Join Anjela Barnes (Piscataway), Executive Director of the Accokeek Foundation, as she shares the story of Piscataway Park as a living cultural landscape and a place of ancestral connection. This presentation traces the park’s preservation journey from early land trust efforts in the 1950s to its designation as the first national park established to “preserve historic vistas.” Barnes will speak on behalf of the Accokeek Foundation, highlighting the deep history of the Piscataway people, their ancestral capital of Moyaon, and the ongoing journey of cultural resilience and restoration. Through stories of land, foodways, and identity, she will share how the Accokeek Foundation is working in partnership with Indigenous communities to honor heritage, steward the land, and envision a future of healing, kinship, and resilience. Learn more about the Accokeek Foundation’s work and plan your visit at www.accokeek.org.
Anjela Barnes is Executive Director of the Accokeek Foundation, located at Piscataway Park, where she proudly stewards and preserves the traditional homelands of the Piscataway people. Barnes’sjourney with the Foundation began in 2009, where she initially contributed her expertise to managing marketing and development campaigns. Over the years, she ascended to the role of Vice President of Operations in 2018, demonstrating her commitment and leadership within the organization. She holds a Bachelor's degree in marketing from the University of Maryland (2004). Driven by a profound passion for community engagement and environmental advocacy, Anjela's professional interests lie at the intersection of food systems, health, disease, and environmental change. She advocates for a community-centered approach to address these complex issues, emphasizing collaboration and inclusivity in her endeavors.
To join virtually visit the Enoch Pratt Free Library's Facebook or Youtube page.
ASL interpretation will be available for attendees.
Presented in partnership with The Maryland State Archives and The Maryland Four Centuries Project.
