NANTOKE INDIANS ARE IN DELAWARE

NANTOKE ARE INDIGENOUS ALGONQUIN PEOPLE WHOSE HOMELAND IS IN CHESAPEAKE BAY, OKLAHOMA AND CANADA. THEY IMMIGRATED TO THE EAST AND MAY HAVE ORIGINATED. THEY MAY HAVE ORIGINATED IN LABRADOR CANADA AND THE GREAT LAKES REGION. AND THE OHIO VALLEY. IN 1608 THE NANTOKE CAME INTO EUROPEAN CONTACT WITH BRITISH CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH. THEY TRADED BEAVER PELTS WITH THEM.


A RESERVATION IN THE NANTOKE RIVER IN MARYLAND WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IN 1684. NONNATIVE PEOPLES ENCROACHED UPON THEIR LANDS SO THEY PURCHASED 3000 ACRES IN 17707 IN DELAWARE. THEY SOLD IT IN 1768. THEY OBTAINED PERMISSION FROM THE IROQUOIS CONFEDERACY TO SETTLE NEAR WYOMING AND PENNSYLVANIA IN 1744. IN 1750 THEY JOINED THE PISCATAWAY TRIBE OF THE LEAGUE OF IROQUOIS.

MEMBERS OF CONORY PEOPLE JOINED THE NANTOKE IN 1740'S. TWO HUNDRED NANTOKES MOVED NORTH TO FORT NIAGARA AND THEN THE SIX NATIONAL RESERVATION NEAR BRANTFORD, ONTARIO. OTHERS STAYED AT BUFFALO RIVER. NIAGARA AND ANOTHER GROUP OF NANTOKE JOINED THE LENAPE AND MIGRATED TO KANSAS.

THEIR NAME MEANS TIDEWATER PEOPLE . THE NANTOKE CHIEFDOMS ARE DESCRIBED AS WICOMOW AND OCCUPY AREAS ALONG RIVERS THAT WERE NAMED AFTER THEM. THE NANTOKE HAD AN EXTENSIVE TRADING NETWORK WITH TRIBES IN CHESAPEAKE BAY AREA.

THEIR LANGUAGE WAS DISTINCT FROM ALGONQUIN LANGUAGE ON THE POTOMOC RIVER. THEIR LANGUAGE HAS BECOME EXTINCT. IN 1744 THEY SETTLED NEAR INDIAN RIVER IN DELAWARE. IN 1881 THEY WEERE RECOGNIZED AS A TRIBE AND REORGANIZED AS THE NANTICOKE INDIAN ASSOCIATION. THEY HAVE HEADQUARTERS IN NANTICOKE INDIAN ASSOCIATION IN MILLSBORO. SOME ARE PART OF THE FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVIERE FIRST NATIONIN ONTARIO.

IN 1774 THE NANTICOKE LIVED NEAR THE INDIAN RIVER IN DELAWARE. THEY HAD ANNUAL POWOWS UNTIL 1930'S. IN 1977 THEY REVIVED IT. LATER THEY BUILT A MUSEUM TO TEACH THEIR CHILDREN TEIR TRADITIONAL WAYS. SOME NANTICOKE INTERMARRIED WITH THE LENAPE.

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