Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Month with The Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania

November is Indigenous Peoples’ Month, a month when we take time to celebrate the people have lived in the US since the beginning. Indigenous (in-di-jen-us) means “originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native.”

Dauphin County is on the land that once belonged to the Susquehannock Tribe which, unfortunately, is listed as an “extinct nation” (See an interactive map on the territories, languages, and treaties of the indigenous nations here). However, a neighboring tribe, the Lenape (Len-ah-pay) people, still exist and are active today. This nation was the first to reside in what is now Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, and New Jersey. In this take home activity, we will be learning about the Lenape people, with resources provided by the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania.

The Rainbow Crow is a legend from the Lenape people. You may find this story online linked here, read and animated on YouTube, or as a book in our collection here and here.

Wampum beads are typically made from shells and seeds, and are traditionally used to decorate clothing and make jewelry. We will be using wooden pony beads to make our own wampum bracelets to remember story of the Rainbow Crow.

As you string your beads, read or listen to the story of the Rainbow Crow, and afterwards, discuss these questions with an adult or friend:

What did the Rainbow Crow have to do? Why?
How would you describe the rainbow crow? What kind of qualities does he have?
What else do you know about Indigenous American culture?
What would you like to know about Indigenous American culture?

Have you ever read any other stories like this?

A note on respecting other cultures:

Do not dress up like indigenous people if you are not Indigenous. Traditional dress, face paint, and headdresses (fun fact: not all tribes used headdresses!) are sacred to indigenous peoples and have important significance to each nation. It’s so great that you want to celebrate indigenous people, and there are lots of ways to do that, but wearing their sacred dress is not one of those ways.

Instead, read about, watch videos on, and talk to actual Indigenous people. Visit a museum that teaches about Indigenous people. See how you can get involved in causes that support Indigenous people.

Further reading on this subject:

Some resources in our collection:

Delaware (Lenape) / Joseph Stanley

Explore Native American cultures! / Anita Yasuda ; illustrated by Jennifer K. Keller

Native American heroes : Osceola, Tecumseh, & Cochise / by Ann McGovern ; cover illustration by Jim Madsen

A kid’s guide to Native American history : more than 50 activities / Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder ; [interior design, Scott Rattray ; cover and interior illustrations, Gail Rattray]

Native American prayer by Llewellyn. (CD)

Native American son : the life and sporting legend of Jim Thorpe / Kate Buford

The girl who helped thunder and other Native American folktales / retold by James Bruchac and Joseph Bruchac ; illustrated by Stefano Vitale

Reading the Rainbow podcast episodes on books by Indigenous American authors (available where you listen to podcasts):

She Walks for Days Inside A Thousand Eyes: A Two-Sprit Story by Sharron Proulx-Turner
Nature Poem by Tommy Pico

Other resources presented to us by the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania:

Lenape Books

The Delaware Indians: A History by C. A. Weslager

Indians of New Jersey: Dickon Among the Lenapes by M. R. Harrington

Native Americans in the Susquehanna River Valley, Past and Present by David Minterhout, 2013

Indians of Lenapehoking Paperback – June 1,1988 by Herbert C. Kraft

The Lenape or Delaware Indians: The Original People of New Jersey, Southeastern New York State, Eastern Pennsylvania Paperback – July 1, 1996 – by Herbert C. Kraft

A History of the Indian Villages and Place Names in Pennsylvania by Dr. George P. Donehoo

Indian Paths of Pennsylvania by Paul Wallace

Plant Medicine

DELAWARE ETHNOBOTANY (delawaretribe.org)

A Study of Delaware Indian Medicine Practice and Folk Beliefs Paperback – August 24, 2017 by Gladys Tantaquidgeon

Lenape Stories

Rainbow Crow (Dragonfly Books) [Nancy Van Laan] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Illus. in full color. This story of how the Rainbow Crow lost his sweet voice and brilliant colors by bringing the gift of fire to the other woodland animals is “a Native American legend that will be a fine read-aloud. In the beginning of the book, it is dedicated to late Chief Bill Thompson, Bluejay’s grandfather.

Wehixamukes, or “Crazy Jack,” stories. Wehixamukes is one of our most beloved culture heroes, and his tales can be incredibly funny, which usually engages the children. Some of his stories do have content that may not be appropriate for children though, so of course you should use your discretion in choosing which stories to tell or omitting certain elements. The most accessible Wehixamukes stories are in John Bierhorst’s The White Deer and Other Stores Told by the Lenape:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0688129005/ref=olp_aod_redir_impl1?_encoding=UTF8&aod=1&qid=1628107505&sr=8-1

Lenape Language Resources

The Lenape Talking Dictionary | Home (talk-lenape.org).

https://youtu.be/3oaOeZTYU6I – language lessons – Lesson One (there is whole series)

windamakwi12 Any YouTube videos using this subscriber name is from our Nation

YouTube Videos

(130) Virtual Valley Talk: The Past and Present of the Lenape in Pennsylvania – YouTube

https://youtu.be/QgZYpwhiEjQ Chief Bob Red Hawk of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania relates the story of the Fourth Crow at the Roxbury Historic Trust Living History Day event in Ledgewood, NJ October 9, 2011.

https://youtu.be/Hkfpy7Jd4Ao The Prophecy

https://youtu.be/ydlIsaJXDMY Women role in the tribe

https://youtu.be/msHLbG8wdx4 Itchy Dog Singers

https://youtu.be/fKI-lgOyY60 Itchy Dog Singers

(130) Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania – YouTube This video made by the Historical Society of Montgomery County, PA offers an introduction into the history of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania. Funding for this video is provided by PHC and NEH as part of the CARES Act of 2020.

(130) Treaty Signing THE LENAPE NATION OF PENNSYLVANIA – YouTube

(130) Shelley DePaul on Lenape & German Relations – YouTube

(130) Delaware Riverkeeper Network video Lenape Nation Treaty – YouTube

(130) Lenape Chief blesses Delaware River to protest PennEast pipeline – YouTube

YouTube Videos continued

(130) Lenape circle in Milford. – YouTube

(130) Delaware Riverkeeper Network video Lenape Nation Wampum Event Ceremonial song – YouTube

(130) “Treaty of Renewed Friendship” Signing – YouTube

(130) World Oceans Day – YouTube

(130) World Ocean Day Mayor Michael Beck – YouTube

(130) World Ocean Day Chief Bob Red Hawk – YouTube

(130) World Ocean Day Chief Bob Red Feather – YouTube