovereign tribe of the nation with your own distinct
history.

115
But because you are tribes and nations in your own right, I suggest you claim
that right and organize as such. With the new rules the BIA is planning on
implementing, you may be able to gain recognition as a tribe through them. We
would also welcome you as part of the Spirit of Her the Earth alliance we are
forming.
As with all tribes, the choice is wholly up to you on what path you choose to
claim your unique heritage. The Weapemeoc supports whatever path you choose,
and I hope other tribes will do the same.

To the Rainbow Family

By definition you are a nation of many tribes around the world, with distinct
cultures. Some are nomadic or partially nomadic while others live in small
communities.
You know of the prophecies of the Warriors of the Rainbow, and have tried to
fulfill it. Many have criticized you, but neither have they tried to help you. So you
have tried to adopt a native lifestyle without outside help, and have done well in my
opinion. You have tried many innovations to find what works and what does not,
and such learning is an ongoing process. I honor your efforts, and you shared much
in common with the Weapemeoc.
Like us you consist of sovereign tribes and individuals working as a whole.
You understand the benefits and problems of such a loose government. Thus you
know the problems the Weapemeoc has faced in modern times with a similar loose
government of sovereign tribes and individuals. Perhaps you even understand more
about our troubles than some of my native brothers and sisters.
The Weapemeoc and the Spirit of Her the Earth Alliance will always consider
you our brothers and sisters and welcome you. If and when we obtain land to
restore. You are welcome to come and rest on our land or help restore it, to attend
our pow wows and visit our communities so we may shared what each of us have
learned.
For other native tribes and nations offered the same help when we first
wandered in search of a new home. We will be happy to repay that help by helping
others in the same way. Not only the Rainbow Family, but all nomads who need a
place to rest in their travels, and all who wish to help or visit.
Only when we all unite can the prophecy of the Warriors of the Rainbow, for
which you have worked so hard for, can become a reality.

116

To All Those Who Love the Earth and all Life upon it
To the Pagans, Environmentalists and all those who love the Earth and all Life
upon it. You come from many tribes, nations, cultures and faiths; you are the
Warriors of the Rainbow.
We need to unite locally, nationally and globally to effectively heal the earth
and share innovations and information between groups and individuals. This is why
I suggested an international group like the Spirit of Her the Earth alliance to serve
as a central point in connecting individuals and groups.
When I was researching native technologies I notice much of it was being
discovered independently by others. I could have saved a lot of time had I known
about their work sooner. It does not matter if a native or someone else develops an
idea, what matters is that it helps the earth and mankind. The sooner such ideas
can be put to use the better.
I look forward to a future of peace, equality and harmony that will be the
result of our efforts as Warriors of the Rainbow.

References:
[1] Charles Laster Making Money Saving The Planet Part 1 Energy
https://www.academia.edu/1900497/Making_Money_Saving_the_Planet_Part_1_Energy

[2] Charles Laster Making Money Saving The Planet Part II Livestock Waste
and Soil Management
https://www.academia.edu/8081866/Making_Money_Saving_the_Planet_Part_II_Livestock_Waste_an
d_Soil_Management

[3] Charles Laster Legal Issues Facing Naive Peoples and Sovereign Rights
https://www.academia.edu/3688353/Legal_Issues_Facing_Native_Peoples_and_Sovereign_Rights

[4] Bureau of Indian Affairs Discussion Draft Concerning BIA Tribal Recognition
Process
http://www.governor.ct.gov/malloy/lib/malloy/2014.02.25_bureau_of_indian_affair
s_%E2%80%93_discussion_draft_concerning_bia_tribal_recognition_process.pdf
http://www.bia.gov/cs/groups/xopa/documents/text/idc1-026772.pdf

117
[5] United League of Indigenous Nations ULIN
http://www.indigenousnationstreaty.org/
[6] National Congress of Black American Indians Face Book page
https://www.facebook.com/ncbai
[7] National Congress of Black American Indians Web Page
http://ncbai.com/
[8] Arctic Council http://www.arctic-council.org/index.php/en/
[9] Tribe The American Heritage Dictionary Fourth Edition copyright 2000 Houghton
Mifflin Company
[10] Nation Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
[11] William Taptico, I, Chief of the Wicocomico Nation
http://www.geni.com/people/William-Taptico/6000000009397620550
[12] Wicocomico Indian Nation http://www.wicocomico-indian-nation.com/
[13] Alliance of Colonial Era Tribes http://www.acet-online.org/
[14] Melungeon Heritage Association 1943 Surname List by Walter Plecker targeting
"Virginia mongrels" August 3, 2011
http://melungeon.ning.com/forum/topics/1943-surname-list-by-walter

118

Contact and Enrollment Information

The Seal of the Weapemeoc Nation

The symbol is a combination of our religious and historical symbols the
Spinning Cross of the 4 Directions, The equilateral Cross of Creation with a circle at
the center for the earth, and the circle of the 4 Races of Mankind upon the Earth.
The small circles around the Earth shows that the 4 Races of Mankind has
mixed in our travels around the world, and we are all family.

