This group of about 300 people are descendants of the original Nanticoke Indians, whose home was/is the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Their name, Nause-Waiwash (nah-soo WAY-wash), is a reference to two Nanticoke ancestral villages.
Based in Dorchester County, Maryland, the Nause-Waiwash are the remnants of what Europeans call Nanticoke, Choptank and Pocomoke tribes who fled into the marshes in the 1700s. These three names (Nanticoke, Choptank and Pocomoke) are the names of the three major rivers in the area, which are tributaries of the majestic Chesapeake Bay.
These "Indians" or Native Americans were first "discovered" by the famous Captain John Smith during his exploration of the Chesapeake Bay in 1609, and are well documented in his writings and history books everywhere.
Tree Planting: A cedar tree was planted to honor Wolf Mother's new position as Chief of the Nause Waiwash. This tree, tied with red cloth, represents the strength and continued growth of our people.
"We know we're here. We've never left." . . . "We want the state of Maryland and all to acknowledge they didn't kill us all, that some of us managed to survive."-Chief Sewell Winterhawk Fitzhugh