Piscataway Indian Nation and Tayac Territory facts for kids
Billy Tayac, hereditary chief of the Piscataway Indian Nation And Tayac Territory in 2012
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|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 103 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Maryland | |
| Languages | |
| English, Piscataway (historically) | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Native American religion (historically) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Nanticoke |
The Piscataway Indian Nation is a Native American group in Maryland. They are descendants of the historic Piscataway people. When Europeans first arrived, the Piscataway were a large and strong Native American group. They lived in the Chesapeake Bay area, north of the Potomac River. By the early 1600s, they were leaders among other Native American groups who spoke the Algonquian language in that area.
The Piscataway nation became much smaller before the 1800s. This was due to European settlement, new sicknesses, and wars between tribes and colonists. In the 1900s, the Piscataway Indian Nation was formed to bring back their people and culture. They work to protect the rights of indigenous people and human rights. They are one of three main groups of Piscataway people today.
On January 12, 2012, the Governor of Maryland officially recognized both the Piscataway Indian Nation and the Piscataway Conoy Tribe.
Contents
Where the Piscataway Live Today
The Piscataway Indian Nation lives in their traditional homelands. These areas are in Charles County, Prince George's County, and St. Mary's County in Maryland. Most of their people now live in these three southern Maryland counties. Many also live in the nearby big cities of Baltimore and Washington, D.C..
Piscataway Leadership
The most recent traditional leader, or chief, of the Piscataway Indian Nation and Tayac Territory was Billy Redwing Tayac. He was important in fighting for the rights of Native Americans and all people. He was the son of Chief Turkey Tayac, who was a key leader in bringing back Native American cultures in the 1900s. Billy Redwing Tayac passed away in September 2021.
Since Chief Turkey Tayac died in 1978, two other groups of Piscataway people have formed. These are the Piscataway Conoy Tribe, led by Mrs. Mervin Savoy, and the Cedarville Band of Piscataways, led by Natalie Proctor. These different groups have their own ideas about who can be a member and how the tribe should grow.
Piscataway History
Native American people lived along Maryland's waterways for thousands of years. The historic Piscataway group came together as a tribe around the 1300s or 1400s. The women were skilled farmers, growing corn, beans, and squash. These crops helped their population grow and supported their society. The men also hunted and fished.
A system of leaders and places developed. Smaller settlements without their own leaders gave gifts to a nearby village. The chief of that village, called a werowance, chose a "lesser king" for each dependent settlement. By the late 1500s, all the werowances north of the Potomac River followed one main chief. This main chief was the ruler of the Piscataway, known as the Tayac.
English Settlers Arrive
The English explorer Captain John Smith first explored the upper Potomac River in 1608. When the English began to settle in what is now Maryland, the Tayac became friends with them. The Tayac gave the English a former Native American settlement. The English renamed it St. Mary's City. The Tayac hoped this new English settlement would protect them from attacks by the Susquehannock people from the north.
In 1634, Tayac Chitimachen, also known as Kittamaquund, became a Christian. His young daughter, Mary, also became Christian and married an English settler named Giles Brent. Soon, the Piscataway were caught in English religious conflicts. An English trader from Virginia attacked Maryland, destroying St. Mary's City.
At first, having the English as friends seemed helpful. But as the English colony grew stronger, they began to compete with the Piscataway for land and resources. By a treaty in 1668, the Native American groups on the western shore agreed to live on two reservations. However, these reservations were not fully set up when the Susquehannock people moved into Maryland. This led to more conflict, including Bacon's Rebellion.
By 1690, the Piscataway had moved into Zekiah Swamp for safety. In 1697, many Piscataway moved across the Potomac River to what is now Plains, Virginia. This worried the Virginia settlers. In 1699, the tribe moved again to Conoy Island in the Potomac River, near Point of Rocks, Maryland. They lived there until after 1722.
In the 1700s, some Piscataway, along with other Native American groups, moved northwest. They went towards the Susquehanna River to escape the European settlers. They were then known as the "Conoy". They sought protection from the powerful Haudenosaunee people, who had once been their enemies. They were allowed to create settlements in Pennsylvania.
However, by the time of the American Revolutionary War, Pennsylvania also became unsafe. Some Conoy continued to move north into Canada. Today, their descendants live with the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation in Ontario, Canada. Other Piscataway may have moved south and joined other tribes.
The Piscataway Today
Some historians believe that a small group of Piscataway families always stayed in their homeland. Even though they lost their independence, the Piscataway survived. They became farmers in rural areas. Over time, they married people from other groups, but they kept some of their Piscataway traditions.
In the late 1800s, researchers interviewed many Piscataway people who said they were descendants of the old Piscataway leaders. The Catholic Church records continued to identify a core group of families as Native American.
Phillip Sheridan Proctor, later known as Turkey Tayac, was born in 1895. He brought back the title of tayac, which he said was passed down in his family. Chief Turkey Tayac was very important in bringing back Native American cultures in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions.
In the early 1900s, fewer families identified as Piscataway Indians. This was due to sickness and the loss of their lands. Also, laws at the time, like Jim Crow policies, made it hard for people to be recognized as Native American if they had any African ancestry. This meant many Piscataway were listed as "free people of color" instead of Native American. But church records and other reports still showed these families as Native American.
Piscataway Culture Comes Back
Chief Turkey Tayac was a key person in the cultural revival movements of the 1900s. He helped the Piscataway and other Native American groups in the Southeast. Chief Turkey Tayac started the process of bringing back their culture and self-determination. He believed Native Americans should choose their own identity. This was important at a time when the government required people to prove their "blood quantum" (a certain amount of Native American ancestry) to claim their heritage.
Today, the Piscataway Indian Nation is a growing and strong Native American presence in their Chesapeake homeland. The Piscataway Indian tribal nation is experiencing a rebirth of its culture and traditions.
Members of the Piscataway Indian Nation are part of the 25,000 people in Maryland who identify as Native American.
