On Indigenous Peoples' Day, take a self-guided tour of SE Baltimore Native American sites
BALTIMORE -- In October 2020, the Baltimore City Council voted to change the Columbus Day holiday to Indigenous Peoples' Day, recognizing the history and heritage of Native Americans.
The ordinance went into law without the signature of then-Mayor Bernard C. "Jack" Young, and the city started celebrating the holiday, held annually on the second Monday of October, in 2021.
Prior to the arrival of European colonists, Baltimore was the ancestral home of the Piscataway and the Susquehannock tribes. But many may do not know that, in the mid-20th century, parts of East Baltimore were home to a thriving community of the Lumbee and other tribes.
Parts of Upper Fells Point and Washington Hill came to be known as "The Reservation."
Much of that heritage has been documented by community artist Ashley Minner, who is a member of the Lumbee.
"We're an important part of the culture of this place, we helped make it what it is," Minner told WJZ last November.
The Baltimore National Heritage Area has put together a map for a self-guided tour highlighting the Native American history of the area, featuring churches, businesses and community centers.
The map can be found here.
