saponi

The Saponi were a Native American people who inhabited the Piedmont region of what is now Virginia and North Carolina during the 17th and 18th centuries. They spoke a Siouan language and were closely related to other Siouan-speaking groups in the region, most notably the Tutelo. In historical sources they are described as living in villages along river valleys and engaging in a mix of agriculture, hunting, and gathering, with social organization centered on kinship groups.

In the colonial era, the Saponi formed a network of villages linked by kinship and alliances with neighboring peoples. They are sometimes described as part of a Saponi-Tutelo or broader Saponi-Tuscarora grouping, a loose confederacy recognized in some accounts. The Saponi interacted with English, Dutch, and other Indigenous groups through trade, diplomacy, and conflict.

European contact began in the 17th century; after the introduction of new diseases, land pressures, and various conflicts, Saponi populations declined. By the mid-18th century, many Saponi people were absorbed into neighboring tribes, including the Tutelo, Occaneechi, and Catawba, and the distinct Saponi identity gradually diminished.

Today, references to the Saponi survive in scholarly works and colonial records. Some descendant communities and cultural organizations in the Southeastern United States maintain Saponi heritage as part of a broader history of Siouan-speaking peoples in the region.