Pre-colonization Roanoke Island

The Carolina Algonquian farmed, fished, and hunted for their food in the Outer Banks.

The Carolina Algonquian people have lived in the Outer Banks for over 1,200 years and were the first people met by the English when they arrived in the area. The Carolina Algonquian people were a part of the larger Algonquian culture, which stretched from the Carolinas up the eastern coast of North America and into present-day Canada. The Carolina Algonquian had developed a unique culture and society in the Outer Banks that relied heavily on the waterways of the area for travel. Up and down the coast, they traveled, traded, and fought with others, even traveling up the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds. Many small villages dotted the Outer Banks, including one led by Wingina, a local werowance (chief) on Roanoke Island. Learn more below about the Carolina Algonquian people and their way of life.