A Research on the Life and Culture of the Lenape People

The Lenape (later called the Delaware, after being pushed out of their land by Europeans) cultural group resided along the Delaware River valley in modern-day Pennsylvania and New Jersey. First documented by European colonists in the mid-17th century, they were predominantly seasonal hunter-gatherers, living in very small family-based groups of around 25 people, with villages spread a few miles apart. Like many other eastern Atlantic Native cultures, they lived in wigwams. They did some localized farming in the summertime, but it was scarcely practiced, and not heavily relied on. Their summers were spent at the river head, where they ate local resources such as freshwater shellfish and birds, as well as bear hunting.

To prepare for winter, they stockpiled firewood to be stored and used as needed. They also dried all of their meats and preserved the fruits and vegetables. By the time winter arrived, they were on the move, constantly relocating to different areas of higher resources after one area was sufficiently used. During these times, they hunted deer and other small winter game. In spring, they migrated back to the river head area to start the process over again.

The Lenape had clear gender differences and roles between men and women. They dressed differently, with men typically wearing a loincloth in the summer, and large fur coats in the winter, and women wearing longer skirts, and leggings with a cloth coat in the winter. They also had different duties in everyday life. Men were a part of hunting and fishing groups year round.

Order custom essay A Research on the Life and Culture of the Lenape People with free plagiarism report

450+ experts on 30 subjects Starting from 3 hours delivery

Get Essay Help

They also were skilled craftsmen, in charge of making canoes and tools. While the men were out hunting, the women would stay nearer to the camps, tapping maple trees for syrup keeping the fires going. They also baked bread, dried and stored the meat, and gathered various local fruits and nuts. When the widespread domestication of corn, beans, and squash occurred, and the women were the farmers in charge of the fields. It is widely thought that this combination was not a male-dominated culture, but rather a more symbiotic relationship between men and women. Both of their roles were extremely productive for the group, and they lived together without discrimination or problems.

As far as family structure goes, the Lenape were matrilineal. This means that children inherited tribe rights and materials from their mother, rather than father. Marriage was by choice, and was not forced. Both the husbands and wives cared for and loved each other. There is evidence of extensive gift giving between spouses.

An example of this is men bringing home food that their wives craved while pregnant, while the wives would provide supplies for hunting, as well as making clothing for their husband. The Lenape as a whole believed in individual choice and rights, so the husbands would have no decisive power over the wives, and vice versa. In the case of a divorce, the matrilineal structure meant that children would end up staying with the mother.

Lenape artwork was expressed through jewelry and woodworking. They made decorative bowls and pottery. Women were often experienced with beadworking, making ceremonial bracelets and decorating clothing and shoes with beads. The Lenape are widely known for their textile work. For example, they knitted ribbons that were easily put on and removed from articles of clothing. They made unique medicine bags and sacks out of deerskin and corn husk. Most often, these different expressions of art and style were reflections of spiritual beliefs and religion.

The Lenape tribe was technically a confederacy. There were three separate clans, each based off of an animal: Wolf, Turkey, and Turtle. Within the clans, the people considered each other as relatives. Incest was prohibited and extremely frowned upon, so generally speaking, marriages happened between separate clans to avoid this from happening. Due to the matrilineal family structure, children would subsequently belong to the clan of their mother. Each clan had its own chief, always a male.

However, the chiefs had little to no power over the clan, and were instead more of a role model and a diplomat. The heir to the chief position was usually the closest male relative of the former chief. In each clan, there was also a separate war chief, usually an experienced older warrior, in charge of organizing war parties and strategies.

The Lenape were very spiritual, and heavily resisted the constant attempts of European Christianity conversion. They believed in a spiritual realm dominated by nature, the earth, and the sky. One could find a spiritual guardian by taking a lone trip into the woods, while fasting and not sleeping. The belief was that after some time during this journey, a spiritual guardian would present itself and be attached to individual, protecting them during hunts and wars. They relied on shamans to influence weather patterns and to provide protection from disease. In villages they built ceremonial buildings, or temples, which were the largest building in the village.

These temples were decorated with carvings and paintings of spiritual significance. The buildings were only used once a year during a large religious gathering. A traditional religious dance, called Kinticka, was performed as a worship and sacrificial practice. European missionaries believed these guardian spirits and the Kinticka ritual were the works of the devil, and that they had to turn to God to be forgiven for their actions. However, their attempts failed, and little to no Lenape individuals were documented to convert.

Besides resisting religious beliefs, the Lenape also defended their lands with any means necessary when colonists attempted expansion. They were a peaceful and kind people, and at first, they welcomed the Dutch settlers with trade and peace. However, this harmonious attempt was met with disgust from other tribes, some even attacking the Lenape to try and get them to stop. The colonists also dammed rivers, preventing the movement of fish downriver, which was the main summer food source for the tribe. They were heavy hunting competition as well.

The Dutch fur trade ended up ruining relations with the Lenape, because as it expanded, they stopped trading commodities and giving gifts to the Natives, and instead invested these items in the trade. The Lenape were clear that annual gifts were required to settle on their sacred land, but once this stopped, they began defending that land with force. Ultimately, the Lenape were driven out of their land from a combination of colonist competition and domination, as well as intertribal wars and disease.

The Lenape family line still exists today, although in very small numbers. The traditional language no longer exists, with these individuals instead speaking modern languages such as English and Spanish. The ancient traditions and rituals are still practiced, with the individual groups coming together once a year for a gathering. The aim is to preserve the culture of the Lenape after they were ultimately driven out by European settlers.

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Run a free check or have your essay done for you

Check my essay Hire Writer