Discover the profound history of the Lenape, also known as the Delaware tribe, a significant Algonquin-speaking people who are the ancestral inhabitants of vast territories across what is now New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. The Lenape, whose name Lenni Lenape translates to “genuine people” or “original people,” have a rich cultural heritage and a complex history of interaction with European settlers, marked by both cooperation and conflict. Recognized by many other Algonquin tribes as the “Grandfather” tribe, they held a revered position as a source from which numerous other tribes descended.
Traditionally, the Lenape were organized into three main social divisions: the Munsee, Unami, and Unalachtigo, distinctions primarily based on their linguistic variations and geographical locations within their expansive ancestral lands. Their common name, Delaware, was not indigenous but bestowed upon them by English colonists, referencing the Delaware River, which itself was named after Lord de la Warr.
Lenape Culture and Society
The Lenape society was structured around a matrilineal clan system, a fundamental aspect where bloodlines and social standing were traced through the mother’s lineage. Children inherited their social position directly from their mother’s side of the family, emphasizing the crucial role of women in their community and governance.
Subsistence and Daily Life
The Lenape people were skilled agriculturalists, cultivating essential crops such as corn, beans, squash, melons, and tobacco. Their diet was supplemented by extensive foraging for wild fruits, berries, and nuts. Men were primarily responsible for hunting game, including deer and bear, and fishing in the abundant rivers and coastal waters. This blend of farming, hunting, and gathering sustained their communities for centuries.
Traditional Attire and Adornment
Lenape clothing varied with the seasons. During warmer months, men typically wore only a loincloth, while women adorned themselves in wrap-around skirts, often intricately decorated. Early Dutch settlers were particularly struck by the elaborate artistry of these skirts, comparing them to delicate European lace. In winter, both men and women wore buckskin tunics and leggings, complemented by beaver pelts or bearskins for warmth. Decorative elements were significant; men frequently incorporated dyed scarlet deer hair into their headdresses and breast ornaments, and women often wore headbands of similar material. Facial hair was typically removed by men, though older men might wear long hair, and warriors were distinguished by a decorated scalp lock that stood upright like a crest. Tattooing and nose rings were common, and both sexes enhanced their appearance with ornaments crafted from stone, shell, animal teeth, and claws.
Dwellings and Community Structure
Lenape communities typically resided in settled villages featuring longhouses capable of housing several hundred people. These permanent settlements provided stability for their agricultural practices. However, during the summer months, the Lenape embraced a more nomadic lifestyle, establishing temporary camps of birch bark wigwams as they moved to hunt and gather resources across their territory.
First Encounters and Colonial Impact
The first documented contact between the Lenape and Europeans occurred in 1524, when explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano sailed into what is now Lower New York Bay and was greeted by local Lenape in their canoes. This initial peaceful encounter foreshadowed centuries of complex interactions.
The Dutch and English Influence
By the 1600s, the Lenape were a formidable tribe, estimated to number over 20,000 individuals, and played a critical role in the burgeoning fur trade. The establishment of New Netherland by the Dutch in 1614, encompassing a vast region including parts of modern-day New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Connecticut, initiated significant trade relationships. The Lenape exchanged valuable animal pelts, especially beaver, for European goods such as tools, firearms, sugar, coffee, and fabric.
However, the arrival of Europeans also brought devastating epidemics of unfamiliar diseases, which drastically reduced the Lenape population. Further conflict arose in 1634 when the Iroquoian-speaking Susquehannock warred with the Lenape over access to Dutch trade routes, resulting in the Lenape’s defeat and their subsequent subservient status, referring to the Susquehannock as “uncles.”
As Dutch demands for land increased, the Lenape resisted, leading to conflicts like Kieft’s War (1643–1645), which included the horrific Pavonia Massacre, and the Esopus Wars (1659-1663). In 1664, the Dutch ceded New Netherland to the English, further altering the geopolitical landscape for the Lenape.
William Penn and Westward Displacement
In 1682, William Penn and Quaker colonists founded the English colony of Pennsylvania along the Delaware River, initially establishing a peace treaty with the local Lenape. However, the subsequent influx of approximately 20,000 new colonists in the following decades exerted immense pressure on Lenape settlements and hunting grounds. Following William Penn’s death in 1718, many Lenape in Pennsylvania faced increasing threats of violence and were compelled to move westward in the 1730s.
The Lenape also found themselves involved in broader colonial conflicts. They supported the British during the French and Indian Wars (1688-1763), highlighting the complex alliances formed during this tumultuous period.
The American Revolution and Further Displacement
The Treaty of Easton in 1758 forced many Lenape to relocate further westward, out of present-day New York and New Jersey, and into Ohio. Yet, not all complied. The Ohio Lenape formed new alliances with the French and continued their participation in the lucrative fur trade, demonstrating their adaptive strategies amidst shifting political landscapes.
