HONORING HERITAGE

MARYLAND INDIANS & ARCHEOLOGISTS

HERITAGE
Thousands of years ago this land we now call Maryland was home to many diverse groups of American Indians or Native Americans. They made their homes along the edges of the Chesapeake Bay, along the waterways of the state, in the interior uplands and in the western mountains. A significant Indian population was here when the first European settlers arrived in the early 1600s. Native Americans still reside in Maryland--they are your neighbors, your teachers, your doctors and lawyers, the person who owns the shop on the corner. All around you in Maryland are signs of the rich heritage and culture heritage of the Indian people. You'll find them in place names like Patuxent and Potomac, at Powwows and other gatherings, museums, and archeological sites.

CONTACT

The early colonial period was a time of great stress for American Indians. Newly arrived European settlers quickly spread throughout Maryland, competing for land American Indians used as homes, farms, hunting areas and sacred places. Misunderstanding and violence characterized much of the initial meetings of these two groups. European diseases took a toll on Indian populations and many died. In cultures where traditions were passed from one generation to the next orally, the loss of a group member often meant the irretrievable loss of cultural knowledge. Modern Indian communities have preserved their traditions as best they could, but have lost large parts of their cultural knowledge over the years.










ARCHEOLOGY

How do people regain knowledge of lost traditions and material cultural items? One way is through the study of archeology. Native peoples across Maryland made camps, settled villages, and used other sites over thousands of years. When they abandoned these places, they often left behind small bits of pottery, stone tools, the remains of meals, houses and so on. By studying and understanding these physical remains, archeologists and modern Indians can begin to fill in gaps in the knowledge of
traditional ways and cultural items. Each archaeological site is unique and tells a different part of the history of a people. By reconstructing stories of what happened at sites, and considering them in the context of what we know about Native cultures, we can begin to broaden our understanding of the past. American Indians can begin to recapture those parts of their history and traditions which once were thought to have disappeared. An important part of this process is the preservation of archeological sites. Sites are fragile, non-renewable resources and must be treated with respect. Once a site has been destroyed, the ability to obtain knowledge from it has also been destroyed.When someone enters a site without permission and removes objects, the cultural heritage of the people associated with the site as been stolen. When objects are removed without recording their context, analyzing the data, and publishing the results, unique information is gone forever.

PRESERVATION
In order to understand the stories told by archeological sites, each artifact in the ground must be seen in its specific context. The position of an artifact in the ground may indicate what time period it dates to. Its association with other artifacts can tell its relation to certain activities and behaviors. The only way this information can be retrieved is through careful archaeological excavation, recording, and reporting. If the information is not recorded, the stories of an object, a site, a time, and a people are lost.

What can you do to help preserve American Indian heritage? If you find a site, don't dig. Remember, as soon as you take an object from a site you are destroying its context and piece of the past. If you find a site report it to Office of Archeology at the Maryland Historical Trust (410-514-7665).

For more information you can contact the following organizations:

Office of Archeology, Maryland Historical Trust
(410) 514-7661
www.marylandhistoricaltrust.net

Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs
(410) 767-7631
E-Mail for: Carmen Pratt, Executive Coordinator for the Governor's Commissions

Archeological Society of Maryland, Inc.
(410) 545-2879
www.marylandarcheology.org

GET INVOLVED!
This pamphlet is a cooperative publication of the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs, the
Council for Maryland Archeology, and the Archeological Society of Maryland, Inc.

Photographs courtesy of the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs, the Maryland Historical Trust, Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum and Historic St. Mary’s City Commission.

Visit Native American cultural centers and museums. Learn more about Native heritage and the rich diversity of the many cultures still alive in Maryland. Participate in Maryland Archeology Month events each April and in Maryland Indian Heritage Month each November.