LENAPE UNIMANI DELAWARE

THIS IS AN ALGONQUIN TRIBE SPOKE IN NEW JERSEY, DELAWARE, AND PENNSYLVANIA. NONE OF THEIR MEMBERS SPEAK FLUENT ALGONQUIN ANYMORE. YOUNGER GENERATIONS ARE INTERESTED IN REVIVING THE DELAWARE LANGUAGE. THE DIFFERENT DELAWARES COULD NOT COMMUNICATE EASILY. TODAY THE UNIMANI AND MUNSEE LANGUAGES ARE DIVIDED INTO A SINGLE LANGUAGE TO IMPROVE IT'S CHANCE OF SURVIVAL. THE DELAWARE ARE THOUGHT TO BE EXTINCT. THERE ARE 11,000 IN OKLAHOMA AS THE GOVERNMENT SENT THEM THERE. AND 5000 DESCENDANTS ARE IN NEW JERSEY AND PENNSYLVANIA. SOME IN ONTARIO AND SOME IN AND SOME IN WISCONSIN.. ACCORDING TO ORAL HISTORY THE LENAPE TRIBE WAS KNOWN AS GRANDFATHER BY OTHER NATIONS ON ACCOUNT OF THIS THE LENAPES WERE ATTACKED BY ANGLO DISEASES AND SURVIVORS WENT WEST. MOST WERE FORCED TO LIVE IN OKLAHOMA BY 1860'S. THEY DID NOT MIX WELL WITH THE CHEROKEES. IN 1966 THEY REGAINED TRIBAL STATUS BY THE GOVERNMENT. OTHER LENAPE BANDS WERE SCATTERED ON TRADITIONAL LANDS OR ALONG ROUTES TO OKLAHOMA. THEY IDENTIFIED WITH THEIR FAMILY OR VILLAGE. SOME NEIGHBORS SPOKE THE SAME DIALECT. THE ELDERS WERE GIVEN RESPECT. ARCHAEOLOGISTS HAVE EXCAVATION BURIALS THAT INCLUDED DIFFERENT IROQUOIS REMAINS ALONG WITH THOSE OF THE LENAPE. THEY WERE BITTER ENEMIES BEFORE RECORDED HISTORY.. THEY DID INTERMARRY. THEY HAD CLAN RELATIONSHIPS. LENAPE'S MARRIED OUTSIDE CLANS. EACH CLAN WAS ASSIGNED FOR HUNTING, FISHING, AND CULTIVATION. THEY MOVED TO NEW SETTLEMENTS ONCE THEY EXHAUSTED THE LAND. THEY PRODUCED LARGE SCALE AGRICULTURE. THEY WERE QUITE SEDENTARY AND LIVED ALONG THE HUDSON RIVER AND LONG ISLAND. DURING THE ARRIVAL OF THE ANGLOS THEY USED SLASH AND BURN TO EXTEND THE PRODUCTION OF THEIR LAND. THEY HAD A LARGER POPULATION THAN NOMADIC HUNTING AND GATHERING. THEY PROBABLY HAD A LARGER POPULATION THAN NOMADIC THAN NOMADIC HUNTERS AND GATHERS. THEY PROBABLY HAD 15,000 LENAPE IN 80 SETTLEMENTS NEAR NEW YORK CITY. IN 1524 EXPLORER GIOVANNI DU VEREQUANO MET THE LENAPE WHO WERE IN A CANOE IN LOWER NEW YORK BAY. THEY INTERACTED THROUGH BEAVER FUR TRADING. THE LENAPE PRIMARILY GREW MAIZE. THEY ADOPTED EUROPEAN METAL TOOLS FOR PLANTING CROPS. NEARBY THEY PLANTED KIDNEY BEANS. THE WOMEN DID MOST OF THE PLANTING AND GARDENING. THE MEN CLEANED THE FIELD AND BROKE UP THE SOIL. THEY HUNTED IN A PACK OF 100 MEN AND STOOD IN A LINE BEATING BONES ON THEIR PALMS TO DRIVE ANIMALS TO THE RIVER WHERE THEY COULD BE EASILY KILLED. THEY ALSO LASSOED DEER AND SET THE BRUSH ON FIRE TO KILL THEM. IN 1634 THE IROQUOIAN SUSQUEHANNOCK WARRED WITH THE LENAPE OVER ACCESS TO TRADE WITH THE DUTCH. THE LENAPE WERE DEFEATED. AFTER THIS WAR THE SUSQUEHANNOCK MAY HAVE BECOME TRIBUTARIES TO THE LENAPE. LENAPE FOLKS CALLED THEM UNCLES.THEY OVER HARVESTED THE BEAVER. THEY CONTRACTED SMALLPOX. DIFFERENCES IN PROPERTY RIGHTS BETWEEN LENAPE AND EUROPEANS RESULTED IN CONFUSION. THE DUTCH ARRIVED IN 1620, THE LENAPE SUCCESSFULLY DIRECTED THEM TO JERSEY CITY AREA. THE DUTCH FINALLY MOVED TO A PROVINCE OF NEW NETHERLANDS. TWENTY THOUSAND NEW COLONISTS CAME HERE AND 1680 WITH WILLIAM PENN AND QUAKERS. HE DISPLACED THE LENAPE BUT ALSO ORGANIZED THEIR ANCESTRAL HOMELANDS. BY THE 1800'S THEY WERE FORCED TO MOVE TO OHIO. TO DAY THE LENAPE IN NEW JERSEY AND PENNSYLVANIA HAD NO RESERVATION, ALTHOUGH THEY PRACTICE THEIR CULTURE. MOHICAN-MNS.GOV BIG ORRIN.ORG ACCESS-GENEOLOGY