Westo Indians – Native Americans in SC

South Carolina SC Native Americans SC Indian Tribes SC Westo Indians

Name, Language – Westo Indians

• Alternate spellings: Westoe - possibly related to, or a band of the Yuchi tribe
• Possible meanings: Enemies
• Language family: Yuchi

Current Status – Westo Indians

• Extinct

SC Location, Territory – Westo Indians

• Traditional: Their primary location while in South Carolina was along the central Savannah River in Colleton County

Population Estimates – Westo Indians

• ?

History – Westo Indians

• Small bands moved into South Carolina during the 1660s and begin raiding the Cusabo tribes.

• In 1674, the Westo signed a trade agreement with colonists and remained in good favor for several years.

• They may have participated in the Yemassee War during 1715 and were driven from the area along with the Yemassee and other tribes afterward. The tribe was not mentioned in colonial historic documents after the early 1700s.

Dwellings – Westo Indians

• Homes: Stuctures covered with bark, clay, or woven mats
• Villages: Built along streams; homes were grouped around a central square where ceremonies and social gatherings took place

Food – Westo Indians

• Farming: Primarily corn, beans and squash
• Fishing: Freshwater fish
• Hunting: Deer and other small game

Beliefs and Practices – Westo Indians

• ?

Related Westo Indian Resources

• Milling, Chapman J. Red Carolinians. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1969.
• Swanton, John R. The Indian Tribes of North America. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Instition Press, 1984.