The National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways program awarded $24,437.04 to the Accokeek Foundation in Accokeek, Maryland, to launch Accokeek Reimagined: Xuyawatuney Tëmixèq Mòyaon (We Welcome All to Mòyaon), a cultural tourism initiative starting in January 2026. The grant supports signature public events and three community workshops to raise awareness of the Chesapeake region’s cultural, historical, and environmental legacy, particularly Indigenous histories and living cultures tied to Piscataway Park.
The project builds on more than two years of interpretive research by the Accokeek Foundation, which stewards portions of Piscataway Park in partnership with the National Park Service. Key events include a June 2026 community celebration marking the nation’s 250th anniversary and an October Indigenous People’s Day observance. These gatherings will offer cultural performances, storytelling, educational activities, and facilitated dialogue to promote understanding of Indigenous connections to the landscape along the Potomac River and surrounding Southern Maryland areas.
Serena Bellew, Superintendent of National Capital Area Parks–East, stated: “The National Park Service is proud to support the Accokeek Foundation’s leadership in stewarding Piscataway Park as a place where history, culture, and living traditions come together. These commemorative events and community workshops create meaningful opportunities for people to engage with the Indigenous and shared histories of this landscape, while strengthening cultural tourism and economic vitality in Southern Maryland. We are excited to see this initiative bring new and returning visitors into deeper relationship with this remarkable place.”
Anjela Barnes, Executive Director of the Accokeek Foundation, explained: “Accokeek Reimagined emerged from a vision to more fully honor Piscataway Park as a living cultural landscape shaped by Indigenous knowledge, shared histories, and enduring relationships to land and water. This initiative reflects our commitment to welcoming communities into deeper connection with this place, while advancing cultural tourism, stewardship, and economic vitality across Southern Maryland.”
Tiara Thomas, Managing Deputy Director of the Accokeek Foundation, added: “By centering dialogue, cultural celebration, and place-based learning, this project strengthens public awareness of the Chesapeake’s rich resources. It will draw visitors to the region, support local businesses, and reinforce the importance of preserving Southern Maryland’s cultural and environmental heritage.”
The Accokeek Foundation focuses on cultivating passion for Piscataway Park’s natural and cultural heritage through programs that inspire stewardship and sustainability. This grant-funded effort will engage residents, visitors, and partners in exploring the Potomac and Patuxent Rivers and their tributaries, aiming for lasting community impact through increased connection, pride, and understanding of the region’s unique history.
Funding comes from NPS Chesapeake Gateways, a competitive grant program under the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998. It targets the 41-million-acre Chesapeake Bay watershed to enhance stewardship, heritage preservation, and outdoor tourism economies by encouraging discovery and connection to rivers, landscapes, and communities.
Piscataway Park, across from Mount Vernon on the Potomac, preserves viewsheds and cultural significance, including Indigenous Piscataway heritage and colonial-era sites managed in collaboration with the foundation. The initiative aligns with broader efforts to highlight shared histories in Southern Maryland, drawing visitors to support economic development through tourism while promoting environmental and cultural preservation.