Honoring the Native American Heritage of Guilford and Alamance Counties

Long before the first stone was laid in Greensboro or Burlington, back when North Carolina statehood was still just a rumor passed around by farmers and in pubs, people lived here. Indigenous peoples lived throughout the Piedmont. They spent time developing cultural relationships with the rivers, forest, and wildlife, learning how to live both with the land and with one another.

On October 12, we celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day in North Carolina by recognizing their unique history and carrying these traditions forward today. This observance is held on the second Monday of October and recognizes the histories and contributions of Tribal Nations.

The Indigenous Peoples of North Carolina’s Piedmont

The hard part about learning this history is that modern county lines often blur the Indigenous stories we should know. Those boundaries didn’t exist when Native peoples first established communities around the Piedmont.

When you study Native American tribes in North Carolina, you have to look well beyond the map. The Guilford Native American Association (GNAA) is an excellent example. In modern terms, they populated the lands around Guilford, Randolph, and Rockingham counties. These lands were home to the Keyauwee and Saura peoples.

There is a lot to learn about Guilford County Native American history. Both the Saura and Keyauwee populated lands in the Piedmont Triad. There, Siouan-speaking peoples built a trade route connecting the inland region to the coast. They relied heavily on farming, especially corn and squash, and built traditional wattle-and-daub houses.

When the European Quakers and German settlers arrived in the mid-1700s, the “official” record of Indigenous peoples faded for generations. During this time, disease, warfare, displacement, migration, and shifting relationships changed the dynamic forever. In the early 1970s, Guilford County had a Native population of around 1,000 people, sometimes called the “invisible community.”

The community’s Native parents soon organized. They sought to improve educational opportunities without losing the cultural and social engagement of their people and those around them. That led to the formation of the GNAA in 1975. It is North Carolina’s oldest American Indian urban association, serving numerous counties and preserving cultural heritage.

The Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation in Alamance County

There is also much to learn about Alamance County Native American history. Take the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation. That is one of North Carolina’s oldest state-recognized tribes. The historic roots are mostly in the modern county, but also around historic Little Texas in Pleasant Grove Township.

What is unique about the Occaneechi is that they have a long history but are considered more modern because they received official state recognition only in 2002. This group, spanning the Piedmont region of both NC and VA, survived early conflicts in 1676 as militias attacked, as well as fluctuating alliances, diseases, and slave trading. From the late 1700s to the early 1800s, members slowly returned to the Eno River, which is also the site of a modern early-1700s trading village.

The community serves around 2,000 members, mostly focused on preserving their cultural legacy while improving social, educational, and economic resources for members and surrounding communities.

Native American Heritage Is Still Part of Our Community

Learning how each Indigenous group evolved and shifted across North Carolina matters. However, it’s also crucial to see how they operate today. Contemporary Native communities offer the world much more than personal and historical accounts.

The GNAA alone serves more than 6,000 members across the Piedmont Triad. If you take a step back and look at North Carolina as a whole, it holds the second-largest Indigenous population east of the Mississippi River. There are about 130,000 people across eight major tribes.

Every year, major events take place. The American Indian Heritage Celebration (AIHC) is held each November in the Raleigh Area. Locally, the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation Powwow is held in October in Burlington. It is a great resource that pulls together not only the incredible pageantry and immersive history of these events, but also their significance to our nation. Their website is a good place to see what events are near you and how you can dig even further into Indigenous history and North Carolina stories.

Honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day by Learning Our Local History

There is nothing wrong with learning about the people who lived, worked, and had families here long before modern North Carolina existed. It provides deeper context for understanding the communities we call home today.

Woodruff Family Law Group has deep roots in Greensboro. We frequently work with groups and families throughout Guilford and Alamance counties. We believe being part of our community means appreciating its unique history and the people who have shaped it from generation to generation.

On this Indigenous Peoples’ Day, take a moment to learn more about the Saura, Keyauwee, Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, and all other peoples who call the Piedmont home. Honoring that heritage helps keep North Carolina’s Indigenous story alive and informs future generations.