During the American Revolution, the Lenape community was deeply divided. Some Christian converts sought to maintain neutrality, while others allied with the British, fearing that American victory would result in the loss of their lands. These pro-British factions moved closer to Detroit, settling along the Scioto and Sandusky Rivers. Conversely, Lenape who sympathized with the American cause remained in Coshocton, Ohio, and their leaders signed the Treaty of Fort Pitt in 1778. This agreement allowed American troops passage through Lenape territory, with the tribe providing crucial supplies and scouts. The treaty even suggested the possibility of an Indian State with the Lenape at its head, a vision that ultimately never materialized.
Massacres and Betrayal
Despite the Treaty of Fort Pitt, peace between Revolutionary America and the Indigenous peoples of the Ohio Country was short-lived. In 1781, about 300 Americans attacked the Lenape village of Coshocton, capturing and executing 15 warriors. A more infamous event occurred in 1782, known as the Gnadenhutten Massacre, where Pennsylvania militiamen, acting on false pretenses, brutally murdered nearly 100 Christian Lenape. The American colonel responsible was later executed by Shawnee warriors. That same year, the Lenape living on Smokey Island near Pittsburgh also suffered an American attack.
Following American victory in the Revolution, the Christian Lenape (Christian Munsee) and those who had supported the English relocated to Ontario, Canada. Those who remained in the United States continued to struggle against the relentless westward expansion of American settlers.
Westward Removal and Modern Recognition
The Northwest Indian War erupted in 1785, pitting the United States against a confederation of Native American tribes, including the Lenape, who were aided by the British, for control of the Northwest Territory. In the decisive Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794, General Anthony Wayne defeated the Lenape and their allies. The subsequent Treaty of Greenville in August 1795 compelled the Lenape to cede most of their Ohio lands, leading many to move to Indiana to be near their allies, the Miami Indians.
Through the Treaty of St. Mary’s, Ohio, in October 1818, the Lenape were forced to relinquish their lands in Indiana in exchange for territories west of the Mississippi River, along with an annual annuity. Over the next few years, they settled on the James River in Missouri, occupying approximately 40,000 acres. During this period, some Lenape also began to migrate into Texas.
By 1829, the “Treaty of the James Fork” further compelled them to move west into Kansas, where they were allotted about 1,000,000 acres west of the Missouri River and north of the Kansas River. By 1845, the Lenape population in the United States and Canada had tragically dwindled to less than 2,000 people.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act and Oklahoma Relocation
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 opened Kansas Territory to white settlement, leading to rampant trespassing, timber cutting, and illegal construction on tribal lands. Despite their reluctance to relocate again, the Lenape ultimately decided to leave Kansas by 1860, fearing severe conflict with white settlers. They purchased land from the Cherokee Nation and established their new headquarters near present-day Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
Meanwhile, the Lenape who had migrated to Texas had established a significant presence, numbering between 150 and 200 families by 1828. After Texas gained independence from Mexico in 1836, President Sam Houston sought their assistance, and several Lenape became scouts, helping protect the frontier from hostile western tribes. However, his successor, Mirabeau B. Lamar, pursued an anti-Indian policy, forcing most Texas Lenape north to Oklahoma. A few scattered groups remained until 1859, when the U.S. government compelled the remaining Lenape onto a reservation near Anadarko, Oklahoma.
Modern Day and Enduring Heritage
The Curtis Act of 1898 dissolved all tribal governments in Oklahoma and mandated the allotment of communal tribal lands into 160-acre tracts for individual households. The remaining “surplus” land was then sold to non-Indians, a measure the Lenape fought in court but ultimately lost in 1907.
In a further blow, the Bureau of Indian Affairs revoked the tribal status of the Delaware and Shawnee living among the Cherokee in Oklahoma in 1979, subsuming them as Cherokee. After a nearly two-decade legal battle, the Lenape successfully overturned this decision in 1996, regaining federal recognition as a distinct tribe, a testament to their enduring spirit and determination.
Today, there are several federally recognized Lenape tribes in the United States:
- Delaware Nation, Anadarko, Oklahoma
- Delaware Tribe of Indians, Bartlesville, Oklahoma
- Stockbridge-Munsee Community, Bowler, Wisconsin
Canada also recognizes three Lenape First Nations with four Indian reserves, all located in southwestern Ontario:
- Munsee-Delaware Nation
- Moravian of the Thames First Nation
- Delaware of Six Nations (with two Canadian reserves)
Additionally, three groups claim descent from Lenape people and are recognized by various states:
- Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware, Delaware
- Nanticoke-Lenni Lenape Tribal Nation, New Jersey
- Ramapough Lenape Nation, New Jersey
Numerous other organizations across Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, Idaho, and Kansas also claim Lenape descent but remain federally unrecognized.
Conclusion: A Legacy of Resilience
The story of the Lenape, the “original people,” is a powerful narrative of resilience, cultural endurance, and continuous struggle for self-determination against immense historical pressures. From their revered position as the “Grandfather” tribe in the Eastern Woodlands to their forced migrations across the continent and their eventual fight for federal recognition, the Lenape have consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to their heritage and identity. Their rich cultural traditions, societal structures, and profound historical impact continue to resonate, reminding us of the enduring legacy of one of North America’s most significant Indigenous nations.
