Lenape Indians Story Board Created By Mrs Broe

Lenape Indians Story Board Created By: Mrs. Broe

Background The Lenape Indians lived in New Jersey over a 1, 000 years ago. They occupied this land when the European explorers and setters arrived. The Lenape Indians lived in small groups called bands and were part of the larger Algonquian Indian group. They spoke the Algonquain language. The Europeans called them the Delaware Indians because they lived near the Delaware River. They lived near streams because they needed water for fish, drinking, cooking, and washing. The Lenape often traveled in dugout canoes. Traveling on water was much faster than walking on land.

Making a Home • The Lenape Indians lived in Wigwams and Longhouses. They made their homes out of saplings, tree bark, reeds, and grass mats. Saplings were young trees. They used saplings to make the frame of the house and roof. They covered their homes with bark to keep out the rain and snow. A small opening in the roof let the smoke escape from the fires inside the home. • Wigwams were small and round. One or two families could live in one wigwam. Longhouses were larger and could home twenty to thirty people.

Lenape Families • Family was very important to the Lenape Indians. Every Lenape belonged to either the turtle, turkey, or wolf clan. • Older people held a special place in the clan. They were respected for their wisdom and age by the younger clan members. Children would listen to legends told by their grandparents. These legends were stories about history that was passed down from different generations. • The Lenape needed to be strong. As a result, mothers would dunk their babies in cold streams everyday. They would also rub them with snow in the winter. This helped their babies become used to the cold winter months. Children learned to be respectful and never bring shame to their family at a very young age.

Marriage and Divorce • Lenape girls would usually get married around the age of fifteen years old. Boys were usually a few years older. If a young man wanted to marry a young lady, he would give a piece of meat to her family to show he was a good hunter. The woman in return, would offer food she had cooked to show she would make a good wife. If they agreed that they were a good fit they would be married. • Marriage often lasted but some people would get divorced. If a woman wanted to divorce her husband she would remove all of his things from the house to let him know he should leave. If a man wanted to divorce his wife he would just leave the house. The children always stayed with their mothers. People could remarry if they previously got divorced.

Lenape Names • Lenape children were not given a name until the age of four or five because they often died very young. Instead of a formal name they were given a nickname. • When the children reached the age of four or five a special person called a “name-giver” would dream or think of a name for that child. This was a private name between the name-giver and the spirits. Many would still call the child by their nickname.

Sample Lenape Names • Lel-pooch-way…He Who Walks Swiftly • Shingas Swamp Person • Tu-mak-way-tut Little Beaver

Sharing the Work • The Lenape women and girls were in charge of taking care of the home. They would gather crops, carry firewood, and cook the meals. They would also make the pots, baskets, and clothing for the family. • The men and boys would chop down trees, make canoes, and chop down trees. They would also hunt and fish for food for the family. • Hunting would sometimes take all day. If a man did kill an animal he would take it home for his wife to skin and fix the meat. • No part of the animal was ever wasted. The Lenape were very resourceful. The meat, heart, and liver were eaten. The fat and bone were used to make soup. The skin was used for clothing and blankets. The remaining teeth and bones were used to make tools.

Games and Celebrations • There was always a lot of work to be done but the Lenape did play games too. The boys would practice their aim with bows and arrows to help strengthen their hunting skills. • The children enjoyed races and contests to test their speed and strength. Girls enjoyed playing with dolls. The children would also create their own instruments and play music and dance. Telling stories and singing were some ways the Lenape had fun.

Spiritual People • The Lenape were very spiritual people and believed that everything had a spirit. They would ask spirits to help them hunt or win wars. They believed that certain spirits of plants could make them well again if they were sick. • They lived close to nature. The Lenape wanted to see, feel, and touch earth everyday.

Vision Quest • A Lenape boy would be sent out on a journey into nature at the age of twelve or thirteen old. This was called a Vision Quest. A boy would go on a Vision Quest to find their guardian spirit. • The Lenape boy would go out alone to the mountains or forest without food or water. When he was hungry or scared he would pray for his guardian spirit to come and protect him. The spirit would sometimes appear as an eagle, wolf, beetle, or another sign from nature. • After his journey his guardian spirit would always be there for him during times of illness, danger, or pain.