Tuscarora

The Tuscarora are a Native American people of the Iroquoian language family. Historically they inhabited the eastern coastal plain of what is now North Carolina. In the early 18th century, after the Tuscarora War (1711–1715) with colonial settlers, many Tuscarora were killed, enslaved, or displaced. Survivors migrated north and joined the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy). By the 1720s they had become the sixth nation of the Confederacy, settling in the northeast.

Today, most Tuscarora people are enrolled in the federally recognized Tuscarora Nation of New York, with a reservation near Lewiston in Niagara County. They are a member nation of the Haudenosaunee. A portion of Tuscarora people joined the Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario, Canada.

The Tuscarora language belongs to the Northern Iroquoian branch of the Iroquoian language family. It is endangered, with efforts under way to revitalize it through community programs, immersion initiatives, and education. Most fluent speakers currently are elders, and language preservation remains a priority for the Nation.

The name Tuscarora is used for various geographic locations and institutions in the United States, reflecting the historical presence of the people.