‘Land, Legacy and Freedom’ event to highlight how Native American cultures shaped the country
Preston, Md. – The Leverton Hubbard Foundation and Caroline County Historical Society are coming together to present the “Land, Legacy and Freedom: Native American Strength Shapes a Nation” event at the Linchester Mill Campus on April 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The event will feature opening remarks by Leverton Hubbard Foundation CEO Grace Mahon and Founder and Caroline Historical Society Michael McCrea, followed by historical presentations by Nause-Waiwash Chief Donna “Wolf Mother” Abbott and Pocomoke Indian Nation Chief Norris Howard and Assistant Chief Norris Howard Jr.
McCrea says the event is meant to bring various people together and celebrate the rich history of the area, highlighting the historical contributions of native people’s from the 1700s, through the Revolutionary War, to the 1800s, through the Underground Railroad.
“There are also some very relevant issues as far as even going back to our own Declaration of Independence and the Bill of rights,” Mahon said. According to Mahon, a rarely mentioned fact is that after the first draft of the Bill of Rights, founding fathers “ended up copying the Iroquois Six Nations, and their structure for the Bill of Rights.”
“So you there are a lot of influences that we’re really not familiar with that we are going to bring to light,” she said.
In an interview with WMDT, Abbott said she is honored and excited to speak at Saturday’s event, though “it’s not our 250th anniversary.”
“I mean, we were here long before that,” she said. She also it is important to explore the history of what indigenous people were going through during the 1700s. She said though she wasn’t sure how exactly her ancestors were involved in the events during 1776, she said was “looking forward to participating in all of this.”
The event will include explorations and demonstrations into how indigenous people lived, foraged and worked, complete with dances and weaving demonstrations, according to McCrea. McCrea emphasized that, for him, the event was about connection with the community through history.
“I try to put great emphasis on, when I try to educate people and they come through our area, is that it was not just Harriet Tubman, it was not just indigenous people that were here originally. It was not just the European settlers. It was the entire community that actually made this happen,” he said.
The event is open to the public and will feature vendors, traditional food of the era and dances. More information about the event can be found on the Caroline County Historical Society website.
Mike Lawrence contributed to this reporting.
