"Croatoan" was a word carved into a tree in big letters at Roanoke, where an entire settlement disappeared overnight. No one knows what actually happened there in 1597. Some say that the people were forced out. Some say they all fled because of invadeing tribes or lack of food.
The word was carved into a tree in the middle of the settlement. Others say that it was a clue left for John White to discover so he knew where to find them. It is also believed that Croatoan is not a location or word of the tribe but a Demon of death, disease and plague.