Description
Sugeree came from the Catawba word, yensr grihere, "people stingy," or "spoiled," or "of the river whose-water-cannot-be drunk." Also called Suturees, a synonym used in 1715. The Sugeree primarily lived on and near Sugar Creek in what is present-day York County, South Carolina, and occupied parts of present-day Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The Sugeree are hardly mentioned by anyone before Lawson in 1701. They probably suffered in consequence of the Yamasee War and finally united with the Catawba.
Language
Siouan
Culture
They were historically sedentary agriculturists, who have also fished and hunted for game. Their customs have been, and are, similar to neighboring Native Americans in the Piedmont region. Traditional game has included deer, crops grown have included corn. Early Sugeree lived in villages which were surrounded by a wooden palisade or wall. There was a large council house in the village as well as a sweat lodge, homes, and an open plaza for meetings, games, and dances. The homes were rounded on top and made of bark. The dwellings were small with extended families living in a single structure. They planted crops like corn and squash along the banks of the river. They also fished and hunted.