Xualla

"...We have here the details noted by Lawson: thirty miles of travel; the mountains running east and west, which were noted also in the narrative of Needham and Arthur; paint mineral secured in the neighboring mountains (in the hills of upper Moore County, about forty miles south, and perhaps at other places in the mountains, is to be found stone with pockets of red and yellow powder, ferruginous material, which could be mixed with bear grease to form paints of brilliant colors). The location of the Sara is the same as that three years later when Needham and Arthur passed Trading Ford.

We may now consider the difficulty at this stage of the narrative that has led many to question Lederer. The explorer thought he was passing near a low gap of the Blue Ridge, calling the mountains after the Saura Indians, and stating in his narrative that the mountains fall off due west and take the name “Suala.” He was not impressed with their height, calling them “mountains or hills.” Certainly the time limits and the mileage recorded forbade any approach of Lederer to the Blue Ridge. It seems that the solution lies in the forgotten chain of small mountains in central Carolina. The Uwharrie Mountains which skirted the Trading Path answer every description.

The name of these mountains should not be overlooked. The Saura Indians were living near by, though they were found later on the Dan River fifty miles north, and some of the tribe may have migrated there before Lederer’s time. The story of Needham and Arthur indicates that their home on the Trading Path was not an advantageous location for them at that time. Lederer used the following names for the Saura: Sara, Suala, Sasa, and Sualy. He stated that the neighboring mountains received from the Spaniards the name Suala, another name for Saura. It has not yet been confirmed that the Spaniards invaded the Uwharrie region. However, the Spanish appellation given by De Soto²¹ for the tribe met somewhere near the southern border of the State was Xuala, pronounced Shuala or Suala, as by Lederer, which later became Huala or Hwala. The name Uwharrie, applied to the clusters of mountains and to the small river of the region, has never been explained definitely. Its suffix agrees with the demonstrative ending of words used in the language of the interior tribes, and the stem bears resemblance to others of the same tongue. However, the resemblance of “Highwaree” as given by Lawson and “Huwarrie” as pronounced by early settlers²² is close to the “Xuala” and “Xualla” of the De Soto narratives and demands consideration. The interior tribes used the “l” and “r” sounds interchangeably.²³ The pronunciation of “Xuala” of the Spaniards would become “Huara” or “Huarrie” of the native tribes. The Saura gave their name to the mountains fifty miles north near which they were found later, also to the town Cheraw, South Carolina, their last settlement, and it is not out of reason that in the neighborhood of Trading Ford on the Yadkin this strong tribe that possessed the territory should have left their name. Hence the name Uwharrie may be, after all the Xuala of the Spaniards, possibly transferred by the Saura through a previous migration from the southwestern hills of the Piedmont region where De Soto is thought to have discovered them in 1540.

Lederer’s stay among the Saura was brief, according to his testimony:

These Indians are so indiscreetly fond of their children, that they will not chastise them for any mischief or insolence. A little boy had shot an arrow thorow my body, had I not reconciled him to me with gifts: and all this anger was, because I spurred my horse out of another arrows way which he directed at him. This caused such a mutiny amongst the youth of the town, that the seniors taking my horse and self into protection, had much ado (and that by intreaties and prayers, not commands) to appease them.

Since the Indians for certain reasons feared to exercise parental restraint, thus was narrowly averted another Trading Ford tragedy. Lederer left hastily, probably without ascertaining careful direction, and with his companion Jackzetavon continued the trail..."

As stated in the passage, the Xualla may have been involved with an area of Southern Davidson County today known as Trading Ford. Trading Ford straddles the Rowan and Davidson County lines on the Yadkin River. It is the site of many historical river crossings over the course of American History. It was even the site of a Revolutionary War conflict that was a precursor to the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Today, Interstate 85, US 29, US 70, NC 150, and the railroad cross at this point. Here is a website that explains it more: http://www.tradingford.com/

Here is a map showing the early settlements of the Cheraw as well as other tribes:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/united_states/early_indian_east.jpg

Our OA chapter's name was based on these Indians and I believe it is our duty as members of the chapter to keep these traditions and histories alive. As for the chapter, we were formed sometime after the merger of the 3 lodges into Tsoiotsi Tsogalii.