Native American History of Washington, DC

by Armand Lione

Read the missing stories of DC's precolonial history. Native Americans lived on the land that is now Washington, DC for several thousand years before English settlers arrived in the early 1600s. The Native people had villages, quarries and burial grounds throughout the city, ranging from what is now Rock Creek Park to the grounds of the White House. These sites speak of the history of the Anacostans and the preceding tribes who once walked the land under historic sites and museums that now neglect them. Local author Armand Lione details the record of the Native tribes of the District and deals with the complex question of why these stories have not been offered to the public.

Genres: Native American, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

Published September 4, 2023

Reviews

[Liam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting and thorough research. It is somewhat disorganized and could use better editing.
"anaquashatanik" became "Anacostia"
Algonquin "anaquash" means "to trade"
"tanik" means "town"
The main village of the Anacostans was located where JBAB is now, and the first natives that would trade with John Smith as he sailed north in 1608.

http://onceasitwasdc.org/

[N Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was extremely informative. I learned a lot and it is written in a way that is very interesting to read. Well researched.

[Drew Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leone is a little scattered in his writing, but provides an otherwise solid introduction to some archeological finds of native DC. It’s very short and I wish there were more sites though.