The Piscataway Tribe of Prince George's County

The Piscataway Tribe of Prince George's County

After reading the National Park's website about Chesapeake's Tribes, I learned that the Accohannock Indian, Assateague Peoples, Nause-Waiwash Band, Piscataway Conoy, Piscataway Indian, Pocomoke Indian, and Youghiogheny River Band represent Maryland's native communities. I had already known that the Piscataway Tribe was recognized in Maryland but I had never learned about the other Tribes and Nation. While I have known that my hometown (Bowie, Maryland) and the University of Maryland resides on Piscataway land, I don't know much about the Tribe itself. I took this assignment as an opportunity to learn more about the Tribe and their land that I reside on. 

I first looked at the Piscataway Tribe's official website to find more information. On their homepage they state, "We are The People Where the Rivers Blend" (Piscataway Tribe Organization). The Piscataway Tribe is one of many near the Chesapeake Bay. Unfortunately, their website is still under construction, but I was still able to learn some other important facts and details about the Tribe. The Piscataway Tribe is one of three indigenous groups recognized in the state, the other two include: the Piscataway Indian Nation and the Accohannock Tribe. Their mission is to serve their community. They explain that their needs have been ignored since the first settlers arrived, and more recently, during their first tribal counsel after the Maryland State Recognition. Also, on their homepage they state, "we have been on a road to recovery [since voting out the previous tribal council], but are well on our way" (Piscataway Tribe Organization).

Some of the events the Piscataway Tribe still hold for their members include, the Seed Gathering Festival, the Feast of the Waters, the Green Harvest Corn Festival, and Tribal Community Meetings. Holding these events and gatherings is one way their are healing and progressing their community from within. Externally, becoming recognized by Maryland has also helped them heal. On one of their pages titled "Culture," they state that they will also be restarting their Piscataway Conoy Tribal Princess program again.

Their official website was great to find information about current events and practices about the Tribe, but did not give much detail on their history. To learn about the Tribes past, I found Maryland's Department of Natural Resources to discover more. The Department of Natural Resources explain that the Piscataway were the first known Maryland inhabitants who had migrated from other parts of the continent to permanently reside along rivers and streams. When European settlers arrived, "the Piscataway Tribe was the largest and most powerful nation between the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River" (Department of Natural Resources). The Piscataway Tribe was already facing intrusion from the Susquehannocks when European settlers began to colonize. The Piscataway began to lose control of their land to settlers, despite being granted reservations from the government. As colonization began to progress, the Piscataway Tribe migrated further north to seek refuge. The Civil War led to their land, villages, and people in utter destruction. As more members of the Tribe migrated for safety and others passed away as a result of colonization and war, the Piscataway Tribe lost their identity as they were not recognized by the state. Starting in the 1970's the tribe fought to be recognized by Maryland, and finally were in 2012. Since then, they have begun the road to recovery by gaining access to "federal funds for education, housing, public health and other programs" (Department of Natural Resources). Moreover, they have begun to hold their traditional events, gatherings, and usage of the State's Park as ways to regain their identity that was hidden for so long. 

Works Cited

Department of Natural Resources. “Piscataway-Conoy: Rejuvenating Ancestral Ties to Southern Parks.” Natural Resources News, news.maryland.gov/dnr/2018/10/01/piscataway-conoy/. Accessed 7 Mar. 2025.

National Parks Service. “Chesapeake Tribes Today.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/cajo/learn/historyculture/american-indian-tribes-today.htm. Accessed 7 Mar. 2025.

Piscataway Tribe Organization. “Events.” Piscataway Conoy Tribe, www.piscatawaytribe.org/events.html. Accessed 7 Mar. 2025.