Manteo (Native American leader)

Very little is known of Manteo's early life. He was born into the Croatan tribe, a small Native American group living in the coastal areas of what is now North Carolina. They may have been a branch of the larger Roanoke people or allied with them. The Croatan lived in current Dare County, an area encompassing the Alligator River, Croatan Sound, Roanoke Island, and parts of the Outer Banks, including Hatteras Island. Manteo first entered the historical record through his encounter with English explorers in 1584, when Sir Walter Raleigh dispatched the first of a number of expeditions to Roanoke Island to explore and eventually settle the New World. ==Travel to England==

, who translated and learned the Carolina Algonquian language from Wanchese and Manteo. c. 1585 Early English encounters with the natives were friendly, and Manteo became one of the first Native Americans to travel to England. Despite the difficulties in communication, the explorers persuaded "two of the savages, being lustie men, whose names were Wanchese and Manteo" to accompany them on the return voyage to London, Manteo and Wanchese soon caused a sensation at court. Raleigh's priority, however, was not publicity but rather intelligence about his new land of Virginia, and he restricted access to the exotic newcomers. He assigned the scientist Thomas Harriot the job of deciphering and learning the Carolina Algonquian language, ==Lost Colony==

In 1587, Manteo returned to Roanoke along with Governor John White's ill-fated expedition to plant a permanent English colony in the New World. Manteo was involved in several nighttime attacks which took place in 1587. As a mediator between the English and the Native Americans, and due to his loyalty to the English people, Manteo was caught in the middle. He had mixed feelings about the attacks and understood the points of views of both sides. ==Relations with the Roanoke colonists==

; an Indian legend'' (1901), but actually extracted from Harriot, Thomas (1590) Plate VII, captioned "A Chief Lord of the Roanoke" Manteo served as a guide and translator to the English. Manteo and the English people were able to learn about each other's language and culture. Manteo at times was also a mediating figure between the English and the Native Americans. Because of his status among the English people and his peaceful communication with them, some of the Croatan considered Manteo to be disloyal to them and a traitor at times of conflict. Wanchese and other Native Americans such as Towaye shared relationships with Manteo and the English colonists, although Wanchese had a more negative relationship with the English colonists. ==Religion==

Manteo is recognized as being the first Native American who became an Anglican Christian. Manteo was possibly converted to Anglican Christianity by Raleigh. Some historians believe that Raleigh promoted this as a political maneuver to further Manteo's role in working with the English. Upon conversion, Manteo retained his given name. Manteo may have assisted in helping the English convert other Native Americans to Christianity as well. In 2008, the 125th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina approved the commemoration of the Baptism of Manteo, along with that of Virginia Dare, to be kept on August 17 of each year. ==Death and legacy==

Following the abandonment of the settlement, Manteo was lost to history. The details related to Manteo's death are unknown. He may have left with colonists during the abandonment of the Roanoke site. ==References==