A Brief History of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation

The Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation—OBSN for short—is a small Indian community located primarily in the old settlement of Little Texas, Pleasant Grove Township, Alamance County, North Carolina.

Until the middle part of the 20th century, the community was largely occupied in agricultural pursuits, sometimes supplemented by day wage labor jobs or jobs in nearby factories. In recent decades the numbers of people engaged full or part time in agriculture has declined significantly, and most working adults in the community now work in offices, or as skilled workers and craftsmen, or in the few remaining factories in the area.

The OBSN community is a lineal descendant of the Saponi and related Indians who occupied the Piedmont of North Carolina and Virginia in pre-contact times, and specifically of those Saponi and related Indians who formally became tributary to Virginia under the Treaties of Middle Plantation in 1677 and 1680, and, who under the subsequent treaty of 1713 with the Colony of Virginia agreed to join together as a single community. This confederation formed a settlement at Fort Christianna along the Virginia/North Carolina border in what is now Brunswick County, Virginia. The confederation included the Saponi proper, the Occaneechi, the Eno, the Tutelo, and elements of other related communities such as the Cheraw. All of these communities were remnants of much larger Siouan communities that had lived in North Carolina and Virginia in prehistoric times. Click here for more........

2012 Pow Wow Pictures

27th Annual Pow Wow Photos & More - Click Here and Enjoy! 

BILAHUK (Thank you) to everyone for a great day! 2013 Pow Wow is now apart of OBSN history and as we were faced with weather adversity we were still able to come together. It took an effort of so many to make this happen, truly a community achievement. The rain created some soggy ground conditions and we are so grateful for the patience of our vendors and patrons who braved the challenge of parking which was the larger issue of the day. Again we are so thankful for your patience with the parking challenges. Also, to our neighbors who were unintentionally put in an overflow position, thank you for your patience and understanding.
Appreciatively - OBSN POW WOW COMMITTEE

 Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia, Inc. 7th Annual Powwow 

Surry, Va. 23883 

Gates Open at 10am on Sat. & Sun.