By the time of European contact, the Native Americans living in the mid-Atlantic region had settled in villages along waterways. They grew corn, beans, and squash; fished and hunted for deer, turkey, and other game; and gathered berries, nuts, wild plants, and roots from the surrounding forests.

The Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal has assembled an Indigenous Nations, Communities & Cultures map collection to assist with ocean planning and increase awareness of the region’s deep American Indian heritage and history.

tribal data on the mid-atlantic ocean data portal The Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal has assembled an Indigenous Nations, Communities & Cultures map collection to assist with ocean planning and increase awareness of the region’s deep American Indian heritage and history.

Indigenous peoples today. Tens of thousands of people who identify as American Indian live in the Chesapeake region today. Some belong to state or federally-recognized tribes, others belong to groups with a shared heritage and many others celebrate their ancestry through their immediate family.

Currently, there are 27 state or federally recognized Tribal Nations in the Mid-Atlantic. Tribes in the region have relied on the ocean for thousands of years, and marine resources have been integral to their survival and their culture.