Please note, the Science on the Sound event detailed below has been postponed due to illness until December 8, 2022, at 6 PM. Please save this new date to learn more about Dr. Oakley’s research.

The Coastal Studies Institute will host the next Science on the Sound lecture on October 27, 2022. This monthly, in-person, lecture series brings perspectives from all over the state and highlights coastal topics in northeastern North Carolina.

Dr. Chris Oakley, Professor of History in the Department of History at ECU and a 2022 Integrated Coastal Programs (ICP) Coastal Fellow, will be on-site at 6:00 pm next Thursday, to share his research on coastal Algonquians native to the region in a presentation entitled “Maritime Indians: The Coastal Algonquians of the Outer Banks”.
The Outer Banks is littered with references to American Indian history and culture, yet very little is known about the original inhabitants of the Outer Banks, and most of what is known is directly related to the interaction between Algonquians and English colonists in the late 16th century. Most well-known is the romanticized mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke, but, in short, Algonquian history itself has been colonized. Moreover, there is also a tendency to think of Native Americans as exclusively terrestrial people and cultures. Although the Carolina Algonquians did not develop extensive ocean navigation and exploration, evidence strongly suggests that their culture was heavily influenced by the sea and the coast well before the arrival of Europeans. In fact, a significant portion of their culture and society was based on an environment that was dominated by the presence of water, especially the large sounds created by the barrier islands of the Outer Banks.

This facet of Dr. Oakley’s research examines the maritime history, culture, and legacy of the Carolina Algonquians of eastern North Carolina, and his study as an ICP Coastal Fellow employed a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating history, anthropology, archaeology, geography, and biology. Dr. Oakley’s presentation will take place on the ECU Outer Banks Campus on October 27, 2022, at 6 PM. The lecture is free of charge, and all are welcome to attend.  The program will also be live-streamed and a recorded version will be available for later viewing on the CSI YouTube Channel.

Led by East Carolina University (ECU), The Coastal Studies Institute is a multi-institutional research and educational partnership of the UNC System including North Carolina State University, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC Wilmington, and Elizabeth City State University.

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Based at the Coastal Studies Institute (CSI), the North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program (NCROEP) advances inter-disciplinary marine energy solutions across UNC System partner colleges of engineering at NC State University, UNC Charlotte, and NC A&T University.  Click on the links below for more information.

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ECU's Integrated Coastal Programs (ECU ICP) is a leader in coastal and marine research, education, and engagement.   ECU ICP includes the Coastal Studies Institute, ECU's Department of Coastal Studies, and ECU Diving and Water Safety.

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The faculty and staff at the Coastal Studies Institute come from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines, as well as departments and organizations including ECU Department of Biology, ECU Department of Coastal Studies, NC Sea Grant, the North Carolina Renewable Energy Program, and the UNC Institute for the Environment.

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The ECU Outer Banks campus is home to the Coastal Studies Institute.
Located on Roanoke Island along the banks of the second largest estuary
in the United States, this coastal campus spans 213 acres of marshes, scrub wetlands, forested wetlands, and estuarine ecosystems.

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