Munsee

Munsee refers to a subgroup of the Lenape (Delaware) people and to the Munsee dialect spoken by that group. Historically, the Munsee inhabited the upper Delaware River valley, including parts of what are now southeastern New York (the Catskills and Hudson Valley), northern New Jersey, and eastern Pennsylvania. They are one of the three principal divisions of the Lenape, alongside the Unami-speaking Lenape in the south.

Munsee is a dialect of the Lenape language, an Algonquian language closely related to Unami but phonologically and lexically distinct. It is often distinguished as Munsee Delaware. The language is endangered, with only a small number of fluent speakers remaining. Linguists have documented Munsee through dictionaries, word lists, and recordings, and some Lenape communities conduct revival programs and classes to teach the language to younger generations.

Following European colonization and formal treaties, Munsee communities were displaced from their homeland. Many moved to reservations and new settlements in the Midwest and in Canada, and after the American Revolution a large portion of Lenape people were relocated to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) or remaining in Canada. The Munsee identity continues through cultural traditions and tribal affiliations, even as most descendants primarily speak English.

Today, efforts to revitalize Munsee and other Lenape languages are pursued by tribal groups and linguists. Some organizations in Ontario and the United States support language classes, documentation projects, and cultural programs to preserve Munsee heritage as part of the broader Lenape cultural revival.