Sacred Tree for Indigenous People of Melbourne, AU

As part of my Christmas day, I visited the Sacred Tree and Indigenous People's Reserve in Albert Park, which happens to be across from where I'm staying in Melbourne, AU.

The tree is a central element of an Indigenous People's area in Albert Park. It was first marked by the City in 1952.

Now it consists of a group of paths with additional markers for native plants and seating areas where ceremonies are held.

Here is the detailed marker that explains the history of the sacred gum tree that is believed to be between 300-500 years old.

It's wonderful that the tree was saved from development, but the roadway does come very close to the base of the tree.

Here's a full shot of the Ngargee tree.

 We'll be lucky to have even a much smaller area to mark the history of the Anacostan Natives of DC!

DC Archaeologist, Ruth Trocolli, Lecture Dec 2!

Here's a must do:

https://www.hillcenterdc.org/event/overbeck-lecture-exploring-washingtons-history-with-archaeologys-new-tools/

The DC Acknowledgement of the Anacostan People

Here is the text of a basic Acknowledgement of the Anacostan People of Washington, DC that was composed with the guidance of Chief Jesse James Swann Jr, of the local Piscataway Conoy Tribe. Please pass it on to organizations who may like to use it to open their meetings.

We acknowledge that this meeting is taking place on the traditional land of the Anacostan People of the Piscataway Tribe.

And here it is when it was first used on Oct 8, 2019 by City Councliman, David Grosso

https://youtu.be/YwscPkrR3dE

Bolling Plans to Add Native History to It's Website!

Today, Abigail Meyers, an associate PR person at Bolling, called to inform me that the Base is working on adding information on it's Native history to the Base website !

It probably won't be more than 1 or 2 paragraphs, but even that will be much greater than zero!

1936 News Reports on the Anacostan Remains Emailed to Bolling Base

9/12/19

Dear Ms Kelty,

Attached are 3 news articles from 1936 reporting on the Anacostan remains that were found on the Base.

The source of these items and a more extensive discussion of the ossuaries found at Bolling can be found in this 1999 book by Dennis Curry, Feast of the Dead: Aboriginal Ossuaries in Maryland.

Until you correct me about the absence of any historical markers on the Base regarding its extensive Native history, I will continue to discuss it as I have in this recent letter in the Washington Post (attached).

Best wishes,

Armand 

Armand Lione, Ph.D.

Director,

DC Native History Project

“Ancient Cemetery in Anacostia Yields Bones Held Prehistoric,” Washington Post, p. 1, September 11, 1936

The Washington Star 1936a "Skeletons Unearthed at Bolling Field" B1, September 11, 1936.

Letter to The Editor, "Remember The Anacostans" Armand Lione & Robert Engelman, Washington Post. A 17, September 7, 2019.

Where to find the latest updates about the DC Native History Project

This blog, started in 2016, includes the basics that led to the collection of volunteers who now form the DC Native History Project.

During the last month, there have been a number of developments relating to the commemoration of the Anacostans on Capitol Hill and in DC.
- Garfield Park Native History Day
- Presentations on Anacostan history to the students of Gonzaga High School and UDC.
- Comments on the content of the new ATT GW CITT app, A Guide to Indigenous DC, led to this letter on Sept 7, 2019 in the Washington Post (p. A 17).

Details and pictures from the above events can be found on this link.
Some double postings may be done in the future, but checking the Facebook page for the
DC Native History Project will probably get you the quickest updates for new events.

Where is the Story of the Anacostan Indians at the Anacostia Community Museum?

On Monday, 8/12, I sent this email to the new director of the Anacostia Community Museum. I was impressed by her prompt and considerate response as well as a call from their PR director, Marcia BairdBurris!

Dr. Melanie Adams, Director, Anacostia Community Museum

Dear Dr. Adams,

Congratulations on your appointment as Director of the Anacostia Community Museum (ACM)!

This letter is to encourage new programing at the museum to tell the story of the Anacostan Indians, the Natives who once walked the ground under the museum and gave their name to the river, the community and the museum.

The links below will detail the efforts made by the DC Native History Project to promote recognition of the Anacostans in Washington, DC. I am happy to offer the ACM free use of all the information in the Once As It Was DC map, an interactive map of major historic Native American sites around Washington! I've also attached an article that gives the detailed literature references for all the information on the map. Perhaps you would like to use it online as is, but I'm sure that a staff with some training could improve on the contents. Correct me if I'm wrong, but based on a review of exhibits listed for the museum online, the last exhibit that mentioned the history of the Anacostans was THE ANACOSTIA STORY which ran from March 6, 1977 – January 8, 1978.

Please be in touch for more information about any of the lengthy items in this short email and call on me to be of assistance for any programing that the museum may undertake to expand telling the story of the Anacostans. I'm sure Chief Jesse James Swann (also cc'd here) of the local Maryland Piscataways would also be available to act as a resource for your work.

Sincerely yours,

Armand

Armand Lione, Ph.D., Director

DC Native History Project, 202.487.7092

http://onceasitwasdc.org/ 

https://nativevillagemarker.blogspot.com/

PDF " Why Did the Anacostan Indians Choose to Live on Capitol Hill? "

http://onceasitwasdc.org/media/Why%20Did%20the%20Anacostan%20Indians%20Choose%20to%20Live%20on%20Capitol%20Hill%20Feb%202018.pdf  

Her reply, that evening:

Dear Dr. Lione:

 Thank you for the warm welcome and the suggestion for programs related to the Anacostan Indians.

