Learning About the Lenape

I tell you what, New York City, as I've said before and as I'll undoubtedly say again, is a wonderful place to be if you're a history buff! I've already done an entry on here about the Dutch, the first Europeans to colonise New York, but today we're going back even further, to the pre-contact days.

Because recently, I attended a historical lecture/demonstration about the Lenape, the Algonquian tribe that once inhabited the forests that are now New York City.

It's hard to imagine forests in NYC, but Fort Greene Park is atmospheric enough!

Unfortunately, the lecture was purely historic. I say 'unfortunately' because while there are still Lenape descendants around, the tribe left New York a long time ago, and no Lenape were present at the event. It was lead by two park rangers instead. But still, I learned a lot!




Here is a small sampling of what I learned that day!

First thing I learned? The Lenape made a "tea" out of the needles of the white pine tree (pictured at left). This is thought to have been mainly for medicinal purposes, as it was actually very high in Vitamin C, allowing the people to avoid scurvy before things like oranges and lemons came to the New World. I got the opportunity to try some - this is how the event was opened, by handing us these cups. I thought it would taste like an air freshener, but it actually had a very mild, pleasant flavour. The closest thing I can compare it to is rosemary. It was like a cross between rosemary and white tea.

White-tailed deer, beavers, and wild turkey all once roamed what is now New York City, and the Lenape hunted all of them for food. Other food sources were fish (usually caught with weirs and spears) and oysters. Oysters used to be very plentiful in the Hudson (before it was called the Hudson, obvi), but in the Industrial Revolution a couple centuries later, pollution killed most of them off.

The Lenape were not wasteful with what they hunted. They used as much of the animal as they could. Fish bones, for example, could be added to fertilizer and used to make sewing needles. Oyster shells were good for transporting burning embers to start a new fire elsewhere. Deer skin could be used for clothing. Animal fat was rubbed on skin as both a type of lotion and as a natural insect repellent.

And deer hooves could be used to make rattles! They would hollow out the hooves and fill them with, say, acorn caps or pebbles or what have you, and then seal it to make a rattle. These were often used for children. Not just as baby rattles, but often with very young children, parents would attach the rattles to their ankles so they could hear where their children were if they ran off. Similar to squeaking shoes sometimes used today, I guess.

They didn't just eat meat, though. The Lenape, like many other East Coast tribes, grew the crops known as "the three sisters" - corn, squash, and beans. These three crops can be planted in the same plot because they grow well together. They also harvested wild berries and nuts such as chestnuts and acorns, and used those for food as well. (This one surprised me because I thought eating acorns was a West Coast tribe thing. I know the California Ohlone did this as well.)

Another Lenape practise that was talked about was that of controlled fires. The Lenape, at least the New York Lenape, would often use controlled fires to take down trees to make canoes. This was a lot less effort than trying to chop down a large tree - they didn't have metal axes until the Europeans showed up!

 They started their fires with a bow drill, pictured at left. Basically, the string of a bow was wrapped around a stick, which was inserted into a notched block over the tinder (I don't know if I'm explaining this very well), and a saw-like motion was made very rapidly to start a fire.

I got the chance to try this as well. Getting it started wasn't as hard as I thought - I had it smoking in a minute - but keeping the motion up for a long time was hard!

 All in all, I learned a lot. I'd like to go to more events like this in the future, because I feel like this kind of hands-on lecture is one of the best ways to learn about a history that I otherwise may not have ever learned anything about! The Lenape were - are - a fascinating group of people, and I'm glad I learned so much about their traditions.

-Nym

P.S. There may not be many Lenape roaming around New York City anymore, but there are still Native Americans fighting white oppression today in 2016! I'm sure you've heard of the NoDAPL protests by now because hello, facebook exists. The Sioux tribe is the tribe that is threatened by the pipeline, but many other tribes across the nation, as well as non-native people have joined the protests.

If you can't get to North Dakota and still want to help, here are some ways you can:

• The Sacred Stone Camp (the protestors' campsite) has a list on their website of things they need. If you wanna send things via mail, address it to Sacred Stone Camp, P.O. Box 1011, Fort Yates, ND, 58538.
• They also have an Amazon wishlist which you can buy from and have shipped directly to them.
• The Standing Rock Medic and Healer Council, which helps take care of those injured at the protests, also has an Amazon wishlist.
• You can also donate money directly to the Standing Rock Sioux (this is what I did) for "legal, sanitary, and emergency purposes."
• Another place you can donate money directly? Their legal defense fund is trying to reach a goal of $2.5 million.
• Don't have money? Pick up a phone. You can voice your opposition directly by calling the governor of North Dakota, Jack Darymple, at 701-328-2200. You can also call the White House at 202-456-1111.

It's too late for the Lenape of New York City but it's not too late for the Sioux of North Dakota, and I, for one, stand in solidarity with them!