The Pocomoke people were a historic

Native American tribe In the United States, an American Indian tribe, Native American tribe, Alaska Native village, Indigenous tribe, or Tribal nation may be any current or historical Tribe (Native American)#Other uses, tribe, band, or nation of Native Americans in ...

whose territory encompassed the rivers Pocomoke, Great Annemessex, Little Annemessex, and Manokin, the bays of Monie and Chincoteague, and the sounds of Pocomoke and

Tangier Tangier ( ; , , ) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the capital city, capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture of Moroc ...

History

Their numbers decreased during the 17th and 18th centuries due to the effects of diseases brought from Europe, massacres by Virginia colonists, and forced displacement from their territory by numerous land grants and patents to immigrants and transports. Beginning in about 1742, some Pocomoke families moved northward by way of the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...

and settled in present-day

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and

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, while others cohabited with the

Assateague Assateague Island is a long barrier island located off the eastern coast of the Delmarva Peninsula facing the Atlantic Ocean. The northern two-thirds of the island are in Maryland, and the southern third is in Virginia. The entire island is ...

, Nanticoke, and the Choptanks near the Indian River.

Subtribes

Several related groups were considered subtribes of the Pocomoke: * Acquintica, also spelled Aquintankec, Aquinteca * Annamessex, Annamessick * Gingoteque, Chingotegue, Gingateege, Gingo Teague, Yingoteague * Manokin, Mannanokin, Monoakin * Morumsco * Nasswatex, Nuswattax * Quandanquan.

Heritage group

The Pocomoke Indian Nation, which is not recognized as a tribe, claims to descend from the Pocomoke people. It is an

unrecognized tribe These organizations, located within the United States, self-identify as Native American tribes, heritage groups, or descendant communities, but they are not federally recognized or state-recognized as Native American tribes. The U.S. Governmental ...

that incorporated as a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

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in 2014. No petition has been submitted to date for requesting formal recognition from the United States or the State of Maryland.

Notes

References

External links

Pocomoke Indian History on the Eastern Shore

by Christine Richardson {{authority control Eastern Algonquian peoples Extinct Native American tribes Native American tribes in Maryland Pre-statehood history of Maryland