YOUR SUPPORT NEEDED NOW
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Tell Pennsylvania lawmakers that they
must give State Recognition to the
Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania!
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Step 1: Click here to sign the petition
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Step 2: Write your local & state legislators.
Click here for a downloadable sample
letter with important talking points.
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Click here for a QR code flyer to print and hang.
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More information, including legislator
contact info, on our home page.
(Scroll Down)
Events, Education, and collaborations
See below for information on upcoming events, classes, exhibits, documentaries,
and arranging programs or consultations.
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LEHIGH VALLEY…MAYBE
Wednesday, 9/13/23, 9:00 - 3:00
Clan Mother Shelley Windamakwi DePaul will be participating in this Touchstone Theater event, which addresses the current housing crisis. "Stakeholders, advocates, civil servants, social service providers, and artists will gather to imagine and discuss a future where we get the housing piece of the puzzle right here in the Lehigh Valley. What could that look like?" Tickets required; breakfast and lunch provided.
Women's Environmental Leadership Summit 2023
Thursday, 9/14/23 - Sunday, 9/17/23
Chief Barbara Bluejay has been invited as a speaker and panelist on Friday's 9:00 session, "Moving Beyond Stewardship to Kinship," of this incredible three-day summit. A flagship program of Smithsonian’s Center for Environmental Justice at the Anacostia Community Museum the third WEL Summit will once again gather its network of current and future leaders to explore the multiple ways in which environmentalism is practiced, pathways to environmental leadership, and best practices for community-centered advocacy and activism.
4th annual International Cultural Festival
Visit the Nation table at the 4th annual International Cultural Festival! Immerse yourself in a vibrant celebration of diverse cultures from around the world. Experience a day filled with exciting performances, mouthwatering cuisines, and captivating displays of art and traditions. This festival offers a delightful opportunity to explore and appreciate the rich tapestry of global cultures.
Saturday, 9/16/23, 12:00p - 10:00p
The Past and Present of the Lenape in PA
The Greene-Dreher Historical Society will be hosting Chief Adam Waterbear to discuss the past and present of the Lenape in Pennsylvania, lenape culture, the LNPA's stand for state recognition, and the central role of conservation and environmental stewardship in Lenape life and culture. He’ll also touch upon their contemporary environmental initiatives, including their annual Rising Nation River Journey.
Wednesday, 9/20/23, 7:00p - 8:30p
Cancelled Due to Inclement Weather
New Britain Township
300th Anniversary
Fall Festival
Saturday, 9/23/23, 10:00 - 3:00
Visit the Nation Table at New Britain Township's 300th Anniversary Fall Festival! The day and evening will be filled with festivities, including reenactments, blacksmithing, woodworking, craft fair vendors, a car show, a petting zoo, face painting, caricatures, a public works & emergency truck show and much more! Come back in the evening for fireworks!
WORKSHOP: SEEDS AND STORIES FROM THE LAND OF THE LENAPE
Saturday, 9/30/23, 10:00 - 12:30
Visit LNPA Councilmembers and Northampton Community College Artists-in-Residence for this wonderful Touchstone Theater workshop! Hear about Lenape stories and language from Clan Mother Shelley and Chief Adam, make natural seeded paper with Amanda Thackray, learn poetic form from Abby Michelini, then bring it all together by writing a thematic poem that can return to the earth and sprout--all at NCC's beautiful East 40! Refreshments and beverages will be served. Spots are limited and registration is free but required.
​DEVOTIONAL GATHERING – NEIGHBOR LOVE
Saturday, 9/30/23, 1:30 - 3:30
Join Clan Mother Shelley and other interfaith representatives, including those of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Baha’i, Hindu, Taoist, Buddhist, Sufi, and Sikh communities, in uniting around the mystery of life in gratitude and in the pursuit of peace, beauty, and justice. Bring a neighbor to this Touchstone Theater event featuring music, prayers, poetry, dance, & wisdom stories, followed by refreshments and conversation. Registration free but encouraged!
Polk Township Environmental Day
Sunday, 10/1/23, 12:00 - 4:00
Visit the Nation Table and enjoy Lenape educational activities at Polk Township's family Environmental Day! This free event will feature food, music, and activities such as a pumpkin patch, petting zoo, face painting, cider pressing, crafts and games. State and community organizations will be on hand with informational displays and demonstrations regarding environmental topics such as fishing, fly tying, wildlife, spotted lantern flies, recycling, etc.
LNPA Treaty signing, Celebration, & Exhibit opening
Saturday, 10/7/23, 11:00 - 3:00
Join us at the Dingman's Ferry Historical Museum at Akenac Park, where the Historical Society will host a signing of our Treaty of Renewed Friendship and display it's new Lenape exhibit! Enjoy drumming, storytelling, speakers, children's programming, museum tours, and a food vendor. All committed organizations and individuals are welcome to sign the Treaty of Renewed Friendship, but signing is not required to attend and enjoy the festivities.
