This image is of the Nansemond people fishing in The Great Dismal Swamp.
Native tribes occupied the swamp for thousands of years before white European settlers started to populate North America. Those various tribes lived lives of cooperation and intertribal existence.
With the colonization of North America, like those fleeing slavery, more Native Americans chose to move into the swamp to escape exploitation and violence at the hands of the new settlers.
Historically, the Croatan, Hatteras, Chowan, Weapomeiok, Coranine, Machapunga, Bay River, Pamplico, Roanoke, Woccon, Nansemond, and Cape Fear peoples settled in and around the swamp at various times using it for hunting and farming.
These native peoples were invaluable resources to the fleeing slaves by teaching their new brethren skills to survive and how to avoid detection.
I could have chosen from this variety of native people to include in my book. In my research I repeatedly encountered references to the generous spirit of the Nansemond people. That tribe became the representative people assisting fugitive slaves in my book.
Today, the Nansemond people continue as vibrant residents of The Great Dismal and the surrounding areas.