NANTICOKE INDIANS

ARE AN INDIGENOUS ALGONQUIAN PEOPLE WHOSE TRADITIONAL HOMELANDS ARE IN CHESAPEAKE BAY AND DELAWARE BAY. TODAY THEY ALSO LIVE IN CANADA AND OKLAHOMA. THEY MAY HAVE COME FROM LABRADOR, CANADA AND MIGRATED FROM THE OHIO VALLEY EASTWARD.

IN 1608 THE NANTICOKES CONTACTED EUROPEANS WHEN CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH ARRIVED. THEY ALLIED WITH THE BRITISH FOR FUR TRADE. A RESERVATION FOR THE NANTICOKE WAS ESTABLISHED IN MARYLAND BY THE ESTIMATED BY THE NANTICOKE AND BRITISH IN 1684. ANGLOS ENCROACHED UPON THE LAND . THE TRIBE BOUGHT 3000 ACRES IN DELAWARE IN 1707. BY 1768 THEY SOLD IT. THEY GOT PERMISSION TO FROM THE IROQUOIS TO SETTLE IN WASHINGTON, PENNSLYVANIA AND JUNIATA RIVER IN 1744. THEY JOINED THE LEAGUE OF IROQUOIS.

THE CONOR FOLKS JOINED THEM IN 1740. THEY WERE NEUTRAL DURING THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. THE NANTICOKE WERE WIDELY DISPERSED . THEIR CHIEFDOMS ARE CALLED WICOMOCO. THEY TRADED WIDELY WITH TRIBES IN CHESAPEAKE BAY. THEIR LANGUAGE WAS DISTINCT FROM ALGONQUIN SPOKEN ON THE POTOMAC RIVER IN MARYLAND. IT IS NOW EXTINCT.

TODAY SOME LIVE IN WITH SIX NATIONS IN ONTARIO. SOME ARE IN OKLAHOMA AND SOME IN DELAWARE. THEY ESTIMATED AN ASSOCIATION IN DELAWARE SINCE 1922. THERE ARE NANTICOKE LENNE LENAPE IN NEW JERSEY.

IN DELAWARE THEY WERE RECOGNIZED AS A TRIBE BY 1744. THEIR HEADQUARTERS ARE IN MILLBORO. BY 1922 THEY BECAME A NONPROFIT. THEY ORGANIZED ANNUAL POWWOWS UNTIL 1930'S. BY 1980'S THEY BUILT A MUSEUM TO HONOR THAT HERITAGE. THEY INTERMARRIED WITH LENAPES. BOTH TRIBES HAVE MIXED MARRIAGES. HISTORICALLY THEY WERE ALGONQUIAN

TODAY THE YOUNG NANTICOKES HAVE GAINED INTEREST IN THEIR TRADITIONS THEY WEAR FANCY FEATHER HEADRESSES AND PAINT THEIR FACES FOR POWWOW DANCES. THEY CARVED DUGOUT CANOES. THEY PLANTED CORN BEANS AND SQUASH. THEY WERE KNOWN FOR THEIR POTTERY AND BEADWORK. THEY MADE WAMPUM FROM WHITE AND PURPLE SHELLS. THEY MADE WAMPUM BELTS WITH STORIES AND DESIGNS OF A FAMILY. THEY CONSIDERED THEMSELVES STORY TELLERS. THEY THOUGHT THIS WAS VERY IMPORTANT. THEY TOLD MANY LEGENDS ABOUT ANIMALS.

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