Last modified: 2017-08-23 by rick wyatt
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The Wicocomico Indian Nation is a federally non-recognized Indian nation with members in Arizona and Virginia, USA. For more detailed history information on tribal website: www.wicocomico-indian-nation.com/pages/history.html.
Valentin Poposki, 28 December 2007
From www.wicocomico-indian-nation.com/pages/flag.html (site also shows flag):
"In most cases Indian Tribes had banners, flags or a clan symbol that represented their history or affiliation with the elements. Unfortunately the Wicocomico, through out the last three hundred years have lost their original symbolism. What we have done is taken certain information gathered from the history of the Wicocomico and developed the flag. Steve Martin, one of our earliest members accepted the task of developing the flag and the meaning of the markings on the flag.
The flag of the Wicocomico Indian Nation is filled with symbolism. The red dominant background is symbolic of the Wicocomico people and their Native American lineage. The three blue horizontal bars represent the rivers that bordered and flowed through the Wicocomico homeland of the early 1600s. The top bar is symbolic of the Potomac River that bordered the Wicocomico homeland to the north. The bottom bar is symbolic of the Rappahanock River located to the south of the Wicocomico. The smaller located to the right of center on the flag is symbolic of both the Great Wicocomico River and Little Wicocomico River that flowed through the Wicocomico homeland. The principal village of Wicocomico and lesser village of Cinquack were located on the shores of these two rivers; thus, the shield in the center of the flag is connected to
this central blue bar. The shield's color is symbolic of the bark shields recorded as being used by the tribes of that area. The shield bears two red bars, one black bar and a signature. The red and black colors are the only known colors recorded as being used by the Indians of Virginia's Northern neck. During times of war, men would paint their bodies half-red and half-black (horizontally or vertically).It was also recorded that they painted their shields in like manner or painted three bars on their shields of red and black color. The signature located on the shield is of special significance. This is the signature/mark of William Taptico, Jr., last Weroance of the Wicocomico. William Taptico, Jr was the son of William Taptico, Sr. a Great Man of the Wicocomico and likely a Weroance himself. William Taptico, Jr. died 1719 and was survived by his wife Elizabeth and three children: William, Vincent and Charity. The feathers attached to the flag and shield are representative of feathers (turkey, eagle, heron etc.) used by the Wicocomico people and other closely related
Algonquian speaking tribes."
Text by the author of the flag Steve Martin.
The flag story and image of the flag: www.wicocomico-indian-nation.com
Valentin Poposki, 28 December 2007