1,000-year-old Native American canoe pulled from North Carolina lake

LAKE WACCAMAW, N.C. (WPDE) — A piece of Native American history was unearthed in North Carolina after two teenagers discovered it two years ago, CNN reported.

The Waccamaw Indian dug-out canoe pulled from Lake Waccamaw Wednesday is a symbol of nearly 1,000 years of Native American culture in southeastern North Carolina.

Waccamaw Siouan Chief Michael Jacobs said it's rare to find pieces of history like this one.

That canoe at 28 feet long would have carried many a brave. We feel like in our heart, it's a history that we're still exploring and understanding because this is the first time we've had access," Jacobs said.

Eli Hill is one of three teenagers who stumbled upon it while swimming in the lake during the summer of 2021.

"We were throwing mussels at each other and I stepped on it and I thought it was a log," Hill said "I tried to pick it open and never came up. So, we kept digging at it and it just kept going. And then the next day, we came back and we started digging some more and it just kept going."

State Archaeologist John Mintz said that led to a lengthy removal process but it was worth it in the end.

“This canoe is about 1,000 years old, and it’s a southeastern Indian canoe, and it’s originated from this area,” said Mintz. “So, we wanted the local Indian group to be part of it and share with the agency of it.”

The canoe will be taken to a lab in Greenville, North Carolina to be preserved, studied and hopefully share its secrets.

We’re looking forward to examining it, running some tests on it, really finding out and going back to our elders and getting the history of it to where we can teach the truth to our people and know that we’ve got concrete evidence to stand on,” said Jacobs.

While Hill and his friends recognize the weight of their discovery, members of the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe are grateful.

“Our history is still unfolding,” said Jacobs. “When the colonists made contact with our tribe, there’s a lot of the things that we hailed as historical and meaningful to us that we’re still putting together.”