EC250, Inc. will welcome Diane Hunter, the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO) for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and a citizen of the Tribe at 1 pm on Saturday, May 14 at the Museum of Howard County History for a presentation to discuss the renown Miami leader Mihšihkinaahkwa’s (Chief Little Turtle’s) relationship with the Ellicott family and the tribe’s connection to the town and local Quaker group.

Mihšihkinaahkwa (c1752-1812) and other chiefs visited Ellicott mills in 1807 after meetings in Washington City and Baltimore. George Ellicott and Gerard Hopkins, the uncle of Johns Hopkins, had been part of a Quaker delegation that visited the chief near Fort Wayne, in 1804. Hopkins and George Ellicott’s daughter Martha (Ellicott) Tyson wrote about these visits in the book “A mission to the Indians, from the Indian committee of Baltimore Yearly Meeting, to Fort Wayne, in 18O4”. Martha’s account of the indigenous leaders’ visit to Ellicott Mills begins on page 185 of the book.  A copy of the book and Martha Ellicott’s account can be found online here.

Ms. Hunter’s work as THPO involves preserving and protecting historic sites and resources, providing education about the presence and history of the Miami Tribe, and serving more than 800 Tribal citizens in Indiana. She has given numerous presentations on the history of Miami people and the Miami Tribe today to groups of all ages and education levels. Diane has a Bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and Master’s degrees from Ball State University and Georgetown University. She has worked for the Miami Tribe since 2015, when the Tribe opened a Cultural Resources Extension Office in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

This is a FREE event however seating is limited. PLEASE REGISTER 

TO LEARN MORE:
Documenting the history of the indigenous peoples who inhabited the Patapsco Valley prior to early colonists and settlers has proven somewhat allusive due to their migratory practices.  However, their presence is evidenced by artifacts found over the years.

• Here is an interesting article published in 2019 in Baltimore Brew by Fern Shen.
  “A 1652 treaty opens up the story of the first “Baltimoreans” 
• Here is additional information from Patapsco Heritage Greenway on the
  First Inhabitants of the Patapsco Valley