Each year on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor the enduring history, culture, and contributions of the First Peoples of this land. At Preservation Maryland, we are committed not just to commemoration, but to ongoing collaboration, education, and action that uplifts Indigenous communities across the state.
Over the past two years, we’ve made meaningful strides in deepening relationships and building space for Indigenous voices in the preservation and archaeological fields — most notably through the Summit of Maryland Indigenous People and Archaeologists, now an annual event.
2024: Building the Foundation
In partnership with the Baltimore Community Archaeology Lab (BCAL) at Towson University and the Native American Liaison Committee of the Council for Maryland Archaeology (CfMA), Preservation Maryland co-hosted the first-ever Summit of Maryland Indigenous People and Archaeologists on September 6, 2024.
The inaugural summit brought together more than 90 participants — including representatives from state agencies, tribal communities, museums, academic institutions, and local governments — to foster open dialogue around:
- Best practices for ethical archaeological work
- Collaboration and consultation with Indigenous communities
- Repatriation and shared stewardship of ancestral sites and objects
This event laid the foundation for future dialogue and action by opening space for trust-building, knowledge-sharing, and long-overdue conversations.
2025: Continuing the Commitment
On September 6, 2025, the Second Annual Summit was held — a direct result of the momentum and relationships built in 2024.
This year’s event expanded on the inaugural summit with new programming and deeper engagement, including:
- A Symposium on Indigenous Education Outreach, highlighting efforts from the Pocomoke and Piscataway Conoy communities
- A presentation by the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) on accessing and interpreting publicly available archaeological data
- A panel discussion featuring state historic preservation officers sharing strategies for consulting with non–federally recognized tribes
The 2025 Summit demonstrated that this is an evolving effort to center Indigenous leadership and knowledge in archaeology and preservation work across Maryland.
To support this important work, Preservation Maryland awarded a $10,000 Heritage Fund grant to Towson University to help co-host the 2025 summit.
As we mark Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2025, we recognize that preservation is not only about protecting buildings and artifacts — it’s about honoring people, stories, and cultures that have shaped our past and continue to inform our future.