Category: Lenni Lenape

metro

by Cathyan Boniello

March 25, 2023 | 3:54 p.m

Anthony Van Donck and Jean-Louis Bourgeois had plans for the historic clapboard house on Weehawken Street, but the deal was never finalized.
John Curtis Rice

This cat is now a fat cat.

The millionaire who once vowed to return his historic West Village estate to the Lenape Indians didn’t leave a cent to the tribe when he died last year — but he did give a portion of his $14 million estate, his black cat, Mali.

Jean-Louis Goldwater Bourgeois, who died Dec. 8 at the age of 82, left his cat and $50,000 in cat care to a close friend in Queens, according to court documents.

“I give my black house cat, my money, and/or any other pets that live with me upon my death to my friend, David Schonberger. I also give David Schonberger $50,000 for the care and maintenance of my pets, including payment of veterinary health care insurance premiums.” According to the will of Bourgeois.

Schönberger can not be reached.

But Bourgeois was much less forthright when it came to the Weehawken Street property that made it headlines in 2016, when it announced it wanted to give the 1834 clapboard building to the original inhabitants of Manhattan—the Lenape tribe.

The Weehawken Street home is believed to be worth at least $5 million nowBECKY NY/AKM-GSI

Bourgeois was “horrified” that the island had been “taken over by whites,” he declared at the time, describing the structure as “a souvenir of the Grand Theft.”

He reached out to Anthony Van Donk, former chief of the Ramabuge Indians, who are part of the Lenape Nation.

But by 2019, they had a falling out, and the deal never went…

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Thea Matthews was born and raised on Ohlone land, San Francisco. She holds an MFA in poetry from New York University, and her poetry has appeared in Southern Indiana Review, Interim, Tahoma Literary Review, the New Republic, and other publications. Currently, Matthews lives on the land of the Lenape, Brooklyn, New York.

This poem appears in Issue 23 of Alta Journal.
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I’m on McAllister and Fillmore on another Tuesday.
It’s 8:30 p.m. and clocks have not fallen back yet
when a tote bag full of produce collapses. Apples,
pears, onions, and mangoes rush like a surge of flood
water to the curb. The bike is badly mangled
as a crumpled newspaper tossed to the back of a bus seat.
I stand motionless. “What happened?” a woman asks.
To my left, a concerned cluster of berries jaywalks
to the site of a supernova. I have never seen one
this close before. I walk closer to see her myself.
As the sidewalk begins to pant, wet asphalt spits
blood. The blood streams from the woman’s mouth.
Shock travels through my eyes down to my feet.
An old fuchsia with silver curls has fallen.
I get on one knee, then caress her cheek
with my bare hand as if my soothing could extinguish
the fire below her skin as if I could dim
the vivid lights. I bow in reverence. I am powerless.
The final count of her breath is seen light-years away.
With each exhale, I whisper,
You’re okay.
You’re okay.
You’re okay.
I watch her lips gasp for whatever’s left,
for whatever stardust is left that makes us sentient.
Fish feel pain too. Her jacket is a crimson pond.
With my voice crackling in the fire, I breathe into her,
You’re gonna be alright.
I heard somewhere
death…

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This kitty is now a fat cat.

A millionaire who once pledged to give his historic West Village property back to the Lenape Indians didn’t leave a dime to the tribe when he died last year — but did give part of his $14 million estate his black house cat, Mali.

Jean-Louis Goldwater Bourgeois, who died Dec. 8 at age 82, bequeathed his cat and $50,000 for the feline’s care to a close friend in Queens, according to court documents.

“I give my black house cat, Mali, and/or any other pets living with me at my death to my friend, David Schonberger. I also give David Schonberger the sum of $50,000 for the care and maintenance of my pets, including the payment of premiums for veterinary health care insurance,” according to Bourgeois’ will.

Schonberger could not be reached.

But Bourgeois was far less explicit when it came to the Weehawken Street property which landed him in the headlines in 2016, when he declared he wanted to give the 1834 clapboard building to the original residents of Manhattan — the Lenape tribe.

