Editor’s note: The below “State We’re In” dispatch from Alison Mitchell, co-executive director of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, relates to several recurring themes in the pages of U.S. 1.
One is the notion of ancient rituals, which Dan Aubrey explores as part of his foray into Morris dancing in this issue’s story. The other is the Delaware River, whose environs and many bridge crossings have been the subject of many stories, including several in the August 3 issue.
The mighty Delaware River flows for 330 miles, from its source in the Catskill Mountains of New York to its mouth in the Delaware Bay between New Jersey and Delaware. It provides drinking water for 13 million people, abundant scenic beauty, a corridor for trade and commerce, and habitat for diverse wildlife.
Many people love the Delaware, but perhaps none more than the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania, the descendants of the original people who lived along the river for thousands of years before European settlement.
“The river is very sacred to us; we say it’s our lifeblood,” said Barbara Bluejay, secretary of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania, which draws members from all four states along the river and beyond.
Every four years, the Lenape Nation celebrates its ancestral lands and seeks peace and healing through a unique tradition: a month-long canoe paddle down the Delaware, with stops along the way for public signings of a ceremonial friendship treaty.
This year’s “Rising Nation River Journey” began on July 20 in Hancock, N.Y., on the upper Delaware, and will wrap up on August 20 in Cape May. Treaty signings are scheduled in 10 locations, including Milford, Frenchtown, Lambertville and West Cape May in New Jersey.
Alison Mitchell is co-executive director of the NJ Conservation Foundation.
The river paddle emphasizes…
