The Catawba Indians used to inhabit the territory around the Catawba River in North and South Carolina. In the 17th century the Catawba, which means “people of the river,” numbered about 5,000, but by the end of the 20th century there were only about 1,200 descendants of the Catawba, who lived around Rock Hill, South Carolina. The only Federally recognized tribe in South Carolina, The Catawba Indian Nation is still active and alive after many changes in its 6 thousand years.
