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Appearing on COMMUNITY CONNECTION, Jeremy Johnson, Cultural Education Director with Delaware Tribe of Indians, said he name by which the tribe calls itself is Lenape [pronounced as if spelled “lun-NAH-pay”], and this name means something like “The People.” It is common for many groups of people around the world to use a name that has a similar translation. Johnson said, "We do not know how long that name has been in use, but related tribes use similar words, so we think it has been in use for many hundreds of years."

 

In the short time we shared with Jeremy on the show, we learned a lot. Jeremy said,"It has long been known that the name applied to the Native people who lived along the Delaware River was taken from the title of an Englishman, Lord de la Warr, whose name was Sir Thomas West. He was appointed governor of the English colony at Jamestown, Virginia in 1610. One of his followers, Captain Samuel Argall, once sailed into a majestic bay which he named “de la Warr Bay” in honor of the governor. The river that flowed into the bay was given the same name, and they both were later contracted into Delaware."

 

Jeremy said that the tribe has lost a number of things on their forced trek west to Oklahoma. He said, "Many old traditional ways included making things, such as clay pots to cook and store food in; flint knapping to make arrowheads and flint knives; and decorating things with dyed porcupine quills. We also lost knowledge of sea creatures that we would have known on the east coast, and some of our songs and dances. But we have also been able to preserve many things also."

 

That is where Jeremy comes in. He is the Cultural Education Director. He undertaking is sharing the Lenape culture, language, traditions, dances, songs and lore all why journeying to learn even more about the tibe's 18,000 year history. He will be in the public school classrooms in Dewey and Copan in the coming weeks for special presentations. 

 

Jeremy has also taken several trips with other tribal members to the east coast where the Lanape first lived 18,000 years ago on educational and cultural missions.