Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives Issues Proclamation by Governor Hogan of American Indian Heritage Day

Recognizes Contributions of Tribes and Indigenous Peoples

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives today issued a proclamation by Governor Larry Hogan recognizing American Indian Heritage Day in Maryland. 

“American Indians are an important part of the cultural fabric of Maryland,” Governor Hogan said. “This proclamation is to recognize the historical and modern-day contributions and achievements of our indigenous communities.”

The Maryland General Assembly approved House Bill 83 in 2008 designating the fourth Friday in November as a legal holiday recognizing the proud history of American Indians in Maryland. In 2012, the Piscataway Indian Nation and the Piscataway Conoy Tribe were granted Maryland Indian Status. In 2018, Governor Hogan granted Maryland Indian Status to the Accohannock Tribe. The Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs continues to serve as an outreach arm of the governor’s office and oversees the process of Maryland Indian Status. 

American Indian Heritage Day in Maryland runs in conjunction with the national designation of the Friday after Thanksgiving as a day to pay tribute to Native Americans, established by the U.S. House of Representatives in November of 2007. Maryland’s indigenous communities include the following: Nause-Waiwash Band of Indians, Pocomoke Indian Nation, Assateague Indians, and Youghiogheny Shawnee. The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has maintained the largest American Indian population in the Baltimore Metropolitan area since the 1960’s.

The proclamation can be found here.

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