“Why are theycalled ‘the Croatoan?’ Wasn’t that the name of a local Native American tribe near Roanoke?”
“Yes. According to Grandpa, the Spaniards carved the name into the tree to
point the blame for Roanoke at the natives. But it ended up sticking.
larry1
Favorite Answer
It means that the false clue the Spanish left on the tree blaming the Croatoan Indians for killing the English colonists was believed (that is it 'stuck') as a fact of history, when really the Spanish then at war with England and who considered America as Spain's murdered the colonists.
*Today in the 21st century we still don't what happened to 'the lost colony' only that when supply ships arrived after years, the English people and their colony were....gone. Nothing there... but the 'clue' on the tree.
Sir Caustic
It just means that the Spaniards who did the carving got stuck to the tree due to the resinous sap of that particular species. This meant that when the bears came they couldn't escape and were eaten.
Anonymous
According to Grandpa the Spaniards had something to do with the disappearance of the Roanoke colonists but after they carved Croatoan on the tree, the blame stuck with the Croatoan instead of the Spanish.