Rick Kearns The day belonged to the Lenape as they presented a daylong celebration of their culture, history and future plans at an exhibit Sept. 13. “Fulfilling a Prophecy: The Past and Present of the Lenape in Pennsylvania” opened at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Philadelphia. Chief Bob Red Hawk Ruth, Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania, was a co-curator. ‘Fulfilling a Prophecy’The public return of the Eastern Lenape (who never left)
By
Rick Kearns, Today correspondent
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The Prophecy of the Fourth Crow |
There were also demonstrations of beadwork and displays of old maps and trails, as well as the extensive exhibit itself that featured more than 60 historical documents and cultural objects, such as ancient masks, cornhusk dolls, jewelry, a traditional wedding stick, a beaded umbilical cord bag and a large ceremonial drum. Most of the pieces are heirlooms and were loaned by local Lenape families to be returned after the end of the exhibition.
The Lenape are the original inhabitants of what is now Delaware, New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania and southern New York state. They have resided in this region for approximately 10,000 years. History books have long asserted that, after being tricked and then attacked for their land, the Lenape were forced to leave their region in the 1700s. Most of the displaced people ended up in Ohio, Kansas, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Canada.
“We were hiding for over 200 years,” explained Ruth in a series of brief interviews with Indian Country Today. “Even up to the 1950s, when I was younger, it was drummed into us to not tell anybody. It wasn’t as bad for me; but for my father and his father, they did suffer.”
He recounted how his father and others from that generation were encouraged to “pass” as other nationalities to avoid further persecution.
“We lived in fear; it was a terrible thing.”
The little family-based communities survived, however, by supporting each other culturally and economically and by finding safer environments. Through research into their local history and genealogy, the Pennsylvania Lenape learned how their ancestors, who were hiding from colonial authorities, gravitated towards religious communities in the area. Quakers, Mennonites and Brethren communities tended to be open, or at least not hostile, to them, Ruth said.
“So, a Lenape woman would marry a German farmer,” he continued. “And then she would encourage her child to marry another Lenape; and we learned about many such stories through the baptismal and marriage records of these churches.”
Red Hawk emphasized that these small communities lived more or less in harmony for close to 200 years; and while they were grateful to the religious communities for the help and support, that did not stop them from continuing their Lenape traditions.
People handed down stories, sacred objects, songs and ceremonies. Ruth remembers going to blessings and other sacred events as well as consulting with the elders for advice and guidance.
For DePaul, who also teaches Lenape language immersion classes, it was at one such gatherings that they began to discuss the idea of preserving their history and culture in a written form, before some of this sacred information could disappear.
“We respectfully took this idea to the elders,” she said at the talk. “We said that we are seldom able to get together to share this knowledge; and it is so important for our children to know these stories, these prayers and ceremonies that we decided to start our own archives.”
Not long after the local Lenapes started the process of gathering information and organizing themselves in a more formal way, they went to the University of Pennsylvania to request the use of an ancient paddle owned by the school for a special ceremony. Preucel and his colleagues were glad to oblige, and this interaction marked the beginning of the collaboration between the university and the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania, Seldin noted.
In the talk, she related how she had been working on an exhibit about the Lenape in Pennsylvania, which, up to that point, would have consisted of objects filling a 3-by-6-foot space.
“And suddenly here we were; we were at a Lenape ceremony and we were still in Pennsylvania.”
The no-longer-hidden history of the Lenape of Pennsylvania will be on exhibit at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology until September 2009.
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Friday, Oct 30 at 2:51 PM Lenape Man wrote ...
I've met some of these so called "Lenape." They come across as confused wannabes. I was born and raised in Southeastern PA and I never tried to pass as anything but Indi'n. I never denied my Indianness, never! I endured racist and hateful comments (still do) throughout the 1960s to today but never once did I deny my Lenni Lenape ancestry and heritage as these people did. Now they go to Univ of Penn to validate their Indianness? That's not the way Indi'n people do it. Wanishee
31346612 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Friday, Oct 2 at 12:32 PM Will wrote ...
My father was Lenape and spoke the language when I was a boy. He never left Ohio and my family is not on the OK roles. Are first nation peoples nothing but poodles relying upon pedigrees to know who we are. Get over it Okie "Delawares", you are not the only ones here. All Eastern tribes left members behind in the wars of westward retreat. What makes you think that only sanctions allowed by the government that tried to destroy the first nations can make one's heritage alive and real.
30032022 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Tuesday, Jul 28 at 3:10 PM Beauregard wrote ...
It chilled me to read this article as it corroborated much of family's rumors, their poor ability at "passing", etc. Reading many of these comments rejecting another people's story is sad. Times were sad for what had to be done to survive. Is the motivation some kind of superiority or are you threatened by this history? Knowing this story is true, I'm in awe of it finally coming to light.
26940762 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Friday, Dec 12 at 1:28 PM david/lenape visions wrote ...
my great-grandmother(peace upon her spirit), would say "yes,I am Indian"(native), and if pestered(as a youngster will), she would say "my people came from along the delaware". I look african, I flow native, I got through my 'kill all whiteys, let god sort them out' phase by my late '20s, in my early 30s, I found out about the 'indian schools'. My humble apologies to ALL damaged by the work of the 'buffalo soldier'. Where is MY family/culture/love/home in this messy debate? WHO, is un-diluted?
13520363 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Friday, Oct 17 at 11:36 PM Wondering wrote ...
How can a white girl teach a Lenape language immersion class? So-called scholars: Do your research before getting involved with spurious individuals with unsubstantiated claims of Lenape tribal affiliation.
9380139 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Monday, Oct 6 at 6:06 AM Ha! wrote ...
If one of these Lenape sons was married to the Republican VP candidate, Indian Country readers would be celebrating not questioning his ancestors.
8836719 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Monday, Oct 6 at 6:03 AM CJ wrote ...
The assimilation path of Eastern tribes differs from the western and southern tribes. Hiding and intermarrying was survival. Yearly PowPows as a child but my parents whispered about ancestors. In college I learned of New England's eugenics programs and ways of silence. My defiant grandfather 'confessed' before he died that his mother was Algonquin. He warned me not to tell anyone, I would be accused of bring a gypsy. I do not know my ancestors, that is my sorrow. How can I judge the Lenape?
8836704 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Tuesday, Sep 30 at 5:53 AM Pearl wrote ...
It is sad that the academics back east do not research these groups before declaring them Lenape and giving them credibility. The Lenape were opposed to their women marrying whites--it was a rare thing, even up through the 1800's in Kansas it was almost unheard of for a woman to leave her tribe to be with a white husband. We did not ask the professors back east to decide who is Lenape. That is only a right of the Delaware Tribes. These people are not our people.
7477954 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Monday, Sep 29 at 10:15 AM lenapei_ndn wrote ...
The display is a disgrace, the customs they speak of are NOT Lenape, Ruth was "adopted" by Bill Thompson, their version of the Lenapei Language in an abomination! Little or no research went into this project!!! Very Sad!
7447714 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Sep 28 at 2:34 PM marylyn revell wrote ...
when i was a young girl my father went to verginia and brought back a old photo of his grand mother he said she was a nanticoke indian. were the nanticoke later a part of the lenape comunity
7430979 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Friday, Sep 26 at 4:26 PM Piney wrote ...
I remember when Bob Ruth wasn't Indian and the Chief of the Lenape Nation P.A.,Bill Thompson was from Burlington County, NEW JERSEY.
7394999 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Add a comment
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