Pocomoke Indian Nation’s Pop-Up Museum educates the community
WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. – Maryland is home to many indigenous nations, and today a local middle school helped honor one of them.
Preserving the Pocomoke
Often times, mainstream curriculums aren’t formatted to represent accurate local history. However, in Wicomico County, community members say they are working to close the gaps of understanding by educating.
The Pocomoke Indian Nation lived in paramountcy tribes with multiple subtribes, that thrived upon their homelands, encompassing present day Somerset County.
Hidden History
Mikayla Hoy is an 8th grader at Bennett Middle School and is one of many students who have or will experience the educational exhibit. “Some people aren’t aware that Native Americans were here first, some history has been erased over the years to hide the truth.”
“Label Look”
Descendant of The Pocomoke Indian Nation Cheryl Doughty says many things were affected by colonization, including appearance, but that doesn’t negate ethnicity. “I am a mixture of European ancestors as well as my indigenous ones. And so just like we don’t always look like our mom or our dad, we don’t always look like a label.”
Colonial Contact
Beach to Bay Heritage Area Program Specialist Andre Nieto Jaime says descendants of these tribes are still present, and that’s why they work so hard to honor their history. “When you look back at the history, early history of the eastern shore, you focus on the colonial white settlers coming over, but you don’t get what came before them, before European contact.”
Alive & Well
The Pocomoke people lived in present-day Wicomico County, Worcester County, Somerset County, Accomack County, Virginia, and Sussex County, Delaware. Sarah Mason is an 8th grade history teacher and says she is honored Bennett Middle is able to experience such rich local historic legacy.
“Our students traditionally learn that Native Americans are no longer present in the United States. However, we see, and we hear directly from local natives that they have been here… We’re bringing a voice to the people who have been intentionally silenced over thousands of years.”
Different not Monolithic
Descendant Cheryl Doughty says indigenous people have many traditions and are not a monolith. The Pop-Up Museum helps define the differences. “The assumption by many people, and it’s definitely changing, were happy to be a part of that, is that All native Americans lived the same way, lived in the same kinds of homes, practiced the same life ways, and that is not true…”
She says learning about other tribes is great, but there is history on the Eastern Shore that has yet to be discovered. “It’s important that our students our region, our residents understand what it was like here.”
And they’re hoping this newfound knowledge will make others appreciate our shared homeland. For more information on the Pocomoke Indian Nation, their traditions, or way of life, visit their website.