119

Types of Enrollment
There are three basic types of enrollment in the Weapemeoc Nation and its
tribes, an entire tribe enrolls, normal individual enrollment and provisional
enrollment. There is also the special case of adoption into the nation.
Tribal Enrollment
If you are a member of an existing tribe descended from the Weapemeoc
Nation, Man'toUghQueMend, or Laster Tribe the entire tribe may enroll.
Have your Chief or representative send us your tribes name and location as
well as your historical connection. There is no enrollment fee for existing tribes of
our people who are scattered across the nation.
If individuals of the tribe wish to include their family lines in our genealogical
database they may send that information to us along with a $1 processing fee. Be
sure to let us know in the letter with that information that your are a member of an
existing tribe.
Enrollment normal
Anyone descended from one of the lines of Hereditary Chiefs (Sachems), or
whose family came from the counties of the Albemarle region of North Carolina is
granted automatic membership in the nation, but it may take time to determine
which tribe of the nation one belonged to.
If you know your Clan please send that with your family line for enrollment
and genealogical research. If your mother was native, your clan if unknown, would
be full name of the eldest female of her line. As the database is built, some of the
original clans may be reconstructed.
Enrollment fee is $2 U.S. per person, children under 18 enrolled for free.
While many tribes charge much more for an enrollment fee, $2 should cover the
costs of creating and maintaining the database and genealogical research. If the
Nation get recognized, then we can raise money to buy and restore land.

120
Provisional Enrollment
Provisional enrollment is for a period of 7 years. A person may be confirmed as
a member before the 7 years are over. After 7 years they may become a member of
the nation, or continue searching for their tribe/nation. If a member learns that they
qualify for another tribe/nation and wishes to apply to them, they can be removed
from the rolls so they may apply to another tribe in accordance with B.I.A.
Regulations. If they are not accepted they are free to rejoin our nation. The
provisional enrollment fee is also $2.
Individuals with a history of an Indian princesses, prince, king, queen or chief
as an ancestor. You may send your family tree and become a provisional member of
the nation. We will compare family trees with known monarchies and try to
determine which one your ancestor married into.
Individuals whose family came from Virginia or North Carolina but do not
know which tribe or nation their ancestor came from. Other tribes and nations
joined us in the search for a new home. You may apply for provisional enrollment for
a period of 7 years while we compare your family tree with the database and try to
discover which tribe or nation your ancestor came from.
Adoption
Adoption into the tribes/nation is a special case and each must be examined
individually. Historically we offered sanctuary and membership to those who fled or
were kicked out by their tribe. We took in escaped slaves with no place else to go.
We took in colonists that shared our values and way of life. We took in those who
helped us and contributed to our society. So we have a long history of taking in
outsiders.
Those who have been rejected from or dis-Enrolled from their tribe are eligible
for adoption into the nation. Their tribe will be the tribal tradition they follow. For
example a person of Cherokee descent would be enrolled with the Cherokee Tribe of
the Weapemeoc Nation. Unlike the BIA, you can follow more than one tribal
traditions, so the Cherokee-Blackfoot Tribe of the Weapemeoc would be an example
of mixed tribal heritage. The enrollment fee is $2 and you need to send proof of
having applied to another tribe, or of being dis-Enrolled by your tribe. As with other
members, if the need arises you may leave at anytime or rejoin at any time.

121
Those of unknown native ancestry and those with a native/slave family
history may also qualify for adoption into the nation. Due to the effort to erase
native ancestry from official records, it may be impossible to prove ones native
heritage. If you wish to apply please send your families genealogical information and
a statement about why you believe you are part native. It application fee is $2 per
person, children under 18 free. With luck are database may reveal in time which
tribes or nations is in your ancestry.
Those with no natives in their family tree, but still wish to join. This is
perhaps one of the hardest cases to judge. Yes historically we took in many
outsiders who contributed to our society. However the word, contribute, covers a
wide range of actions. I do not foresee many cases of people applying for adoption
this early. Individual;s who help us during the process of restoration of our nation,
its tribes, and any land we purchase can be adopted into the nation and tribes
based on contributions during that time. Most cases will be handles by the local
tribes one works with during this time as well. That said, there may be cases I have
not foreseen of individuals that have already made a contribution, like restoring the
Carolina Algonquin language, preserving artifacts, history etc. If you wish to be
adopted, please contact me personally and state the nature of your contribution in
your letter.

Contact Information.
Weapemeoc Nation
P.O. Box 110
Mayfield, Kentucky 42066
Please include your name, family tree (genealogical information) if applicable,
address, enrollment or genealogical fee if applicable, clan or name of native female in
your mothers line if known.
We also have a Facebook group for members of the nations and friends to meet and
organize at. I hope to have a website as well soon.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/311931589006314/

122
Post Editing Note:
Received word from the British-American Parliamentary Group on December
1st, 2014 that dual citizenship was denied for members of the Weapemeoc Nation.
The Home Office of the Nationality and Settlement Operational Policy,
Immigration & Border Policy based this decision on the British Nationality and
Status of Aliens Act 1914. As the Weapemeoc were not living within English
Territory at that time, we are ineligible for citizenship under current law. This
replaced the Common Law rules of citizenship the Weapemeoc were under, and still
thought we were.
While some will be disappointed by this decision, it will not hamper our
diplomatic relationship with the United Kingdom. I have been impressed with the
speed and efficiency of everyone I have been in contact with in the U.K. Government.
They have all been most kind and helpful, and I look forward to a deeper diplomatic
relationship with the U.K. in the future.