Page 174 - Maryland Historical Trust - Archaeology Colonial MD

The Piscataway Today
Despite the diaspora of the Piscataway to Heat- er’s Island and beyond, there were people that remained in their ancestral homeland. Today there is an active and vibrant Piscataway com- munity who live in the land of the ancestors in Charles and Prince George’s Counties. The Piscataway and others have left an indelible mark on our shared landscape. Their words still live in the names of places, and their paths are now our roads and highways.86 The memory of places lives on with the Piscataway, such as the connection of Native people to the Choptico Reservation into the 19th century, well after its supposed abandonment. When Dr. Elmer Reyn- olds visited “Indian Hill” and “Bead Hill” in 1882 he was guided there by a self-identified In- dian man by the last name of Swann. Reynolds described him as being of “original, unmixed Wicomico [Piscataway] blood” based on his appearance and habits.87
In 2012, after more than two decades of effort, the Piscataway Indian Nation and
Piscataway Conoy Tribe of Maryland were recognized by the State of Maryland by two executive orders signed by Governor Martin O’Malley.88 As most of the Piscataway would attest, their Native identity has never been in question or at issue for them. But state recog- nition confers certain benefits and, importantly, affirms to the non-Indigenous citizens of the state the ongoing presence of the region’s most ancient inhabitants.
When considering the history of the State of Maryland as we approach the 400th an- niversary, let us not forget the history of the people who came before and who are still here. While the anniversary of the arrival of the Maryland English in 1634 is a cause for cele- bration for many, for others who are still here from times before, it marks the anniversary of the invasion of their homeland and the near- destruction of their traditional lifeways. The persistence and resilience of the Piscataway and others should be lauded as one of their many great achievements and an important part of our collective history.
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Distribution of Native ceramics at Zekiah Fort.
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