Howard County Maryland Visitor Guide 2024 - Magazine - Page 21
NATIVE
HISTORY
IN HOWARD C OU NT Y
Long ago, before Howard County was the
place it is today, the land mainly belonged
to the Piscataway tribe of the Algonquins
and Susquehannock tribe of the Iroquois.
Native Americans farmed and hunted here,
until 1634, when colonists arrived on tribal
lands and conflict arose. Hostility against
the Natives continued for years, until 1652,
when the Susquehannock people agreed
to a peace treaty and lost their land. In the
1900s, there were subsequent treaties to
NATIVE AMERICAN CELEBRATION AT HOWARD COUNTY LIBRARY EAST COLUMBIA BRANCH All Photos
Resilience in the face of resistance
AMERICAN
INDIAN
POW-WOW
Every July, Howard County hosts
the American Indian Pow-Wow
at the Howard County Fairgrounds,
where residents and visitors can meet
Native Americans, learn about
the significance of their singing
and dancing, hear stories, and
try Native American food.
create a Piscataway reservation and protect
the Native’s rights to the land, but those
treaties did not last.
Despite the violence they faced, the Native
people, their culture, and their way of life
lived on in Howard County. Today, they
are celebrated in Howard County every
November for Native American Heritage
Month and on Indigenous Peoples’ Day,
which replaced Columbus Day in 2020 in
the county.
Next time you’re in Howard County,
take a look around and recognize
that we are all visitors in this beautiful
natural landscape. To learn more about
how to honor Native land and support
indigenous people, visit the Association
on American Indian Affairs’ website at
indian-affairs.org.
visithowardcounty.com
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