 A freshwater-tidal estuary onMattawoman Creek,Maryland named after the Mattawoman tribe who originally lived there | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| Extinct as a tribe | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Eastern Shore of Maryland,Virginia | |
| Languages | |
| Eastern Algonquian | |
| Religion | |
| Native American religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Piscataway |
TheMattawoman (also known asMattawomen) were a group ofNative Americans living along the Western Shore of Maryland on theChesapeake Bay at the time of English colonization. They lived alongMattawoman Creek in present-dayCharles County, Maryland. They were also recorded in the early 17th century byexplorerJohn Smith atQuantico Creek inPrince William County, Virginia. He called themPamacocack.[1]
The Mattawomans had a cordial relationship with the Maryland government. They were once armed, along with thePiscataways andPamunkeys, with "matchcoats, corn, powder, and shot in return for military help.” Being distrustful of Natives, the Maryland government wanted to ensure loyalty from the Mattawomans. However, relations were not always peaceful because Maryland also took hostages then employed the help of the Mattawomans to translate during interrogations.[2]
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