I am U.S. citizen of Dutch and French-Canadian descent, who has spent more than half my life living as a resident-guest in the watershed of the Lenape Sipu—renamed the Delaware River by the English.

Yet, the Lenape people have cared for this land and this watershed since time immemorial. Indeed, they are honored as the “grandfathers” or “ancient ones” by indigenous people across Turtle Island. And, to paraphrase the Rev Dr John Norwood of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Nation, [they] “are still here“–offering a living testimony, not just a historical memory.

I am, personally, grateful to Chief Bob Red Hawk, now Chief Emeritus of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania, for all the ways he has taught me about caring for our histories, for the land, and for all our relations. Waneshi.

Related Projects by Mx Chris Paige:

• A Philadelphia-area Guide to Land Acknowledgements (spring 2021) – A resource for Christian churches in the Philadelphia metro area.
• We Are Still Here! Native Americans and United Methodists in New Jersey (fall 2021) – An Exhibit especially for United Methodists at Drew Theological School
• Welcome to Lenapehocking: A Lenape Archive in Support of Decolonizing Drew University (summer 2022)

Some Leaders/Educators of note in Lenapehocking:

• Rev Dr John Norwood
• Curtis Zunigha
• Chief Mark Gould (now retired)
• Chief (now Emeritus) Robert Red Hawk

Recognized Tribes in New Jersey

• Nanticoke-Lenni Lenape Tribal Nation (Bridgeton NJ)
• Ramapough Lenape Nation (Mahwah, NJ)
• Powhatan Renape Nation (Pennsauken Township, NJ)

The politics of recognition are quite complicated:

• There are no recognized tribes in Pennsylvania, but the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania is a prominent Lenape voice demanding recognition.
• The leadership of the Lenape Center (New York City) are connected more to the Lenape diaspora and two federally recognized Delaware tribes.
• There are actually five diasporic tribes with national recognition:

➢ Delaware Tribe of Indians (Bartlesville, OK, USA)
➢ Delaware Nation of Oklahoma (Anadarko, OK, USA)
➢ Stockbridge-Munsee Band (Bowler, WI, USA)
➢ Delaware Nation at Moraviantown (Thamesville, ON, Canada)
➢ Munsee-Delaware Nation (Munsey, ON, Canada)