Catawba Cultural Preservation Project

Mailing Address
POBox 750
Rock Hill, SC 29731

Located at:
1536 Tom Steven Rd.

Email:
info@ccppcrafts.com

Phone:
803.328.2427

Fax:
803.328.5791

THE CATAWBA LANGUAGE

Catawba was once spoken by people living near the Catawba River in South Carolina. It has been dormant only since the middle of the twentieth century but it has not been spoken fluently by a large number of people since the late 1880's. Catawba, a Siouan language, is believed to have been spoken in various dialects across the Carolinas, and parts of Virginia and Georgia, by more than 10,000 Native peoples.

Several related eastern Siouan languages, such as Tutelo, Woccon, Biloxi, were spoken in various parts across the Southeast before the advent of the Europeans, however the exact numbers of different eastern Siouan languages and dialects spoken throughout the Southeast is unknown.

Eventually many Southeastern tribes, Siouan and other, reduced by wars and illnesses, merged with the Catawba. For this reason, scholars of the Catawba language have found inconsistencies in the grammar, two or three unrelated words describing the same object or action and certain verbs that have up to 15 stems.

Yet, these facts are without consequence for those who only wish to acquire basic knowledge of the Catawba language. We have kept this in mind while putting together the alphabet and curriculi for the Catawba language. We have also structured the curriculi to make it easy for children to approach the Catawba language.