The Mattawoman (also known as Mattawomen) were a group of Native Americans living along the Western Shore of Maryland on the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / ...

at the time of English colonization. They lived along

Mattawoman Creek Mattawoman Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 15, 2011 coastal-plain tributary to the tidal Potomac River with a mouth at Indian Head, Maryland, downstr ...

in present-day

Charles County, Maryland Charles County is a county in Southern Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 166,617. The county seat is La Plata. The county was named for Charles Calvert (1637–1715), third Baron Baltimore. Charles County is part of the Was ...

. They were also recorded in the early 17th century by

explorer Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...

John Smith at

Quantico Creek Quantico Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 partially tidal tributary of the Potomac River in eastern Prince William County, Virginia. Quantico C ...

Prince William County, Virginia Prince William County is located on the Potomac River in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 482,204, making it Virginia's second-most populous county. Its county seat is the independent city of Manass ...

. He called them ''Pamacocack''. One of the Algonquian language-speaking coastal tribes, the Mattawomen survived in the Chesapeake Bay area until 1735. They were under the loose domination of the paramount

chiefdom A chiefdom is a form of hierarchical political organization in non-industrial societies usually based on kinship, and in which formal leadership is monopolized by the legitimate senior members of select families or 'houses'. These elites form a ...

of the

Piscataway Piscataway may refer to: *Piscataway people, a Native American ethnic group native to the southern Mid-Atlantic States *Piscataway language *Piscataway, Maryland, an unincorporated community *Piscataway, New Jersey, a township *Piscataway Creek, Ma ...

, also an Algonquian-language tribe.

Relations with Maryland

The Mattawomans had a cordial relationship with the Maryland government. They were once armed, along with the Piscataways and Pamunkeys, 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.

Notes

References

*''Maryland: A Colonial History'', p. 22 Eastern Algonquian peoples Extinct Native American tribes Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands Native American history of Maryland Piscataway tribe Native American tribes in Maryland Chesapeake Bay Extinct ethnic groups {{NorthAm-native-stub