Where to Learn More About Indigenous Communities in Maryland
Daniel Firehawk Abbott is a descendant of the Nanticoke tribe on Maryland's Eastern Shore. He is a living history interpreter and designer of the Chicone Village Longhouse and Garden at Handsell in Dorchester County, Maryland.
Students and educators can continue to learn about Indigenous culture and history by reaching out to the local Indigenous communities in your area. Many local tribes hold public events where you can learn about cultural traditions. You may also read or listen to oral histories of those still living. They have passed down stories and traditions that can help you understand Indigenous Maryland in both the past and the present.
In the following video, tribal consultants provide suggestions for how to learn more about Indigenous cultures.
Here is a list of local Maryland Indigenous tribes, nations, and bands you may reach out to, along with links to available websites to learn more. We invite you to explore Maryland's tribal communities and find ways to connect with them, even if they don’t have a website.
- Accohannock Tribe
- Assateague People of Delmarva
- Cedarville Band of Piscataway Indians
- Choptico Band of Indians
- Nanticoke Indian Association
- Nause-Waiwash Band of Indians
- Piscataway Conoy Tribe
- Piscataway Indian Nation
- Pocomoke Indian Nation
- Conestoga-Susquehannock Tribe
- Youghiogheny River Band of Shawnee Indians
We also invite you to explore the work of local organizations who provide information about Indigenous Maryland’s present and past.
Organizations and Sites
- Baltimore American Indian Center
- Maryland American Indian Sites and Experiences
- Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs
- Nanticoke Historic Preservation Alliance
Projects
- The Baltimore Reservation Project - This website and app chronicles the history and heritage of East Baltimore’s Historic American Indian “Reservation” in the 20th century through a visual walking tour.
- The Guide to Indigenous Lands Project - This project is an initiative dedicated to the creation of mobile applications that map sites of Indigenous lands.
- Maryland State Arts Council Land Acknowledgments - This project created in consultation with local tribes, provides a guide featuring tribal histories, maps, and land acknowledgments. created in consultation with local tribes
- Mayis Indigenous Records - This web resource from the Maryland State Archives contains transcripts of official state and colonial records that refer to Indigenous People in the Chesapeake Bay region.
- The National Museum of the American Indian: We Have a Story to Tell: Native Peoples of the Chesapeake Region - This website is an instructional resource intended for use with students in grades 9-12.
University Library Guides
- Indigenous Research (Towson University)
- Lower Eastern Shore Native American History (Salisbury University)
- Native Americans in Maryland: A Resource Guide (University of Maryland)
