Faces & Places - Local Color 2004

The Lenape Indians were a tribe that had inhabited present-day Delaware, New Jersey, Southeastern New York, and Eastern Pennsylvania for thousands of years before the arrival of the Europeans. They were known among neighboring tribes as the “grandfather” tribe, because of their friendly nature and ability to mediate disputes. Although, the Lenape were not a single tribe, but rather, groups of independent villages organized under a “sachem.” The three traditionally recognized Lenape divisions – Munsee, Unami, and Unalactigo – were divided by dialect (variations of Algonquin) and location. The concept of being “Lenape” originated from three clans – Turtle, Wolf, and Turkey – that bound the three divisions together.

The Lenape men kept no facial hair and the women colored themselves with red ochre. Both men and women often kept tattoos. Hairstyles varied: the older men had long hair, while younger males kept their hair up in a “mohawk.” Lenape clothing consisted mainly of deerskin with ornaments such as porcupine quills, shell beads, and feathers. Copper was easily maintained and thus widely used in pipes and arrowheads. Later, when trade with Europeans was established, the Lenape began to include silver nose rings and bright colored European fabrics in their dress.

Religion was a significant aspect of Lenape culture, with villages organized around a “big house” – the center of village life. Since dream interpretation was important, Lenape priests were separated into two categories: healers and those who interpreted dreams to discern the future. There was no official marriage, although the Lenape were generally faithful to one individual. Burials consisted of varied sizes of shallow graves for individuals or groups, and the Lenape afterlife was not similar to the Christian Heaven and Hell.

In 1609, Henry Hudson established the first English contact with the Lenape. Later, the English gave the Lenape their more common name today, the “Delaware” Indians, named after Sir Samuel West, Third Lord de la Warr and first governor of Virginia.

The land around New Hope was chartered to William Penn in 1682, after he was expelled from England for religious dissent. After coming to the New World, his “holy experiment” involved religious freedom in modern-day Pennsylvania, and he negotiated a deal with the local Lenape to buy their land. This peaceful settlement of the English into Pennsylvania has been touted as the only agreement America never broke with the Indians. To accommodate English settlers, the Lenape moved northwards.

In 1737, Pennsylvania authorities created the “Walking Purchase” agreement with the Lenape. Under this agreement, it was settled that the English could have the extent of the land that could be covered in a day and a half on foot. Unknown to the Lenape, however, was that Thomas Penn had promised a reward to the runner in the colony who could cover the most land. By the initial agreement, the English owned the land between the junction of the Delaware and Lehigh rivers (a length of about 40 miles). However, with the Walking Purchase agreement, the English were able to cheat the Lenape out of most of the Lehigh valley! Expecting the neighboring Iroquois to defend them in their humiliation, the Lenape were only further humiliated when the Iroquois reprimanded them for not obtaining permission to sell land. As a result, the Lenape around Southeastern Pennsylvania would later be expelled from their native lands.

The New Hope area was not known to serve a specific purpose under Lenape control. There were hundreds of sub-tribes around the middle part of the Delaware River, and many of these stayed within their village radii before the European intrusion. When European encounters became more frequent, the Lenape were forced to move as far as Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and Ontario (Canada).

Today, the 8,305 Lenape (2000 census figures) live primarily on reservations in Oklahoma or in towns in Ontario. Around the New Hope area, many of the original place names of the Lenape, such as Allegheny, Brandywine, and Wyalusing, have been kept. Although New Hope was not created by the original Lenape Indians, the influence of the Native Americans can be identified around the area and throughout Delaware, New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, and Southeastern New York.

Credits:
Delaware Indians. “Delaware Tribe of Indians,” http://www.delawaretribeofindians.nsn.us/
(2003)
“ Delaware Indians.” Encarta Reference Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. 2003

This article was originally written for the 2003 New Hope Historical Society Essay Project with the New Hope Solebury High School.

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