The City of Gaithersburg designated November as Native American History Month through an official proclamation presented at the Nov. 7 Mayor and City Council meeting, kicking off a time of reflection and celebration for native and indigenous histories.
The proclamation was received by Milo Booth, a Tsimshian member of the Metlakatla Indian Community. Booth moved to Gaithersburg in 2011 and has since visited classrooms to talk about his heritage and the Tsimshian culture through song and dance. Booth’s children enrolled in the Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy’s Reservation and attend Jones Lane Elementary and Quince Orchard High School.
The Metlakatla Indian Community resides about 20 miles south of Ketchikan on Annette Island, the only settlement of Tsimshian people in the United States and the only Indian Reserve in Alaska. Booth, who returns home every other year for his tribe’s Founder Day Celebration, serves as the Director of Tribal Affairs at the US Department of Transportation.
The Piscataway Conoy tribe has historically called the land where Gaithersburg is situated home. While the tribe officially received recognition by the state of Maryland in 2012, the Bohrer Park Activity Center is hosting an educational display exploring the days before European settlers arrived on Maryland’s shores. The display highlights the history of Maryland’s native lands, featuring the Sugarloaf Regional Trails. The free display runs through Nov. 30 during regular business hours.
The Casey Community Center will conduct a reading of Kevin Noble Maillard’s Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story at 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 5. The event will cost $5 per person and includes a craft activity and a fry bread making demonstration. Events through the Tasty Books program are recommended for children aged 2 to 8. Participants can register in advance online.
The Gaithersburg Community Museum is partnering with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and the Montgomery Parks Archaeology Program to present a free exhibit exploring historic indigenous life in Montgomery County.
“The City of Gaithersburg acknowledges that the Piscataway Indian Nation continues to maintain a relationship with the lands & waters and acknowledge that we are uninvited visitors on Indigenous lands,” the city’s website states.
