Treaty with the Lenapes

The original inhabitants of this area were the Lenapes, called “Delawares” by the immigrants who came from Europe.  When William Penn landed in what is now Philadelphia, he signed a treaty with Chief Tamanend, and for a brief time immigrants and Indians lived in peace.

In the spirit of William Penn and Chief Tamanend, a new treaty was signed today on the banks of the Delaware River.  A group of Lenape Indians began a journey down the Delaware a few days ago, landing at Shawnee-on-the-Delaware late this afternoon.

Treaty signatories agreed on the following:  

We will support the Lenape people in one of more of the following ways:  hosting cultural/educational programs, partnering as caretakers of the Lenape homeland and Delaware River, assisting in Lenape language revival projects, assisting in displays/exhibits of Lenape culture, helping the Lenape people to obtain and/or protect sacred land sites, encouraging updated curriculum in public schools, attending Lenape functions, volunteer service and support, distributing information, and/or financial assistance.  We also recognize that this treaty is good for a term of four years, August 2018 until August 2022, at which time a new treaty may be entered into.

A number of local environmental and civic groups, including a local Catholic church, signed the treaty in a very moving ceremony.  Linda signed on as president of “Save Carbon County,” an environmental group fighting the PennEast/UGI pipeline.  I signed as a supporting individual.  

My plan is to devote effort to the clause “encouraging updated curriculum in public schools.”  I’m hoping the Lehighton “Indians” will be receptive.