Mary Elizabeth Fitts is assistant state archaeologist for the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology and a research associate with the Research Laboratories of Archaeology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Fitts combines archaeology and ethnohistory to explore Catawba strategies for retaining sovereignty and power in the colonial era. A model of interdisciplinary methodology, this book offers new insights into coalescence, colonialism, and Indigenous persistence.”—Christina Snyder, author of Slavery in Indian Country: The Changing Face of Captivity in Early America  “Recovers from obscurity the decisive role that Catawba women played in guiding their society through highly precarious times.”—Daniel H. Usner, Jr., author of Indian Work: Language and Livelihood in Native American History  “A fascinating glimpse of the Catawba Nation during this critical period. Fitts succeeds in tracing the mechanics of individual decisions that laid the groundwork for collective change.”—William L. Ramsey, author of The Yamasee War: A Study of Culture, Economy, and Conflict in the Colonial South