Above is a scene from the “Stories of Village Life,” a mural by artist Michael Rosato at the Delmarva Discovery Museum.
History, Heritage & Homelands
Featuring over 24 locations, this guide highlights how Native American history is woven into the heritage of Maryland's Eastern Shore. See below for the full list of sites
In collaboration with the Pocomoke Indian Nation, the Beach to Bay Heritage Area has endeavored to re-imagine the former Beach to Bay Indian Trail in order to create a more authentic representation of Native American heritage on the Shore. Using primary source information, this renewed interpretation is called History, Heritage & Homelands of Maryland's Lower Eastern Shore and is a designated National Recreation Trail spanning over 100 miles through lands once called home by several indigenous groups, including the Pocomoke and Assateague tribes.
Maryland's lower eastern shore offers not only a scenic adventure along the coasts of the Atlantic and Chesapeake, but also a rich cultural history to explore. This self-guided journey offers a deep dive into life on the shore, its people, the heritage, and the profound connection between the people and the land throughout our rich history. Our heritage does not start with the arrival of European settlers, but with the original inhabitants of the land that thrived here. They each have their own histories, social organizations, cultures, and traditions that deserve to be recognized as an inseparable part of not only Maryland heritage, but American heritage. They left their mark upon the region through interactions with early explorers, assisting settlers in times of need, and through the historical record. Many place names and food ways bear their name or language, yet the connection is often overlooked.
Through these shared interactions and deep connections to the landscape, European, Black, and Native American heritage became intertwined. Living descendants continue to shape our understanding of the past by bringing these traditions and histories into the future. This guide honors our shared history and the Native American groups that inhabited our lower shore in the past by highlighting areas of cultural significance, museums, and historic sites that help share this history.
Maryland's lower eastern shore offers not only a scenic adventure along the coasts of the Atlantic and Chesapeake, but also a rich cultural history to explore. This self-guided journey offers a deep dive into life on the shore, its people, the heritage, and the profound connection between the people and the land throughout our rich history. Our heritage does not start with the arrival of European settlers, but with the original inhabitants of the land that thrived here. They each have their own histories, social organizations, cultures, and traditions that deserve to be recognized as an inseparable part of not only Maryland heritage, but American heritage. They left their mark upon the region through interactions with early explorers, assisting settlers in times of need, and through the historical record. Many place names and food ways bear their name or language, yet the connection is often overlooked.
Through these shared interactions and deep connections to the landscape, European, Black, and Native American heritage became intertwined. Living descendants continue to shape our understanding of the past by bringing these traditions and histories into the future. This guide honors our shared history and the Native American groups that inhabited our lower shore in the past by highlighting areas of cultural significance, museums, and historic sites that help share this history.
Download our guidebook below, or pick up a physical copy at a local visitor center or museum!
Guidebook
Download the guide below, or pick up a physical copy at a nearby visitor center or a museum! Each site in this booklet represents a significant piece of Native American history or helps interpret it. Dive into our shared history and explore the land once called home by the first inhabitants of the region.
Interpretive Signs
New interpretive signs were also part of our effort to faithfully share the shore's Native American heritage. These signs are located at several sites along the History, Heritage and Homelands of Maryland's Lower Eastern Shore journey! When you arrive at them and other sites on the recreation trail, we encourage you to observe the landscape, and reflect upon what it may have looked like in the past and the people that have lived there throughout history.
Keep an eye out for our signs and be sure to share a photo on social media with the tag BBHA !
Keep an eye out for our signs and be sure to share a photo on social media with the tag BBHA !