I agree that we need to be sharing the story of everyone who called DC home (even before it was called DC). We are currently working hard to prepare the museum for our re-opening later this fall.  I will share your idea with our program team and keep your generous invitation to serve as a resource in mind as we move forward.

Sincerely,

Melanie A. Adams, PhD

Garfield Park Native History Day, Aug 24!

There's a new Facebook page to help promote Garfield Park Native History Day:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/498983764237328/?ref=bookmarks

Here's the flyer to help spread the word -

National Park Service Awareness of Native History of DC

June 3, 2019

Lisa Mendelson-Ielmini, Acting Regional Director

National Park Service, National Capital Region

1100 Ohio Drive, SW

Washington, DC 20242

During the last 3 years I've been collecting the largely untold stories of the Native people of Washington, DC.

You can review my collected work in the following links:

http://nativevillagemarker.blogspot.com/

http://onceasitwasdc.org/

It's been a source of frustration that so little is said about our Native people, particularly the absence of their story at the National Museum of the American Indian, both at the museum and on the Museum's website.

These were the people who once walked the land under the museum and had a village site, identified in the 1880s, only a few blocks away.

I appreciate that some of the few places around the city, such as Roosevelt Island and Anacostia Park, the NPS has acknowledged the Natives people of DC!

On a recent Saturday night I attended the rehearsal for the Capitol Memorial Day show. During one of the longer breaks in the night, I chatted with a NPS officer who had lived in DC for more than 10 years. Asking if she knew the name of the native people of Washington, she thought and said, “No.”

Please try the test yourself on others in the NPS and see how many can name our Native people!

This isn't a new issue. The opening chapter of "Chocolate City (2017)" recounts how, around 1800, Thomas Jefferson asked about "the name of the Native Americans who lived along the Eastern Branch, no one could answer him." I've found that Andrew Ellicott later wrote Jefferson and recalled his question from a “few years ago,” and told him the answer.

Please consider what orientation you currently give to NPS staff and officers in the Washington, DC area, regarding the Native people of this area. I would welcome information on how unusual my experience was and how the materials given to staff actually do review this basic history.

Sincerely yours,

Armand Lione, Ph.D.

Director,

DC Native History Project

Washington, DC

202.487.7092

PS. Not being sure who at the NPS might be involved in this educational matter, I've ccd several others at NPS.

Request Meeting at Bolling to Discuss Marking Anacostan History

To address the issues raised by the Cost of Forgetting video on the Once As It Was map, I've requested a meeting with the Commander of Bolling Airforce Base to discuss markers for the Anacostan history of the site.

Check the comments for this entry to see the reply that was sent in mid June!

May 15, 2019

533 4^th St. SE

Washington, DC

20003-4222

Captain Jose L. Rodriguez, Commanding Officer

Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling

20 MacDill Blvd SW

Washington, DC 20032

Dear Captain Rodriquez,

As you may know, the documented history of the land which Bolling now covers began in 1608 when Captain John Smith identified it as the tribal land of the Chief of the Nacotchtank/Anacostan Natives (see link below to article with the detailed references and telling of the Anacostan story). The remains of over 100 Natives that were found on the Base in 1937, when it was being expanded, are also a significant part of that history (T. D. Stewart & W. R. Wedel, 1937).

Unfortunately, there does not seem to be any acknowledgement of this Native American history on the Base (see The Cost of Forgetting video, link below).

I would like to meet with you or your representative and the base historian to discuss what might be done to acknowledge these important parts of the history of Bolling.

Best wishes,

Armand Lione, Ph.D., Director

DC Native History Project

Washington, DC

202.487.7092

Links:

“Why Did the Anacostan Indians Choose to Live on Capitol Hill?”

by Armand Lione, Ph.D. (online at: http://onceasitwasdc.org/)

T. D. Stewart and W. R. Wedel, "The Finding of Two Ossuaries on the Site of the Indian Village of

Nacotchtanke (Anacostia)." Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences 27, no. 5 (1937): 213-19.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/24530043.

See also:

The Cost of Forgetting https://youtu.be/zZtG7HtGQFc (online at: http://onceasitwasdc.org/ )

Miami Circle - Miami, FL, Has A Memorial to Their Native People In The Center of the City!

At the mouth of the Miami River in the heart of the city there is an archeological site, Miami Circle.
It consists of a perfect circle measuring 38 feet of 600 postmolds that contain 24 holes or basins cut into the limestone bedrock. It is believed to have been the location of a structure, built by the Tequesta Indians between 1,700 and 2000 years ago.
The site was discovered in 1998 when an apartment complex on the site was torn down and an archeological field survey was done before redevelopment.

A controversy developed about how to preserve the site, which generated a lot of public support for purchasing it, and in November 1999, the State of Florida Preservation 2000 land acquisition program purchased the site from Property developer Michael Baumann for $26.7 million, using both state funds and donations from various foundations and private citizens.

There is also a large exhibit at the History Miami Museum explaining the site and displaying some of the objects found during field work at the site.

The History Miami Museum also has an extensive exhibit on the native Tequesta Indians of Miami.

Meanwhile in Washington, DC, we're waiting for any public (or online) exhibit that tells the rich history of our Anacostan First People!