Who Are the Tuscarora?
The Tuscarora are an Iroquoian-speaking people, the sixth nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Approximately 2,000 live on the Tuscarora Reservation in New York; additional populations exist at Six Nations of the Grand River in Canada. Their name "Ska-Ruh-Reh" means "Shirt-Wearing People" or "Hemp Gatherers." They speak Tuscarora, an Iroquoian language with fewer than 10 fluent first-language speakers—critically endangered. Originally from North Carolina, the Tuscarora migrated north after devastating colonial wars (1711-1715), joining the Five Nations Confederacy as the sixth nation in 1722—a dramatic relocation that preserved their existence.
Tuscarora Wars
The Tuscarora Wars (1711-1715) in North Carolina were among the bloodiest colonial Indian conflicts. After years of encroachment, enslavement of their people, and abuse by settlers, Tuscarora warriors attacked colonists in 1711. South Carolina militia and Yamasee allies counterattacked devastatingly. Hundreds of Tuscarora were killed; many survivors were enslaved. The defeated nation faced destruction—but Haudenosaunee relatives invited them north. Over decades, Tuscarora migrated to New York, eventually settling on lands provided by the Seneca. This migration preserved Tuscarora nationhood through territorial displacement.
Power Authority Fight
In 1958, the New York Power Authority sought to condemn 560 acres of the 5,700-acre Tuscarora Reservation for a power project reservoir. The Tuscarora resisted—physically blocking surveyors and fighting in courts. Though they lost the legal battle, their resistance became an important moment in Native American civil rights, inspiring later movements. The Power Authority ultimately took the land, but Tuscarora determination to defend their territory influenced Indian activism nationally. The Power Authority fight demonstrated that even small nations could resist, even when they couldn't win.
Contemporary Tuscarora
Modern Tuscarora maintain their New York reservation near Niagara Falls. Unlike some Haudenosaunee nations, the Tuscarora have not developed gaming, maintaining a largely agricultural community. Traditional governance through clan mothers and chiefs continues alongside elected officials. Language preservation is urgent—Tuscarora is among the most endangered Iroquoian languages; intensive documentation and teaching efforts work against the clock. Lacrosse, the Iroquois-invented game, remains important. The Tuscarora participate in Haudenosaunee Confederacy councils while maintaining distinct identity. How this sixth nation preserves language and culture while remaining connected to both northern homeland and North Carolina origins shapes their future.
References
- Landy, D. (1978). \"Tuscarora Among the Iroquois\" (Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 15)
- La Vere, D. (2013). The Tuscarora War: Indians, Settlers, and the Fight for the Carolina Colonies
- Hauptman, L. M. (1986). The Iroquois Struggle for Survival