occupation

Fort Neoheroka was the final stronghold destroyed by colonial forces during the Tuscarora War of 1711-1713. The 1713 siege on the fort, led by Col. James Moore lasted for more than three weeks, beginning about March 1, 1713 with the final attack being launched on March 20. The Tuscarora resistance, however, continued their defense of the fort until the early morning hours of Sunday, March 22, when they were finally defeated.

At the battles end, more than 950 Tuscarora men, women and children were either killed or captured and sold into slavery. Of the Tuscarora who had originally taken refuge within the confines of the fort, there were a number who managed to escape prior to the final siege by making use of the fort's intricately planned underground tunnel system.

Fort Neoheroka is located on what is today a privately-owned family farm. Excavation of the fort began in 1990 and was sponsored by East Carolina University's Institute for Historical and Cultural Research in conjunction with ECU's summer field school for archaeology students. Years of digging yielded boxes and boxes of artifacts, including Tuscarora skeletal remains, as well as personal items. According to an ECU press release issued in 1995, the archaelogy lab in the Old Cafeteria Building was, "lined wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling with cardboard boxes that contain the fruits of their [the archaeologists] labor. The boxes contain items numbering into the thousands."

The Tuscarora people presently involved in the "peaceful occupation" of the fort site have expressed concern that the area continues to be farmed and that no steps have been taken to section off the site to protect it from further disturbance. Concerns have also been expressed that neither the State of North Carolina, nor the federal government have allowed for the Tuscarora people of North Carolina to be involved in the decision-making process regarding the fate of the site. The Tuscarora have also stated that they want all ancestral remains being presently stored in boxes at ECU to be properly re-interred.

One of the organizers involved with the occupation at the fort explained, "More Tuscarora lives were lost in the final three days of battle at the fort than at any point during the war. These weren't just warriors, there were hundreds of women and children and elders who were killed in the siege on Neoheroka. This place is a sacred site to our people and we want it treated as such."

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