Weapemeoc Indians

The Weapemeoc were a small Aboriginal American (Otis T. Mason 1889) / Native American Algonquian speaking tribe from northeastern North Carolina. They lived on the north shore of Albemarle Sound. that was first noted in literature in 1585/1586. At that time, they approximately had 700 to 800 people. They had a maritime culture. However, their culture changed rapidly as European settlers introduced diseases and ultimately forced them from their lands by 1780. There are descendants of the Weapemeoc that still exist today.

== Etymology == The original meaning of Weapemeoc has been translated as "where shelter from the wind is sought". Swanton suggested it translated as "People of the First Light," or "People of the Dawn Land," similar to Wabanaki or Wampanoag. The tribe was also commonly referred to as Yeopim as a shortened alternative. This alternative name may have been created by settlers mispronouncing the tribe's name. Many subdivisions, each individually named, comprised the tribe.