MINISINK OR MUNSEE INDIANS

THESE INDIANS ARE IN DELAWARE ARE ALGONQUIAN SPEAKERS. ONLY SOME ELDERS STILL SPEAK MUNSEE. TODAY THERE ARE 2000 MUNSEES ONTARIO. AND 1500 PEOPLE ARE ON THE STOCKBRIDGE RESERVATION IN WISCONSIN. THEY ORIGINALLY LIVED IN NEW JERSEY, AND WERE DEPORTED TO WISCONSIN WITH THE MOHICANS AS WELL AS TO ONTARIO. OHIO, INDIANA, AND OKLAHOMA IN THE 1720'S. THEY CONSISTED OF VARIOUS TRIBES. THAT SPOKE SEVERAL SIMILAR LANGUAGES. MISSIONARIES FROM THE MORAVIAN CHURCH CONVERTED SOME TO CHRISTIANITY. THEY HAD NO WRITING SYSTEM UNTIL RECENTLY. THEY LIVED IN SOUTHERN NEW YORK AND NORTHERN NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHEAST CONNECTICUT. DUTCH AND BRITISH COLONISTS FORCED THEM OUT IN 1700'S. SOME WENT TO CANADA. OTHERS JOINED MOHICANS IN WISCONSIN. OTHERS JOINED RELATIVES OF LENAPE AND LIVE IN OKLAHOMA. TODAY THEY LIVE ON THREE RESERVATIONS THAT ARE UNDER THEIR CONTROL. EACH VILLAGE HAD A CHIEF WHO WORKED WITH THE TRIBAL COUNCIL. THEY ALL SPEAK ENGLISH TODAY AND SOME ELDERS ARE TRYING TO KEEP THEIR LANGUAGE ALIVE. THEY WERE SIMILAR TO THE DELAWARE. THE CHILDREN LEARN SKILLS BOTH PARENTS. THEY HAD MORE CHORES THAN PLAYTIME. THE MOTHERS CARRIED THEIR KIDS IN CRADLEBOARDS. THE MEN WERE HUNTERS AND PROTECTED THEIR VILLAGE. THEY LIVE IN WIGWAMS10 FEET TALL MADE FROM WOOD OF BIRCHBARK COVERS. ROPES OR STRIPS OF WOOD WRAP AROUND THE WIGWAM . WOMEN HELPED BUILD WIGWAMS. IN THE WINTER EACH FAMILY MOVED TO THEIR OWN HUNTING CAMP WITH A WIGWAM. ONLY MEN COULD BE CHIEFS IN THE PAST. LONGHOUSES WERE USED BY ALGONQUIN FOLKS. THEY USED FRAME POLES AND ELM BARK COVERS. THEY ARE 2OO FEET LONG BY 20 FEET HIGH AND 20 FEET WIDE. THEY USE RAISED PLATFORMS TO CREATE A SECOND STORY USED FOR SLEEPING. MATS AND SCREENS DIVIDED IT INTO SEPARATE ROOMS. AS MANY AS 60 PEOPLE IN ONE CLAN WERE HOUSED HERE WOMEN MIGHT LIVE IN THE SAME LONG HOUSE ALL THEIR LIFE. MOST OF THE MUNSEES DO NOT LIVE IN LONGHOUSES TODAY. THE DUTCH OFFERED THEM MANY ITEMS INCLUDING ALCOHOL. THE DUTCH RECORDED THAT THEY STUMBLED AROUND AND PASSED OUT. SOON THE WHOLE VILLAGE GOT QUITE DRUNK. DURING THE WAR OF 1812 THE MUNSEE SIDED WITH THE BRITISH. HOWEVER THEY DID NOT DELIVER ANY SUPPLIES TO THEM AND GREENTOWN HAD TO SURRENDER. DURING THE LAST 30 YEARS THE MUNSEE HAVE RESTORED AND PRESERVE THEIR HERITAGE DUE TO HARD WORK FROM ELDERS AND LEADERS. THE WOMEN WORE KNEE LENGTH SKIRTS WHILE MEN WORE BREECH CLOUT AND LEGGINGS. DURING WARM MONTHS THEY DID NOT WEAR SHIRTS AFTER THE ANGLOS CAME THE WOMEN DECORATED THEIR CLOTHES WITH FANCY GLASS BEADS, MEN AND WOMEN BOTH PAINTED THERE FACES WITH ANIMAL TATTOOS. THEY BRAIDED THEIR LONG HAIR. THE WARRIORS SHAVED THEIR HEAD EXCEPT FOR ONE LONG PATCH. MUNSEE MEN HUNTED AND WOMEN TOOK CARE OF CHILDREN AND PLANTED CROPS.THEY BOTH TOLD STORIES, PLAYED MUSIC AND MADE ART. ONLY MEN COULD BE CHIEFS IN THE PAST.

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