Etiwan Island

Front: Prior to European settlement this island was inhabited by the Etiwan Indians. Archaeological excavations in nearby area show a Native American presenceon the island dating back thousands of years. The earliest written record of the Etiwan is a 1609 report from a Spanish voyage that entered the Bar of Cayagua (Kiawah), later the site of Charleston habor. When the English founded colonial Carolina in 1670, this island was known as Etiwan Island. Reverse: In addition to this island, the Etiwan had settlements along the upper Cooper River (then called Etiwan River) and the Charleston peninsula. A colonial census taken in 1715 reported an Etiwan population of 240. As English colonists settled this island, Etiwan residents were pushed out to outlying areas, and this was later known as Daniel Island after Robert Daniell. Among the Etiwans’ descendants are the state-recognized Wassmasaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians.