The journey down the Lenape Sipu (Delaware River) is an effort to raise awareness, awaken the spirit, and bestow the past, environmentally, culturally and historically, to the future.
It is meant to promote the awareness that the Lenape people living in Pennsylvania are carrying on their ancestral traditions, culture and spiritual beliefs, and that they are engaged in numerous projects to provide practical ways for all citizens to respect and protect our homeland and the health, welfare, and future of the next seven generations of Lenape children.
The river Journey also promotes the awareness that the state of Pennsylvania is one of only a few states in this country that does not recognize its indigenous people, and to invite citizens and political representatives to sign the 2002 Treaty of Renewed Brotherhood so all the peoples of Pennsylvania may fulfill the dream envisioned by Pennsylvania's founding fathers, William Penn and Chief Tamanend.
Finally, the Lenape desire to put the fear, pain and humility of the past behind us, once and for all, and to walk together into the future.
Treaty Of Renewed Brotherhood
On August 24, 2002 an historic event took place at the Pennsbury Manor, the former estate of William Penn in Morrisville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, that marked a new beginning of brotherhood between the Lenape Indian Tribe and the people that neighbor the Delaware River.
A treaty of renewed brotherhood was signed by the Lenape and a number of organizations, including environmental groups, churches, historical societies, and sincerely committed individuals, who wish to actively support the Lenape culture and to help sustain their people, language, and way of life.
The signing was prefaced by an equally historic and monumental three-week canoe journey, which began at the top of the Delaware River in Hancock, N.Y. and culminated in Cape May, NJ.
It was agreed that the re-signing of the Treaty, as well as the River Journey, would
take place every four years and did so again in the years of 2006, 2010, and 2014.
The Lenape People
For over 10,000 years they have been the caretakers of these lands and of The River of Human Beings, more commonly known as the Delaware River.
The Lenape were the first tribe to sign a treaty with the United States and the first tribe to have land set aside for them in New Jersey.
Over a period of 250 years, many Lenape people were removed and dispersed throughout the country. Some took refuge with other tribes.
A large number of Lenape families remained in the homelands and continue the traditions of their ancestors up to our present day. Today the Lenape people from all over Turtle Island (North America) are revitalizing their communities.
Many place names in Pennsylvania are derived from the Lenape Language, such as Manyunk, Conshohocken, and Neshaminy...to mention only a few. In the city of Philadelphia stands a statue of Chief Tamanend, a revered leader among the Lenape, who signed many treaties with William Penn.
The history of the Lenape is truly the history of Pennsylvania and can be appreciated in many ways.
Fulfilling a Prophecy: The Past and Present of the Lenape in Pennsylvania is a fully collaborative exhibition, organized by the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Museum and the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania.
The exhibition draws from oral histories, family heirlooms, and photographs, as well as archaeology, historical and ethnographic research.
Following the exhibit's long run at the Penn Museum, it is now housed at the Lenape Cultural Center and Trading Post in Easton, PA.
For more information on the Journey and the Lenape Nation, visit the 2018 Rising Nation River Journey webpage and the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania website.
(Photo: Lenape Delaware River Journey Members Stop In Shawnee, Pocono Record.)
(Artwork: Lenape artwork "We Are All Related.")
(Artwork: Lenape artwork "We Are All Related.")
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