Native  American  Heritage  Trail  Opening  Day,  June  27,  2015  

   

Welcome,  Piscataway  Native  Americans!  Welcome  back  to  your  homeland!  Welcome  all!    From  Point  of  Rocks  to  Seneca,  the  islands  and  lands  along  the  Potomac  River  were  once  thickly  populated  with  Native  Americans  living  in  palisaded  villages  like  the  one  shown  above.  They  called  it,  “Cohongorooto,”  the  Potomac  Above  the  Falls.    This  was  a  delightful  place.  Fish,  wildlife,  native  fruits  and  plants  provided  abundant  food.  The  level  flood  plains  where  crops  grow  today  were  a  fertile  source  for  cultivating  vegetables.    Little  wonder  that  this  was  a  chosen  place  to  live;  the  river  is  so  beautiful  and  the  soil  so  bountiful.      The  Seneca,  Cherokee,  Tuscarora,  and  Shawnee  hunted,  camped,  traded  and  traveled  through  the  area  on  paths  that  linked  Native  Americans  with  resources  across  the  East  Coast  and  the  continent.    The  Piscataway  maintained  ties  to  the  land  where  we  stand  from  their  earliest  settlement  to  today.    The  Natives  left  a  plethora  of  artifacts.  Professional  archeologists  have  excavated  the  villages,  measured  and  described  the  contents  and  collected  specimens  now  stored  at  the  Smithsonian  Institution  and  Jefferson-­‐Patterson  Park  and  Museum.      

All the property bordering the canal towpath is privately owned. The towpath is a National Park.

It is a federal offense to remove anything from US property. No trespassing.

Sugarloaf  Regional  Trails’  Native  American  Heritage  Trail  begins  with  Conoy  (Heaters)  Island  at  Point  of  Rocks,  home  to  the  Piscataway  tribe  from  ancient  times  to  1722.    Memories  haunt  the  land.  The  Piscataway/Conoy  Tribe,  descendants  of  these  former  residents  are  with  us  here  today.  This  tribe,  along  with  the  Piscataway  Indian  Nation,  was  recognized  by  the  State  of  Maryland  in  2012.  We  honor  their  tribal  memories  and  respect  them  as  the  original  owners  and  inhabitants  of  this  land.  We  welcome  all  Native  Americans  joining  us  today  in  celebrating  their  history  and  culture.    As  you  walk  along  the  trail,  look  for  fish  weirs  in  the  Potomac  above  and  below  the  Monocacy  River.    Farther  down  the  river  the  trail  passes  through  six  former  native  villages.  Tribes  of  many  nations  hunted  here  and  lived  along  the  Potomac  seasonally.  Walk  softly  and  listen  for  whispers.      The  25-­‐mile  long  Native  American  Heritage  Trail  ends  at  Seneca.  To  the  south  is  the  Potomac  River  at  its  widest  point,  anticipating  Great  Falls.  The  river,  so  important  for  centuries,  remains  wild  and  beautiful,  linking  today’s  visitors  with  the  residents  of  long  ago.      

 Members  of  the  Piscataway/Conoy  Tribe  today  

 The  Native  American  Heritage  Trail  will  be  completed  in  2016.    

Check  www.sugarloafregionaltrails.org  for  updates.    

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Artifacts  left  along  the  Native  American  Heritage  Trail  “Footprints  on  the  sands  of  time…”  H.  W.  Longfellow  

 

           

   

Sugarloaf  Regional  Trails  is  an  independent,  non-­‐profit  501(c)(3)  organization.    We  thank  our  sponsors,  Heritage  Montgomery,  MHAA,  the  Montgomery  County  Government,    

Hillside  Consulting  and  Stone  Graphics.