atter as . ▁ ▁Some ▁ 1 7 th - century ▁maps ▁use ▁the ▁word ▁" C ro ato an " ▁to ▁describe ▁locations ▁on ▁the ▁main land , ▁across ▁Pam lic o ▁Sound ▁from ▁Ro ano ke ▁and ▁H atter as . ▁By ▁ 1 7 0 0 , ▁these ▁areas ▁were ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁Mach ap ung a . ▁Or al ▁trad itions ▁and ▁leg ends ▁about ▁the ▁migration ▁of ▁the ▁Cro atan ▁through ▁the ▁main land ▁are ▁pre val ent ▁in ▁eastern ▁North ▁Carolina . ▁ ▁For ▁example , ▁the ▁" Leg end ▁of ▁the ▁C oh arie " ▁in ▁Sam pson ▁County ▁was ▁trans cribed ▁by ▁Edward ▁M . ▁Bull ard ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 0 . ▁ ▁More ▁fam ously , ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁state ▁legisl ator ▁Hamilton ▁Mc Mill an ▁proposed ▁that ▁the ▁Native ▁American ▁community ▁in ▁Rob es on ▁County ▁( then ▁considered ▁free ▁people ▁of ▁color ) ▁retained ▁s urn ames ▁and ▁lingu istic ▁characteristics ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 5 8 7 ▁colon ists . ▁His ▁efforts ▁convinced ▁the ▁North ▁Carolina ▁legisl ature ▁to ▁confer ▁trib al ▁recognition ▁to ▁the ▁community ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 5 , ▁with ▁the ▁new ▁design ation ▁of ▁" C ro atan ". ▁ ▁The ▁tribe ▁pet ition ed ▁to ▁be ▁renamed ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 , ▁eventually ▁sett ling ▁on ▁the ▁name ▁L um be e ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 . ▁ ▁Other ▁tribes ▁pur port edly