The Occaneechi Path

The Occaneechi Path was a trading corridor that extended roughly from Fort Henry in Petersburg Virginia down through the Piedmont and into South Carolina and the Catawba lands.  This was a vital route for trading all manner of goods through the 17th and 18th centuries and was controlled by the  tribe that would come to be known as the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation.  

The Occaneechi shared a common tongue with our people, and their dialect was used as a "lingua franca" for trade throughout the area, several tribes in the area and even the colonists who regularly traded with the indigenous people of the area all spoke the Occaneechi tongue.  Due to the depredations of the colonists, the repeated burning of several area courthouses, where historical documents were often kept, wars, racism, forced relocations, Indian Schools, and other methods of cultural deconstruction - much of the Saponi people's original culture was lost.  However, because we shared a common tongue, range, and cultural aspects - we are able to rebuild some of the missing information from our association with other bands like the Occaneechi.

It is important to note that as of 2025, the Occaneechi Path is endangered, according to the World Monuments Fund due to development.