Read Ebook: The Lenni Lenape or Delaware Indians by Walker Edwin Robert

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We are told that the Indians were wonderful archers. Presumably most of them were, and probably some of them were not. I suppose they had their William Tells and Sir Walter Tyrrels.

We all remember the legend of William Tell's great feat in archery in 1307 when an Austrian bailiff demanded homage of him which Tell refused, and for which he was sentenced to death, but was given the chance of ransoming himself by shooting an apple from off his son's head at very long range, a feat which he triumphantly performed.

The misadventure of Sir Walter Tyrrel was, that on August 2d, in the year 1100, William II, surnamed Rufus or the Red Rover , was hunting in the New Forest accompanied by Sir Walter Tyrrel, a French gentleman. A stag suddenly started up and Tyrrel let fly at him an arrow which struck a tree, and, glancing off, hit the King in the breast, killing him instantly. Sir Walter immediately put spurs to his horse, gained the channel coast and embarked for France, where he joined the Crusades as a voluntary penance for his involuntary crime. There is a fine old English ballad commemorating this regicidal tragedy, the refrain of which is: "Instead of a royal stag that day a King of England fell."

The Indians were fairly accurate in the computation of time. The Lenape did not have a fixed beginning to their year, but reckoned from one seeding time to another, or from when the corn was ripe. They had a word "grachtin" for year and counted their ages and the sequence of events by yearly periods. The records of their people, preserving the memory of events, myths and fables, were kept on marked sticks. At first they were marked with fire, but latterly they were painted, the colors as well as the figures having certain meanings.

The character of the Delawares was estimated very differently. The missionaries were severe upon them. One said they were unspeakably indolent and slothful, had little or no ambition, not one in a thousand had the spirit of a man. Another spoke of their alleged bravery with the utmost contempt, and characterized them as the most ordinary and the vilest of savages. Yet, still another missionary wrote that he did not believe that there were any people on the earth more attached to their relatives and friends than were the Indians.

For more than forty years after the founding of Pennsylvania there was not a murder of a settler committed by an Indian. And General William H. Harrison wrote that a long and intimate knowledge of the Delawares, in peace and war, as friends and enemies, had left upon his mind the most favorable impressions of their character for bravery, generosity, and fidelity to their engagements.

The religious beliefs of the Delawares resembled closely those of the other Indian nations. They were the worship of Light, especially in its concrete manifestations of fire and sun; of the four winds, as the rain bringers; and of the Totemic animals. The idea of a bad spirit, a devil, appears to have been wholly unknown to the Indians until instilled into their minds by the whites, as already remarked. They had a general belief in the soul or spiritual part of man. Their doctrine was that after death the soul went South where it would enjoy a happy life for a certain time and would then return and be born again into the world.

An important class among the Indians were those who were by the whites called "medicine men," who were really the native priests. They were of two schools, one devoting themselves to divination, the other to healing. The title of the former among the Delawares was "powwow," meaning dreamer. They claimed the power of dreaming truthfully of the future, and were the interpreters of the dreams of others. Of course they were fakirs, though palpably so only to themselves and not at all to their followers. The other school of the priestly class was called "medeu," meaning conjurer. Some of them professed great austerity of life, had no fixed abode, exorcised sickness and officiated at funeral rites.

When the white settlers first came to New Jersey the Lenape had not reached the stage of progress where the office of priest had been separated from that of physician. Nor was the "profession" at all exclusive. Anyone was eligible to enter it. The Lenape were tolerant of the religious beliefs of others, although some of the medicine men tried to incite their dupes to massacre certain missionaries. The Grand Council of the Delawares in 1775 decreed religious liberty.

When the missionaries came among the Indians these shrewd and able medicine men, "powwow" and "medeu," accustomed to practice upon the credulity of the unsuspecting red-skin, foresaw that the new faith would destroy their power and incidentally curtail their revenues, and therefore they vigorously attacked the gospel teachings, and often the self-sacrificing missionaries to the Indians were compelled to complain of the evil influence exerted by these false prophets upon the aborigines.

The principal sacred ceremony of the Indians was the dance and accompanying song. This was called the "kanti kanti," meaning to sing. From this noisy rite the white settlers coined the word "cantico," which still survives and is a word with us.

