Matthew “Maasaw” Howard is of Cherokee (Aniwodi, Red Paint Clan), Lenapi, Choctaw, and Tuscarora heritage. He is a member of the Echota Cherokee Tribe, A tribal member and Archaeological Director of the White Top Nation.  An Independent American Indian Field Researcher and an author who has published several books on American Indian history, titled “Adonvdo Yona (Bear Spirit) Mountain, An Ancestral Awakening” and “As I Rest, Let My Face Touch Heaven.”  And most recent book, “Potomac River American Indian Fish Weir History.”  His Indigenous name, “Maasaw,” means “protector of sacred land.”

As a researcher of American Indian sites for nearly a decade, he has discovered over 40 sites from Canada to Virginia.  Often, he is called by the American Indian and African American communities to be an expert at identifying 17th and 18th-century graves that are at risk of being destroyed. He is involved in multiple civil rights legal cases as a consultant and expert on Indigenous & African American graves against any groups that threaten these sacred burial grounds, graveyards, or cemeteries.

Maasaw is a Commissioner with the Berkeley County, West Virginia, Museum Board representing Indigenous history. He is also a consultant to the Jefferson County, West Virginia, Museum Board, advising on Indigenous history and assisting in creating interpretative signs and exhibits.

He often speaks at archaeological conferences and Universities, presenting his research findings, and has given lectures in several countries around the world on Indigenous burial practices. He also shares his findings with archaeologists and fellow professional researchers so they can learn more about our Ancestors as well.  

Maasaw speaks and teaches only on behalf of his heritage and knowledge. He does not speak on behalf of any groups or organizations. He is a member of the Virginia Archaeological  Society (VAS), the Eastern States Archaeological Federation (ESAF), the United Tribes of the Shenandoah Valley (UTSV), the State Recognized Tribal Artists Guild (SRTAG) for Native American Artists, the American Indian Society (AIS), Appalachian American Indians of West Virginia (AAIWV). He is also a Commissioner with the Chesapeake Gateways Initiative Group, representing Native American issues. 

While it was Maasaw who experienced an “ancestral awakening” and answered the calling of his ancestors to become a dedicated field researcher, author, teacher, and public speaker, it was his wife, Ingrid, who quietly stands in the background with her full support.

One cannot assume that just because a spouse receives a calling and an ancestral awakening, their partner will understand and support that person’s mission throughout their life.

Ingrid has been the steadfast rock by not only accepting her husband’s life-changing roles but wholeheartedly supporting him as he trudges through mountains and rivers, finding, recording, and protecting his ancestors’ sacred sites.

There would be no Bear Spirit Mountain Inc. without Ingrid Howard’s support.  She is the lifeblood of the organization.

Hayo