Sir Walter Raleigh founded the Roanoke Colony off the coast of present-day North Carolina. Three years after their last resupply, the colonists disappeared. The only clue to their fate was the word "Croatoan" carved into a tree. I theorize that the colonists integrated with the Croatoan tribe. The carving suggests they left peacefully to join or seek aid from the Croatoans, rather than signaling distress from an invasion or disaster. Moreover, reports of European characteristics in later indigenous peoples may indicate assimilation.

Your theory that the Roanoke colonists integrated with the Croatoan tribe is one of the prevailing theories about the fate of the "Lost Colony." The clue you mentioned, the word "Croatoan" carved into a post of the fort and "CRO" carved into a nearby tree, indicates that the colonists didn't leave in distress. If they had, it's reasoned that they would have carved a Maltese cross, a signal they had agreed upon to indicate danger. Moreover, the lack of evidence of a struggle or conflict at the site suggests that the departure was not under duress.

The Croatoan tribe was actually located on Hatteras Island, which is within the region where the colonists were last seen. It is plausible that during the three years without supplies from England, the colonists sought out the local indigenous people to survive. There is also archaeological evidence and European artifacts found in Native American sites that support this theory, along with reports by later explorers and colonists of Native Americans with European features, suggesting some level of assimilation may have occurred.