Preserving the Land, History & Legacy of Those Who Came Before Us

Indigenous Memories is a United States tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Our mission is to bring attention to the lives of numerous Indigenous, Maroon, and Free People of Color who occupied land along the Historic Indian Trading Path in Orange County, North Carolina. We maintain sacred burial spaces where these individuals and their descendants are interred. Sacred burial spaces include several ancient Native American burial mounds, disrupted ancient burial mounds, a Maroon cemetery, and the Hardscrabble Slave Cemetery.

We offer historical hikes and storytelling to increase understanding of hardships Free People of Color faced daily during the 18th and 19th centuries. Hikes include a visit our ancient Native American burial mounds, our Maroon cemetery, and our historical timeline fence. Following a hike, attendees listen to stories and observe visual aids describing the lives of descendants of the Saponi Nation. Attendees learn the following:  (1) the history of Maroon communities and how they operated; (2) how the system of apprenticeship dismantled Families of Color; (3) how, despite laws enacted to remove them from Virginia and North Carolina, Free People of Color managed to remain on their land while engaging in Freedom Work-assisting the enslaved. Attendees will leave with knowledge of a group of people who have been ignored in the annals of history, and how their contributions to society allow all to live in relative peace and freedom today.