The Weapemeoc Indians were a small Native American tribe from northeastern North Carolina.

However, their culture changed rapidly as European settlers introduced diseases and ultimately forced them from their lands by 1780.

[3] Despite their existence only first being noted in 1585, accounts shared by members of the Weapemeoc tribe have enabled historians to reconstruct their history.

[5] Three years later in 1625, a smallpox and measles outbreak killed many Native Indians who did not have natural immunity to such illnesses.

[7] With such large numbers of men arriving, the male to female ratio in the Albemarle region of North Carolina was close to 8 to 1.

[4] However, these interactions eventually resulted in conflict with European efforts to displace the tribe from their traditional maritime way of life.

[4] At the dawn of the 18th century, two other Algonquian language–speaking tribes, the Poteskeets and the Yeopim settled in the lands formerly controlled by the Weapemeoc.

As they lived close to banks and rivers, the tribe had access to freshwater fish, clams, and mussels year-round.

[4] Due to the importance of water in their daily lives, many religious rituals and beliefs revolved around maritime activities.