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In 2016, Ashley Minner (Lumbee) began to formalize a very brief walking tour of the American Indian community of East Baltimore. In conversation with her elders, she came to realize there were many sites of significance that are no longer recognizable on the landscape or prominent in public memory. Through continued conversation with elders, other community members and stakeholders, archival research, generous support from funders, and brilliant design, this project was realized and made public in 2021.
Please note that the information presented here is incomplete and subject to change because the community is always changing and this research is ongoing. Dates reflect occupation of sites, not lifespans of businesses or organizations. Individual homes of Indian people and families — perhaps the most important part of “the reservation” — have not been included. Mapping these would be a complex and massive undertaking and we haven’t quite figured out how to do it, but we may yet.
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Free print copies of the Illustrated Guide to East Baltimore’s Historic American Indian “Reservation” are typically available for pick up at the Baltimore American Indian Center, the Maryland Center for History and Culture, The Peale, The Walters Art Gallery, the central branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore National Heritage Area, and other local cultural organizations. They can also be requested directly. Write to hello@baltimorereservation.com. Download the full PDF here.
The historical photographs and documents on this website are displayed for educational purposes only. Thank you to those who have generously provided images for this project.
Thank you to colleagues at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, the University of Maryland Baltimore County, the University of Maryland College Park, Alternate ROOTS, Maryland Institute College of Art, Bmore Art, Maryland Traditions, Maryland Historical Trust, the American Folklore Society, Baltimore Heritage, the Baltimore City Historical Society, Baltimore National Heritage Area, the Peale Center for Baltimore History and Architecture, the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, and the United States Department of Art and Culture.
Thank you to all archivists, librarians, and stewards of our history, and in particular those who serve at the Baltimore American Indian Center, Baltimore City Archives, Baltimore City Department of Planning Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation, Baltimore County Public Library, East Baltimore Church of God, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Hornbake Library at University of Maryland at College Park, Johns Hopkins Sheridan Library, Maryland Historical Society, Maryland State Archives, Museum of the Southeast American Indian at University of North Carolina at Pembroke, South Broadway Baptist Church, Special Collections of the Albin O. Kuhn Library of University of Maryland Baltimore County, and Special Collections of the Wilson Library at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The Baltimore Reservation Project is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Fractured Atlas will receive grants for the charitable purposes of the Baltimore Reservation Project, provide oversight to ensure that grant funds are used in accordance with grant agreements, and provide reports as required by the grantor. Contributions for the charitable purposes of the Baltimore Reservation Project must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
This project has been financed in part through funds from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority and managed by the Baltimore National Heritage Area. The heritage area works to promote, preserve, and enhance Baltimore’s historic and cultural legacy and natural resources for current and future generations.
