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The LENAPE: The Original or Grandfather People....continued....

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SOCIAL DANCES:

            A distinct characteristic of the Lenape is the performance of their dancing:  dances are performed in a counter-clockwise manner for the most part, contrary to the belief that all dancing, particularly those done at powwows or festivals, is done clockwise.  The primary instrument carried by a Lenape was a small hand drum, also known as a water drum.  These were made from a small hollowed out log, with water placed at the bottom to create the resonating sound.  Some tribes even made drums out of pottery or even a cypress knee, which was also hollowed out.  Other instruments utilized by the Lenape were rattles made from gourds, bark, horn and turtle shells; inside the gourd itself and turtle shell would be beads or corn kernels to make the proper sounds.  The following were some of the dances performed:  Alligator Dance, Bean Dance, Corn Dance, Raccoon Dance and Duck Dance.  The songs that accompanied the social dances covered an immense area, but the basic songs are used from tribe to tribe.  Also, most of these songs have vocables rather than words.

THE MORAVIANS AND THE LENAPE

            One of the most influencial groups of Europeans was the Moravians and the interaction they had among the Lenape people.  The primary purpose of the Moravian contact was to civilize and Christianize the Indians, yet they also demonstrated the ability to accept and respect Lenape culture.  There was more of a cooperative work among the two diverse cultures and as a result some of the most important ethnographic data are Moravian records from the observations of David Zeisberger and John Heckewelder.  Both individuals had a good grasp of the Lenape language.  One aspect of the Moravian missionaries was their emphasis on temperance.  They provided comfort when necessary and in many instances they saved lives, especially since alcohol abuse was becoming a problem among the Indians.  Many Lenape were looking for support, not conversion, which was a complex issue because Native American religion and culture are inseparable.  Even though the relationship between the Lenape and the Moraian missionaries was a complex one, the ultimate goal of the Moravian was to Christianize and that meant the destruction of the Lenape spiritual tradition.  To the Lenape both the spiritual and cultural traditions are so closely connected that to sacrifice one is to sacrifice both.

LANGUAGE AND PRONUNCIATION

            The language is called Lenape just like the term referred to the people.  It is by current standards an almost extinct language with very few elders, those 90 years of age and older, who speak it fluently.  Some younger Lenape people are attempting to learn the language but it is a difficult task.  Some common Lenape words and their English meaning are as follows:  Lenape (Original Peopls), Sakima (chief), Wikwam (House), Wanishi (Thank You).  The early Europeans who came to America concluded that the native tongue was less developed than those of the civilized people. William Penn once stated that the Lenape language is lofty, yet narrow…one word serves in the place of three, the rest are supplied by the understanding of the hearer.  He made it his business to understand the language as best as he could.  What he did not realize was that this language that he learned was a jargon.  Since the grammar was simplified, the sentence structure itself was similar to the language spoken by the Dutch, Swedish and English.

            In the attempt to civilize the Indians, the Europeans felt this could be accomplished by the eradication of the native tongue.  A number of Indians were punished even for speaking their own language.  In hopes of preserving the Lenape language were the endeavors put forth by such Lenape elders as Nora Thompson Dean, Edward Leonard Thompson, and Lucy Blalock.  The language classes were taught under the suspices of the Delaware Tribal Culture Preservation Committee in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

            In more recent times the government has taken steps to preserve Native languages.  In 1989 Senator Daniel Inouye authored a bill, passage of which occurred in 1992, and is now known as the Native American Languages Act and is a policy declaration of the United States.  It provides and promotes rights and freedome of Indians to use, practice and develop their native tongue.  It encourages schools to include Indian languages as a part of their curriculum.  There is also funding by the Secreatary of the Interior for schools that utilize the native language as a means of instruction for the students.

            The Native language was a means of transaction from the earliest contact with the Europeans.  It was a small part of the total human experience and was an integral part of the picture of humankind.  It was and still is important to the maintenance of the culture of the people who speak it.  Many Indian words are a part of our English language.  Therefore, the Indian language has left an indelible mark on our current standard of speech.

Let’s test our knowledge of the Lenape.

1.      What was the primary instrument usually carried by the Lenape?

2.     How were the Moravians different from other groups of Europeans who made contact with the Lenape?

3.     How did the Indian language affect the current standard of speech in America?

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