Piscataway people
The Piscataway /pɪsˈkætəˌweɪ/ or Piscatawa /pɪsˈkætəˌweɪ, ˌpɪskəˈtɑːwə/, are Native Americans. They spoke Algonquian Piscataway, a dialect of Nanticoke. One of their neighboring tribes, with whom they merged after a massive decline of population following two centuries of interactions with European settlers, called them the Conoy.
Kinwaw Paskestikweya | |
|---|---|
The three Piscataway tribal leaders representing the Piscataway Indian Nation and Tayac Territory, Piscataway-Conoy Tribe of Maryland, and Cedarville Band of Piscataway received official recognition as tribes from the State of Maryland in 2012. Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley is 2nd from right. | |
| Total population | |
| est. 4,103 Piscataway Indian Nation 500 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| United States ( Maryland) | |
| Languages | |
| English, formerly Piscataway | |
| Religion | |
| Roman Catholicism, big house religion. | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Mattawoman, Patuxent, Doeg, Nanticoke, Yaocomico |
Two major groups representing Piscataway descendants received state recognition as Native American tribes in 2012: the Piscataway Indian Nation and Tayac Territory and the Piscataway Conoy Tribe of Maryland. Within the latter group was included the Piscataway Conoy Confederacy and Sub-Tribes and the Cedarville Band of Piscataway Indians. All these groups are located in Southern Maryland. None are federally recognized.