Lenape

Hello! We are the Lenape. Our name means “The People,” and we want to share our story with you. Our ancestral homeland is a beautiful place called Lenapehoking. For many, many years, this land has been our home, and we have always lived closely with the changing seasons. Our lives followed the rhythm of the year, from the warm days of summer to the quiet, snowy days of winter. This connection to the land has always been an important part of who we are.

When summer arrived, our communities would live near the sparkling rivers that flowed through Lenapehoking. The rivers gave us water and were full of fish. The rich soil near the water was perfect for our gardens. We were skilled farmers, and we planted special crops: corn, beans, and squash. These three plants grew well together and helped each other thrive. We worked together to plant the seeds, care for the growing vegetables, and harvest the food that would feed our families through the year.

Our homes were often built near these summer gardens. We built homes called wigwams, which were cozy, dome-shaped houses made to shelter a family. We also built larger homes called longhouses, where several families could live together under one long roof. When winter came, the world changed, and so did the way we lived. We would move our communities away from the open riverbanks and deeper into the forests. The forests provided shelter from the cold winds and were home to many animals. Hunting was very important during the winter months, and the forest gave us what we needed to stay warm and well-fed until spring returned.

Our communities were organized into three main family groups, which we call clans. Each person belonged to one of these clans: the Turtle, the Turkey, or the Wolf. These clans were like big, extended families that connected everyone in our villages. They helped us know who we were related to and helped us work together as one people. Being part of a clan was a very important part of our identity.

Then, around the 1600s, a big change came to our homeland of Lenapehoking. European settlers began to arrive. Life became very different and very difficult for us. Over time, we were forced to leave our ancestral lands, the place where we had farmed, hunted, and raised our families for generations. It was a very hard and sad time for our people as we were pushed away from the homes we had always known.

But our story did not end there. We are still here today. Our Lenape communities are strong, and we are working hard to keep our culture alive for our children and grandchildren. We are teaching our language to new speakers, sharing our traditional stories, and practicing our traditions. We honor the ways of our ancestors while living in the world today. We are the Lenape, and our story continues.