Example of Catawba Pottery

The Catawba Nation Archives (CNA) identifies, collects, preserves, and makes accessible historical and cultural materials relating to the history, language, and culture of the Catawba Indian Nation for the use of enrolled tribal members, tribal government entities, and the wider community for educational and research purposes. The CNA is a department of the Catawba Indian Nation’s Cultural Services Division, whose mission is to preserve, promote, protect, and maintain the rich culture and heritage of the Catawba Indian Nation.

In 1994, the Catawba Cultural Preservation Project (CCPP) was designated by the Catawba Indian Nation Executive Committee to act as the repository for the collection, preservation, and promotion of the tribe’s history and culture. As part of the Executive Committee’s directive, the Catawba Nation Archives was created to collect official records, private manuscripts, family photographs, and other records relating to the Catawba Nation, its people, and its lands. In 2020, the CCPP became an official division of the Catawba Indian Nation government as the Cultural Services Division, and continues to promote and support the preservation, promotion, and study of Catawba history.

Man in traditional Catawba clothing

The Catawba Nation Archives is a multimedia repository, housing pottery, traditional regalia, beadwork, gaming and grinding stones, projectile points and other archaeological artifacts, textiles, original artworks, photographs, audiovisual and digital materials in various formats, as well as more traditional document, manuscript, and rage books collections. As the designated records repository for the Catawba Indian Nation, the CNA also preserves the historically significant records of the tribal government, its committees, and departments. The CNA’s collections are an important source of information on the leasing of Catawba lands, reservation life, the Catawba people’s relationship to state and federal government, cultural traditions, military service, the land settlement of 1993, genealogy, Catawba language, and our pottery tradition. Access to the collections is governed by the policies and procedures of the Catawba Indian Nation, the Cultural Services Division, and the Catawba Nation Archives. Access to some collections may be restricted.

The Catawba Nation Archives is located at 1536 Tom Steven Rd. in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on the lower level of the Catawba Cultural Center building. We are currently open by appointment only Wednesday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. If a patron is not able to visit the archives in person, our staff may be able to perform research, provide copies, and digitally or physically mail the research to the patron for a fee. Please contact the archives for a pricing schedule of these services.