Category: Lenni Lenape

A committee of the Sierra Club in PA and NJ chapters is pushing to re-classify the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area as a National Park.

DELAWARE WATER GAP, Pa. — The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area hosts millions of people every year, and now, even more people may look to come as the Alliance for the Delaware River National Park and Lenape Preserve, a committee of the Sierra Club’s Pennsylvania and New Jersey chapters, looks to re-classify it as a national park.

John Donahue is the former superintendent of the National Recreation Area and a spokesperson for the New Jersey Sierra Club.

“This place is very special. It’s a sacred place for the American people, and it deserves to be one of our American cathedrals and a larger part of our American backyard,” Donahue said.

This map shows how the more than 70,000-acre national recreation area would be broken up.

Donahue says 56,000 huntable acres would be the Lenape Preserve.

The remaining 9,700 would be The Delaware River National Park.

The park would straddle the river and include Dingman and Raymondskill Falls.

But Joel Penkala, who lives on the New Jersey side, doesn’t think it’s a good idea.

“Mr. Donahue wants to bring prestige to the area. But prestige means people, and people means a million people. You know, we’re talking about a large number of people coming to the area. The environmental impact of that alone is distressing,” Penkala said.

Those who oppose the idea believe the way you use the park could change.

“I see it kind of as a diversity and equity issue. Right now, you can do the most different activities in this park at the least cost,” Penkala said. “I look at it and say if it becomes a park, there’s going…

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Watch: Coordinator Adam DePaul tells how Rising Nation River Journey supports his work

Lenape Nation of Pa. Cultural Center is hosting another Rising Nation River Journey in the 20 year of the Treaty of Renewed Friendship. Here is why.

Nur B. Adam, Bucks County Courier Times

Hundreds of years after they were forced from their ancestral home along the Delaware River, the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania is still fighting for perhaps the most precious resource of all.

Recognition.

Pennsylvania does not officially recognize the Lenape Nation or any Native American tribe, a fact that strikes to the very core of Lenape Nation member Adam Waterbear DePaul.

“The fight for recognition has been incredibly disappointing so far. Pennsylvania is the only commonwealth to never recognize indigenous people, and we are trying to change that,” DePaul added. “Right now, we are taking steps to become state recognized. But it’s hard to say how that will turn out.”

DePaul is bringing attention to the Lenape Nation’s quest for official recognition and its longstanding commitment to the environment on the Rising Nation River Journey, during which members are paddling and hiking through and along the Delaware River, culminating with the Lower River treaty signing in West Cape May, New Jersey.

The tour started in…

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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 Aug. 20 in Cape May. Treaty signings are scheduled in 10 locations, including Milford, Frenchtown, Lambertville and West Cape May in New Jersey.

The river paddle emphasizes the Lenape Nation’s spiritual connection to the river and nature. “We want people to take care of the river and take care of the Earth, because the Creator gave them to us,” said Bluejay.  “I did the river trip in 2010 and it was a magical experience,” she added. “You should see the eagles that followed us, and the dragonflies.”

The public is invited to bring their own canoes and kayaks and join the sojourn. But even people who don’t paddle can be part of the treaty signings.

“Our trip is all about…

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Philadelphia, aka Philly, is the 6th largest populous city in the USA. It is where the first notion of the American Revolution appeared due to the meeting of the Nation’s Forefathers. Throughout the centuries, Philadelphia has always been one of the most significant places in America, and it still is.

Origin of Philadelphia

Before the arrival of the Europeans, the place was native land for the Lenape Indians. They are the native Indian tribes who eventually became the first nation’s band government. Also known as Delaware Indians, they were pushed out of their homelands as European settlement increased.

However, it was later in 1981 that William got the royal charter as partial repayment of the loan from Charles II of England. At that time, he decided to leave the charter and bought the land from the local Lenape to maintain a healthy relationship with the native. Later he signed a peaceful friendship treaty with the Lenape Indians and Named the place Philadelphia, which means Brotherly Love in Greek. 

Things You Don’t Know About Philadelphia

• In 1946, Philadelphia was the home of the world’s first computer.
• The only long-ship restaurant can be found in Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia.
• America’s first zoo was founded in Philadelphia.
• In the health sector, Philadelphia is extremely rich, as one out of every six doctors in America is trained in Philadelphia.
• Philadelphia has over 2,000 murals on its street, making it the “Mural Capital of the USA.”

What Are the Perks of a Personal Injury Law Firm in Philadelphia?

