Description
The Accohannock Tribe is one of the oldest historical tribes in Maryland. The bands of the Accohannock were part of the Accomac Confederation. The territory included the Chesapeake Bay home villages on the Annemessex River at present day Crisfield, MD, on the Accohannock Creek in Virginia and on the islands in the Chesapeake Bay. In the 1660s, the Accohannock were joined in Somerset County by a group of Quakers who left Virginia to seek religious freedom in Maryland. The Accohannock and Quakers shared a fairly peaceful existence, but Indians steadily lost access to the traditional lands and lifestyles that sustained their people. They began to intermarry with the Quakers. By 1705, the Accohannock had pretty much assimilated into the Quaker community.
Language
The Accohannock Tribe is an Algonquian-speaking sub-tribe of the Powhatan nation. The bands of the Accohannock were part of the Accomac Confederation.
Culture
They harvested food from the Chesapeake Bay and its many tributaries. They grew squash, maize (corn), and other Native American foods. The Accohannocks also were great hunters of waterfowl, deer, rabbit, squirrels, raccoons, bear and elk. They were the first watermen, hunters, farmers, and trappers on the Chesapeake Bay waters and wetlands.