NACOTCHTANK, DISTRICT OF COLUMBUS
–Julian Parker

As I search for more knowledge and understanding of the Nacotchtank there is little found on the Internet. From my knowledge before the arrival of English settlers to the ‘New World”, a group of the Algonquian Native Americans, known as the Nacotchtank, lived in what is now known as Washington, D.C. during the 17th century. Nacotchtank was also the name of their central village; which was situated on the eastern bank of what is now the Anacostia River (present-day Anacostia). The people of this tribe were believe to speak the Nanticoke language (Algonquian), and were loosely associated with the Piscataway and Doeg tribes. As one of the first groups of Native Americans encountered, I find it discouraging that there is little supplementary information available to the average person. Interestingly enough, in 1608 the infamous Captain John Smith became the first to record interaction with the Nacotchtank peoples. He noted that their main village had a total population of approximately 300 welcoming (unsuspecting) people. Within that number was a group of about 80 fighting men, who later gave the Nacotchtank people a different reputation as European settlement increased. The shear number of Nacotchtank people could justify why much was not recorded, however I feel that the information has simply not been shared with the public. The name Nacotchtank has several historical variants: Nacostine, Anacostine, Anaquashtank, Nacothtant, Nachatanke. All of these names translate to "Trading village"; specifically describing Nacotchtank (village) because of its importance as a trading hub where many distant tribes would come to trade beaver pelts. I believe their evident wealth led the said immigrants to envy the Nacotchtank. About 60 years after Smith’s arrival, the Nacotchtank population greatly decreased from their lack of immunity to smallpox and other infectious diseases brought by the European settlers – the typical demise of many Natives. The Nacotchtank relocated to Anacostine Island (present-day Theodore Roosevelt Island), and likely merged with the Piscataway.