Lenape

The Lenape, also known as Lenni Lenape or Delaware, are Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. Historically they inhabited the Delaware River valley and surrounding regions in what are now eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, southeastern New York, and northern Delaware.

Language and social structure. They spoke variants of the Lenape language, part of the Algonquian language family. The language has two major dialects, Unami in the south and Munsee in the north; some scholars count a third, Unalachtigo, as a dialect. Lenape society was organized into clan lineages within a matrilineal kinship system, and political authority traditionally rested with sachems and a council.

History and contact. Beginning in the 17th century, European colonization transformed Lenape life through trade and settlement by the Dutch, Swedes, and later the English. Over time, pressures from land loss, warfare, and diseases led to relocations and dispersal; many Lenape moved to the Indian Territory, present-day Oklahoma, and others settled in Ontario, Canada.

Modern era. Today, Lenape descendants are represented by several federally recognized tribes in Oklahoma, including the Delaware Nation and the Delaware Tribe of Indians, along with Lenape communities in Ontario, Canada. The Lenape language is endangered, with revival efforts under way in multiple communities through language classes, education programs, and archival work.

Cultural heritage. The Lenape maintain a rich cultural tradition of ceremonies, crafts, storytelling, and connection to ancestral lands, which continue to shape contemporary identity and community life.