Occaneechi

The Occaneechi occupied an island near the junction of the Dan and Roanoke rivers, along a trading path between Virginia and the interior. Their position made them important intermediaries between English traders and peoples farther west. In 1673 the Virginian trader Abraham Wood sent James Needham and Gabriel Arthur toward the Cherokee in an attempt to trade directly, bypassing the Occaneechi.

During Bacon's Rebellion in 1676, the Occaneechi joined Nathaniel Bacon's men against the Susquehannock, only to be attacked by their own allies afterwards. The assault killed their leader Posseclay and many inhabitants, including women and children. Displaced communities later joined the Saponi and Tutelo near Fort Christanna, where the Virginia colony established a reservation in 1714. The fort closed a few years later, but trade with the neighbouring peoples continued.