The Weehawken Street home is thought to be worth at least $5 million nowBECKY NY/AKM-GSI

Bourgeois was “appalled” that the island had been “taken by whites,” he declared at the time, calling the structure a “trophy from major theft.”

He connected with Anthony Van Dunk, a former chief of the Ramapough Indians, who are part of the Lenape Nation.

But by 2019 they had a falling out, and the deal was never consummated.

Van Dunk said he had no ill will toward Bourgeois, whom he considered a friend, and praised the bequest to the four-legged friend.

“Well, Mali was well…

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Late NYC millionaire broke promise to leave $5M West Village property to a Native American tribe – but instead bequeathed $50,000 to his CAT Mali

• Jean-Louis Goldwater Bourgeois promised to leave his Manhattan home to the Lenape Indian tribe in 2016
• Despite claiming to be ‘disgusted’ that the property had been ‘taken by whites’, the tribe never received it following his death in December 
• The author and son of famed sculptor Louise Bourgeois did leave $50,000 to his cat as part of his expansive $15 million estate

By Will Potter For Dailymail.Com

Published: 18:40 EDT, 25 March 2023 | Updated: 20:54 EDT, 25 March 2023

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A Manhattan millionaire broke his promise to leave his $5million West Village home to a Native American tribe – but did bequeath $50,000 to his cat.

Jean-Louis Goldwater Bourgeois pledged in 2016 to give his historic home to the Lenape Indian tribe, the original Native American nation in Manhattan, after claiming he was ‘disgusted’ the property had been ‘taken by whites’.

But while there was no mention of the deed following his death in December, Bourgeois did remember to leave a massive sum for the care of his favorite feline.

Bourgeois’s U-turn…

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A New York City millionaire, Jean-Louis Goldwater Bourgeois, broke his promise to leave his $5 million West Village property to a Native American tribe. Instead, he bequeathed $50,000 to his cat, Mali. This is a peculiar turn of events, given Bourgeois’s history of advocating for Native American rights.

The 2016 Promise to the Lenape Indian Tribe

In 2016, Bourgeois pledged to give his historic home to the Lenape Indian tribe, the original Native American nation in Manhattan. He claimed to be “disgusted” that the property had been “taken by whites” and expressed his sense of guilt for profiting from what he considered a “major theft.”

Bourgeois first considered returning the land after meeting Joseph Scabby Robe, a Cree Indian from Manitoba, Canada, during an Occupy Wall Street protest in 2011. Bourgeois was introduced to Native American chief Anthony Van Dunk, but their relationship eventually soured, and the deal fell apart.

The Cat’s Inheritance and Bourgeois’s Remaining Estate

Despite the broken promise, Chief Van Dunk praised Mali the cat, who received a $50,000 inheritance for her care. Bourgeois left the money to a close friend in Queens, who would look after Mali. The rest of his $15 million estate was distributed among friends, his adopted son, and his mother’s charity, the Easton Foundation.

Unfulfilled Commitment and Current Property Status

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Bourgeois’s will did not mention the West Village property he had initially promised to the Native American tribe. Purchased in 2006 for $2.2 million, the three-story home’s value has since soared to at least $5 million. Bourgeois’s brother Alain has said that “no decision has been made” on the property.

Concluding Commentary:

The situation is a disheartening one, as Bourgeois had once been a passionate advocate for Native American rights. His failure to honor his commitment to the Lenape…

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Ray Booth  |  Special to The Times-Reporter

NEWCOMERSTOWN − Chief Netawatwees may have died in 1776, but he continues to attract visitors to the village.

Lenape tribe members from Oklahoma and Canada recently visited the Lenape Diaspora Memorial being constructed outside the Temperance Tavern Museum on Canal Street. Chief Netawatwees, who was the head of the Lenape in the region, is the first of six sculptures to be built by renowned sculptor Alan Cottrill at the site.

