Coursey-Daisey Nanticoke Burial Ground

Located within this neighborhood, a short distance south of here is the burial ground for the Coursey and Daisey families, members of the Nanticoke Indian Tribe. The gravesite is unmarked except for a family tombstone noting the site. It was once part of the land originally owned by Mills Coursey since 1853. Interred in the burial ground are his son John Coursey, his immediate family, and his descendants including members of the Daisey family who inter-married with the Courseys. There were 23 members of the family buried in the gravesite between 1853 and 1928. The Coursey and Daisey families are descendants of the Nanticoke Indians who settled in this area in the mid-18th century after leaving their land on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Over the next two centuries, the Nanticoke struggled to retain their cultural identity among the dominant European-American culture who classified Nanticokes as “colored” or “mullato.” In the late 19th and early 20th century, the Nanticokes labored at the local and state level for the recognition of their heritage. In 1881 the Nanticoke Tribe was recognized by the State of Delaware as a legal entity, and in 1921 the Nanticokes formed the Nanticoke Indian Association.