"History" is a difficult word. A favorite saying is that "History is propaganda sewn together with the thinnest thread of truth." It is also said that "History is written by the conquerors." We will make every attempt not to present propaganda. When we do not know, we will say so. And, as is true of most "ancient" history, ours has been carried forward by the oral tradition. And, as is customary with the oral tradition, the "history" is within the "story". As with Homer, much "history" was brought to today from ancient times through the story that, by its' nature, had to be interesting. That, however, does not mean there was not a Troy, a Helen, or an Odysseus. Though there are many parts of the Odyssey that were there for the sake of the "story" and do not reflect "history". Also, unlike the "history" taught to the young, we are keenly aware that the "history" of the current day "Americas" did NOT begin when Columbus "discovered" America. Maybe some Indian people should get into a boat, sail over to Spain, jump out onto the beach, and plant a flag in the ground and "claim" Europe as the "discoverers"! What do you think, my friends? It would be no different than Columbus "discovering" the Americas. So, what of our "History"?
Before Contact
There are many "creation stories" amongst Indian people. Many are similar or identical and some are quite different. We, it is said, "crawled out of the ground"! Now, let us investigate this first. A "story" that is passed down was of the "great migration" where we all migrated from the southern reaches of the current day Americas to where we were when the "white mans history of the US begins". So, for what purpose would a people that loved the open spaces so much all be clustered together, different languages, different cultures to some degrees, all occupying the areas that were warm? I would ask a question. If you were sitting in, let us say Chicago, and a big ice wall was creeping closer and closer, and you were less and less able to grow the food you needed to live and the game had migrated south, would you stay? I would propose that you would watch your animal brothers and migrate south also. Then, when the ice began to recede and the game began migrating north again, then I would suggest that you too would migrate. Did we "crawl out of the ground"? If we were living in caves to keep as warm as possible, I guess that the "story" may have an element of truth. Though not as a "creation" story but as a very early story of ourselves.
When the migration occurred, we believe that we followed the morning sun up the eastern seaboard and when we "found" the area with the ocean on one side and the Bay on the other, with game and fertile land for crops, we "fell in love". We settled villages along the "black water, deep water, abundant water" (Pocomoke) river at a place named Wighcocomoco (a pleasant place to live). Prior to arrival of the English, we were referred to by that name. We were the people that lived "at Wighcocomoco". As Marylanders become so by living in Maryland, we became Wighcocomoco by having our main village at that place.
Around 1000, the ability to grow maize (corn) finally made it to us. This made a significant difference in the way we lived. We began growing corn and continued growing beans and squash and found that by altering our fields that we could stay within close geographic areas. It was no longer necessary to move or to move as far to find food. We became settled, formed more delineated councils (matchacomico), both men's and women's (clan mothers) matchacomico. Our boys became men in the traditional huskanaw, a month long endurance test, and we were happy. Then the settlers came.
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