THE PISCATAWAY INDIANS OF SOUTHERN MARYLAND: AN ETHNOHISTORY FROM PRE-EUROPEAN CONTACT TO THE PRESENT (LATE WOODLAND, CHESAPEAKE BAY, ALGONQUIAN)

At European contact in 1608, the Algonquian-speaking Piscataway chiefdom was dominant on the Western Shore of Maryland. This dissertation presents their ethnohistory from pre-European contact to the present. There are a number of research goals. Two are considered major: first, to determine the origin of the myth that the Indian "disappeared" from the area; and second, to determine why the Piscataway came to be viewed as non-Indians. The methodology demanded both fieldwork and the analysis of numerous source materials: archaeological, linguistic, ethnographic, historical/archival, and contemporary. The archaeological Potomac Creek Complex dates to about 1300 A.D. and includes the Piscataway and the Virginia Patawomeke. Relations with Virginia pre-dated and influenced those with Maryland, settled in 1634. Early Maryland relations were basically cordial, with some conflict and subtle struggle for dominance. Relations later deteriorated. About 1700 A.D., some Piscataway left the Colony; others did not. Colonial policy in the late 1600s effectively removed the Piscataway from later records: influential whites living near Indian communities acted as intermediaries in Indian/English disputes. The colonial concept of "mulatto" included people of mixed Indian parentage. Combined with anti-miscegenation laws, these factors led to the belief that the Piscataway had left the Colony and that those who remained were not Indian. Nevertheless, the records reveal that the Piscataway continued to be viewed as a unique population. Individual racial classifications were frequently contradictory. The nineteenth century saw an increased use of terms such as "free person of color." Marriage records reveal a high rate of endogamy. This has decreased in recent years. The Piscataway "re-emerged" in the 1800s. This research shows that they have a strong matrilineal focus and community organization. Extant roles correspond to clan mother and chief. Use of the white intermediary in external conflicts continued until recent years. A number of Piscataway, presently divided into three factions, are engaged in a revitalization movement, vocally asserting Indian identity. Their struggle for recognition as Indians is succeeding, with many people moving into their once rural area. The Piscataway must now maintain their group identity in the face of increased suburbanization.