Philly is a place of first. It is one of the most significant places in America, with a significant number of Law firms all over the state. The laws and…

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On Wednesday, a collection of colorful canoes appeared on the horizon of the Lenape Sipu (Delaware River) at Scott Park in Easton, growing larger and clearer by the moment. As the canoers paddled swiftly to shore, their singing and splashing filled the air. The paddlers are members of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania, and have rowed over 100 miles since the start of their journey.

The paddlers are participants in the sixth Rising Nation River Journey, a quadrennial odyssey in which Lenape rowers carry a Treaty of Renewed Friendship down the Lenape Sipu and hold treaty signings at locations along the way. This year’s journey marks the event’s 20th anniversary.

The paddlers began July 30 in Hancock, New York, and will conclude Aug. 20 in Cape May, New Jersey. There are 13 treaty signing destinations on their path, including the Sigal Museum in Easton.

The Lenape are the original inhabitants of Eastern Pennsylvania. By signing the Treaty of Renewed Friendship, organizations and individuals acknowledge the Lenape’s origins in the region and commit to supporting them in their stewardship of the land. The River Journey tradition aims to raise awareness for the presence and heritage of the Lenape people, encourage respect for their homeland, celebrate and pass on their culture. They are also fundraising for their cultural center in Easton.

“We do this every four years in order to get people to support us in taking care of the river and trying to keep it clean,” said Ken Macaulay, former cultural chief of the Lenape Cultural Center.

The Lenape also journey to interact with their land. The section of the Lenape Sipu below the Delaware Water Gap through the Easton area is one of the “most sacred, powerful” parts of the river, head coordinator Adam Waterbear DePaul said.

The River Journey also holds significance for…

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A newly released map shows for the first time in detail the controversial proposal to create a national park around the Delaware River, from the Delaware Water Gap north nearly to the New York state border.

The plan to re-designate the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area as a full-fledged national park made a resurgence last year and has been met with resistance from residents, outdoors organizations and local governments who have said they need to know more about the proposal and its potential impacts. Any change in designation would require an act of Congress.

The map was provided to lehighvalleylive.com on Friday by the Alliance for the Delaware River National Park and Lenape Preserve, a committee of the Sierra Club’s Pennsylvania and New Jersey chapters and other interested groups. The proposed boundaries break what is now the 70,000-acre national recreation area into two main sections.

• MORE: See the map in full detail

The Delaware River National Park portion would cover 9,760 acres mostly along the riverbanks in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, starting a couple of miles north of the water gap and extending just south of Milford, Pennsylvania. There are two spurs totaling 1,330 acres to incorporate the Raymondskill and Dingmans creeks and waterfalls.

The outlying 56,000 acres would be the federal Lenape Preserve, where backers say hunting would still be allowed — addressing a major complaint from opponents.

The Delaware Water Gap itself, where I-80 and the Appalachian Trail wind through a pass cut by the river, would be split between the federal park and state lands, much as it is now.

The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is within a couple of hours of New York City and Philadelphia. The federal parklands drew an estimated 4 million visitors in 2021, comparable to the Grand Canyon or…

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KINGSTON, N.Y. — A ceremonial peace tree planting and historic peace treaty renewal between Ulster County and the Ramapough Lenape Nation will be held Friday, Aug. 5, at the Hudson River Maritime Museum, 50 Rondout Landing.

The day, billed as a “day of peace, healing, and good relations” will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a fire ceremony to be followed at 10 a.m. with the planting of a Tree of Peace at the former Kingston Visitors Center, 20 Broadway. During that ceremony, an Esopus apple tree will be planted in commemoration of the deaths of two indigenous women who ate apples from a local tree and were shot by a Dutch settler who thought they were stealing from him.

Kawisente, Chief of the Bear Clan of Kahnawake, Kanienkehaka, will lead the tree planting ceremony.

According to the release, the Tree of Peace is a metaphor for how peace can grow if it is nurtured. “Like a tall tree, peace can provide protection and comfort. Like a pine tree, peace spreads its protective branches to create a place of peace where we can gather and renew ourselves.” the announcement said. “Like the White Pine, peace also creates large white roots … that rise out of the ground so people can trace their journey to the source.”

A potluck lunch will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (participants should bring a labeled dish), followed at 1 p.m. by the renewal of the Oct. 7, 1665, peace treaty between the indigenous Esopus people and European settlers.

The 1665 Richard Nicolls Esopus Peace Treaty, which is part of the Ulster County Clerk’s Archival Collection, is significant because it brought to a close hostility between the Esopus people and the settlers that began in 1659.

As part of the treaty, both parties promised…

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