Newcomerstown in the News:Lenape Diaspora Memorial donations sought

Theresa Johnson vowed to come back to pay homage to her Lenape heritage.

“I am from Eelunaapeewii Lahkaawiit, which was or is still called Moraviantown in Ontario, Canada,” she said. “I worked on my family tree for many years and in 2016 we started on a road trip to visit the places where my ancestors lived.

“In 2016, I came to Gnadenhutten, Ohio, and met John Heil of Gnadenhutten, who encouraged me to find out more and keep coming. It was after that I found out we had so many ancestors who lived in this area. I haven’t spent more than a day or two at at a time here in the area, but there is so much to see.”

Harley Dakin of the Newcomerstown Historical Society, which is leading the project, said, “It was a pleasure to meet so many leaders of the Lenape and to have them visit our museum. We are proud of our connection to the Lenape through our founding father, Netawatwees. We appreciate the visit and the opportunity to showcase a portion of the long term project to create a memorial to the Delaware Indians as a whole.”

Johnson said her heritage is from the Lenape/Mohican/Oneida.

“We do have people who have visited the area that descend from Netawatwees, Captain Pipe, and many others, although…

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Is New York City Overrated? Feat. Emma Benack – RTI Radio Taiwan International Hello, dear friends!
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A photo of Manhattan, New York, NY, USA. (Photo: Jermaine Ee/Unsplash)

Ah…New York City. This City is so-well known and much written about. You could probably name (and sing) at least one song about New York City. For many people in Taiwan, NYC is the “dream city.” What makes NYC so special? Is NYC really like how it’s usually portrayed in music, movies, and TV shows? How much of it is stereotypical? What stories of NYC are usually missing? Join Sharon Lin and Emma Benack today as we talk about the hype many people have for New York City. Obviously, us two are no experts about this very diverse, big city, but we’ve both spent quite some time there. Join our chat!

There’s so much to learn about New York City, and any city honestly. We’d like to encourage you to know about how a place came to be. We’d also like to share the statement below, which is based on the content from The Department of History at New York University: New York City is located in ancestral Lenape homelands, and it recognizes the longstanding significance of these lands for Lenape nations past and present. New York City has the largest urban Native population in the United States. We believe that historical awareness of Indigenous…

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The NJSIAA girls’ individual state tournament will start on Sunday at Phillipsburg High School.

All rounds will be wrestled except for the championship bouts, which will be held on March 4 at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall.

The following are the brackets for the tournament.

100

(1) Theresa Zeppetelli (Bogota/Ridgefield Park, 15-4) vs. winner of  (9) Mackenzie Markham (Kingsway, 21-11) vs. (8) Princessstorm Woody (Trenton Central, 13-1);  (5) Madeline Gavares (Old Bridge, 17-4) vs. winner of (13) Jaida Jenkins (Eastern, 13-7) vs. (4) Olivia Klein (Paramus, 14-2); (3) Isabella Santos (Elizabeth) vs. winner of (11) Allie Borzelli (North Hunterdon, 13-11) vs. (6) Litzy Argueta (Lakewood, 21-7); (7) Kloi Tighe (Gloucester, 9-0) vs. winner of (15) Rihanna Allas (Warren Hills, 8-12) vs. (2) Paige Weiss (Sparta, 15-3).

107

(1) Emma Coesfeld (Delsea, 23-2) vs. winner of (9) Leeah Gutierrez (Perth Amboy, 20-6) vs. (8) Gianna Simeone (Newton/Kittatinny, 15-4); (5) Alexandra Tchekounova (Colts Neck, 16-2) vs. (12) Olivia McCormick (Lakeland, 14-5); (13) Makenna O’Neill (Manchester Township, 19-12) vs. (4) Marlowe Donato (Jackson Memorial, 26-7); (3) Kylie Gudewitz (Howell, 15-0) vs. (6) Leeana Mercado (Lodi, 10-1); (7) Jazzira Lopez (West Orange, 14-7) vs. winner of (15) Blair Rodriguez (Columbia, 14-8) vs. (2) Jaclyn McDowell (Gloucester City, 17-3).

