Named and Unnamed Indigenous People of Lancaster County

In the 1700s, colonists and Indigenous peoples were neighbors in the area that is now present-day Lancaster County. Several Indigenous groups, in addition to the Conestogas whose names are known, owned land and had settlements, including Conoys, Nanticokes, and Shawnees. Numerous smaller Indigenous settlements, whose names we do not know, have also been discovered by archaeologists, described in colonial documents, and featured in Mennonite family stories published in the 19th and 20th centuries, with specifics on place and interactions with settlers. In addition, hundreds of Indigenous men, women, and children congregated in Lancaster for weeks during treaties held in Lancaster in 1744, 1757, and 1762. Others visited and traveled through, often trading with settlers. In this talk, Dr. Tanya Kevorkian will explore how archaeological evidence, colonial records, and Mennonite family stories shed light on the indigenous people of Lancaster County, both named and unnamed.

Dr. Kevorkian is Professor of History at Millersville University, whose research interests include colonial Pennsylvania, environmental history, and early American Indigenous-colonial relations.

What's included

-A 1-hour history lecture

-Light refreshments