Lenape Cultural Heritage Symposium at Arcadia
Thursday, 10/12/23, 9:00 - 4:30
Join us for an incredible day of Lenape programming hosted by Arcadia University's Center for Antiracist Scholarship, Advocacy, and Action! Join Clan Mothers Ann Dapice, Shelley DePaul, and Teri Hislop, and Chiefs Chuck Gentlemoon and Adam Waterbear for programs on Lenape History, Presence, Craft, Music, Dietary & Food Justice, and Identity. Enjoy drumming, dancing, and storytelling, and tour the beginning stages of our Enduring Presence exhibit's tour at Arcadia. Breakfast, Lunch, and snacks will be provided.
2nd Annual Indigenous Peoples of the Americas Parade NYC 2023
Saturday, 10/14/23, 9:00 - 3:00
Join us in New York for the 2nd Annual Indigenous Peoples of the Americas Parade, where Chiefs Chuck Gentlemoon and Adam Waterbear have been invited as guest speakers. Ceremony & Speakers at 9:00am, and a parade from Madison Square Park to 17th Street Bway from 12:00 - 3:00.
Chester County American Indian Cultural Festival
Saturday & Sunday, 10/21-22/23, 10:00 - 6:00
All are welcome to the ten year anniversary of the Chester County American Indian Cultural Festival, where our Itchy Dog Singers have been invited as Lead Drum, and Stoney's Boys as a Guest Drum! Drumming, dancing, singing, food, vendors, silent auction, and more! $5.00 admission, free for 10 yrs and under and 65 yrs and over.
Learning Native Lenape Plants: A Walk & Talk at Morris Arboretum
Sunday, 10/22/23, 1:00 - 3:00
Join Clan Mother Shelley & Chief Bluejay on a walk through the Wetlands at the University of Pennsylvania's Morris Arboretum & Gardens as they share their knowledge of the native plants growing in the landscape. We’ll hear these plants’ original names as well as their history and significance while deepening our understanding of life in Lenapehoking, both past and present. Tickets required.
Online Lenape Language Classes (Unami Dialect)
Our language classes, which have been featured in K. David Harrison’s The Last Speakers: The Quest to Save the World’s most Endangered Languages (published by National Geographic), have moved online! Clan Mother Shelley DePaul, Director of Language, has taught the Unami dialect of the Lenape Language in colleges, schools, and in the community. Over decades of research and teaching, she has developed a 390 page textbook for our language students, who are composed of nation members, community participants, university professors, and many others. Classes are free, but students need the textbook.
Enduring Presence Exhibit Coming to
Arcadia University
We created this exhibit with Haverford College in 2022, based on and expanded from our 2019 exhibit Enduring Presence, Everyday Artistry: The Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania at Temple University. This exhibit showcases our artistry, and was featured at Haverford in Spring '23. Visit the exhibit website for information, including a downloadable PDF catalog with curator essays. Now to be expanded and hosted at Arcadia University; check back for details!
Fulfilling a Prophesy: The Past and Present of the Lenape in Pennsylvania
Visit this exhibit in person at our Cultural Center or tour the exhibit website. We created this exhibit with the University of Pennsylvania in 2008. It was hosted at the Penn Museum for three years, and afterward travelled to our Cultural Center, where it remains today. This exhibit tells the story of our people in four stages, arranged around a story of four crows.
Documentary:
Keepers of the Way
Filmmaker Evan Cohen's wonderful short documentary Keepers of the Way captures our 2019 Walking Purchase Healing Journey. Evan is now showing the documentary on the film festival circuit, where it is has earned official selections and awards like the Spirit of JTIFF Award at the Jim Thorpe Independent Film Festival and the Jury Award for Best Storytelling in Short Documentary at the Rome International Film Festival. Stay up to date with public screening events, airings, and availability through our events page, our newsletter, and our Facebook.
Speaking engagements, Public events, and programs
We offer educational programs for all audiences, including K-12, colleges and universities, museums, historical societies, environmental organizations, faith-based organizations, and many others. Our drummers and dancers are happy to participate in public events (but we do not conduct our cultural ceremonies for the public). We speak on many topics, including Lenape history, presence, culture, stories, politics, art, and environmental stewardship. Feel free to contact us about these collaborations.
Lenape Gardens
and Horticulture
We have collaborated on many Lenape gardens and planting projects with colleges and universities, arboretums, farms, nature preserves, and other organizations that would like to dedicate a space to growing traditional Lenape medicinal herbs or food crops. Whether the space spans feet or acres, a Lenape garden is a wonderful way to embrace indigenous culture in a beautiful and useful way. See this link for our Lenape Garden at the University of Pennsylvania, or download the article here. See this link for our garden at Staten Island's Skyline Community Garden. Feel free to contact us if you are interested in discussing.
Consultations: Curriculum Development, representation, and other topics
We are always happy to hear from people who want to assure that education about, or representation of, our people is accurate and appropriate. We have professional and cultural educators who are always willing to discuss curriculum, land acknowledgements, exhibits, mascots, and other issues. Please get in touch if you would like to consult with us.