114

(1) Ava Rose (Princeton, 4-0) vs. (8) Jada Pichardo (Pennsauken, 27-5); (5) Ava Krzykalski (Lyndhurst/North Arlington, 24-5) vs. (12) Hailey Beck (Lenape, 5-4), winner vs. (4) Paige Kirk (Ramsey, 19-4); (3) Lennix Horsburgh (Bound Brook, 21-1) vs. winner of (11) Sophie Babineau (Manalapan, 24-7) vs. (6) Ahlexa Montalvo (Bloomfield, 9-3); (7) Emme Hoarle (Somerville, 28-6) vs. (10) Joan Vince (Vernon, 22-7); (15) Olivia Guy (Ocean City, 15-5) vs. (2) Caitlin O’Reilly (Middletown South, 11-3).

120

(1) Riley Lerner (Cedar Creek, 27-5) vs. winner of (9) Cassidy Kole (North Hunterdon, 23-9) vs. (8) Grace Riley (Becton/Wood-Ridge, 17-4; (5) Reagan Roxas (Kingsway, 28-3) vs. (12) Arabella Sosa (Westampton…

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MEDFORD – Shawnee High School senior Avery Kessler reached a career milestone in her team’s 43-28 Olympic Conference interdivision road victory over Lenape Feb. 7.

Kessler scored her 1,000th career point – becoming the second Shawnee player to do so this season – en route to a team-high 15 points against the Renegades’ Lenape-district rivals.

The senior guard now has 350 points on the year. Her career totals are: 1,012 points, 270 rebounds, 242 steals and 181 assists.

“We are so proud of Avery’s accomplishments,” said Shawnee coach Chrissy McGovern. This is so well deserved for her! She is the backbone of our program.”

Shawnee’s Avery Kessler (right, file photo) has scored 340 points for the 21-4 Renegades this season. (DAVID BORRELLI – THE CENTRAL RECORD)

Senior Nia Scott reached 1,000 career points in Shawnee’s 57-16 win over visiting Seneca Jan. 19.

Shawnee was looking to rebound after a tough 41-36 loss to Williamstown in the South Jersey Invitational Tournament quarterfinals two days earlier.

Scott (17) and Kessler (10) combined to score 27 points as the Renegades clinched the Olympic Conference Patriot Division title with a 39-25 win over visiting Moorestown Feb. 9.

The Renegades improved to 22-4 and 9-0 in the division with the win over the Quakers.

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About a week before Americans and friends would gather to celebrate Thanksgiving, a convoy of trucks rolled to a stop in the war-ravaged Tigray region of Ethiopia. Humanitarian workers began to unload hundreds of tons of food. Fighting and instability had made the work dangerous, but now sacks heavy with wheat and split peas and vast containers of vegetable oil were being sorted and sent directly to the region’s hungry.

The United Nations’ World Food Programme, the largest humanitarian organization on the planet, had organized the effort. Estimates suggest the deliveries would help 67,000 people.

Trucks filled with food aid queue outside a warehouse in Gode, Ethiopia, for unloading. (WFP)

It was a significant achievement against hunger, yet David Beasley, an American from South Carolina and the agency’s executive director since 2017, finds it hard to take comfort from one success as he thinks of how many more people still need help.

At the end of 2022, the WFP is on track to provide food, medicine and support to 153 million people in at least 80 countries, many of them dealing with war and famine. That’s the most people in the program’s 60-year history.

“When I took over, my goal was, ‘What can I do to make the World Food Programme no longer needed?’” Beasley told ShareAmerica in phone interview from the agency’s headquarters in Rome. “We still have a lot of work to do.”

The World Food Programme’s executive director, David Beasley, talks to a young boy at the Imvepi Refugee Settlement in Uganda. (WFP)

The WFP has grown under Beasley’s watch to become a $10 billion annual effort with more than 22,000 staffers…

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