The early English occupants of America gave little attention to the Indian language beyond an acquisition of what was indispensable to trading with the natives. Dr. Brinton declares that William Penn professed to have acquired a mastery of it, but says that from the specimens Penn gives it is evident that all he studied was the traders' jargon, which was about a near pure Lenape as pigeon English is to Macaulay's periods.

During the War of the Revolution the Delawares were first neutral and then partisans of the Americans and thus prevented attack by hostile Indians on the Jersey towns and settlements.

The Delawares were passionately fond of their ancestral traditions and their forefathers, and cherished the belief that they were the wisest and bravest of men. They loved to rehearse their genealogies. They were so skilled at it that they could repeat the chief and collateral lines with the utmost readiness.

The Indians were all passionately fond of games and were mostly inveterate gamblers, yet, according to authority, they cultivated among themselves a most scrupulous honesty, always kept their promises, insulted no one, were hospitable to strangers and faithful to their friends even unto death.

On the subject of the Indians' devotion to gambling the following may be pardoned. Bret Harte, in one of his humorous and purposely ungrammatical wild western poems, speaking of his friend Bill Nye's visit to a mining camp, said:

"For the camp has gone wild On this lottery game, And has even beguiled Injin Dick' by the same."

and, later on,

"When Nye next met my view Injin Dick was his mate; And the two around town was a-lying In a frightfully dissolute state."

and, continuing,

"Which the war dance they had Round a tree at the Bend Was a sight that was sad; And it seemed that the end Would not justify the proceeding As I quiet remarked to a friend."

The simple savage, living in close contact with nature, sees only health as the normal condition of man. When the form, once animated and vigorous, lay still and cold, it was an unfathomable mystery to him, and, according to Dr. Brinton, in all the Indian tribes, there was no notion of natural death. No Indian "died," he was always "killed." Death in the course of nature was unknown to the Indians. When one died by disease they supposed he had been killed by sorcery, or some unknown venomous creature.

The Indians' dread of death would lead them to speak of it by circumlocution or euphemism, as "You are about to see your grandfathers," or, as among the whites, "If anything should happen." They had a vague belief that the spirit of the dead haunted their earthly homes, which Philip Freneau has thus apostrophized:

A very important feature of conference with the Indians was an exchange of presents. The wily savages saw no sense in giving away valuables unless they received presents of equal value in return, and if their gifts were not reciprocated they quietly took them back, whence we get the phrase "Indian giver," which we learn in childhood to call the playmate who gives us an apple or a stick of candy and later takes it back.

The conferences between the colonists and the Indians were attended with much formality and ceremony. At a conference held at Easton, Pennsylvania, October 16th, 1758, there were present the governors of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, gentlemen of their councils, Indians and interpreters.

Governor Francis Bernard of New Jersey spoke to the Indians, and said:

"Brethren of all the confederated nations:

As you proposed your questions concerning Teedyescung separately, I think proper to give you a separate answer thereto.

I know not who made Teedyescung so great a man; nor do I know that he is any greater than a chief of the Delaware Indians settled at Wyomink. The title of king could not be given him by an English governor; for we know very well that there is no such person among the Indians, as what we call a king. And if we call him so, we mean no more than sachem or chief. I observe in his treaties which he has held with the governor of Pennsylvania that he says he was a woman, till you made him a man, by putting a tomahawk into his hand; and through all of those treaties, especially in the last, held at this town, he calls you his uncles, and professes that he is dependent on you; and I know not that anything has since happened to alter his relation to you. I therefore consider him still to be your nephew.

Brethren,

I am obliged to you for your kind promises, to return the captives which have been taken from us. I hope you will not only do so, but will also engage such of our allies and nephews, as have taken captives from us, to do the same. That you may be mindful of this I give you this belt."

After the governor had done speaking, and his answers were interpreted in the united nations and Delaware languages, the Indian chiefs were asked if they had anything to say. On which Tagashata arose, and made a speech to his cousins the Delaware and Minisink Indians, directing his discourse to Teedyescung, and said:

"Nephews,

You may remember all that passed at this council-fire. The governors who sit there have put you in mind of what was agreed upon last year: They both put you in mind of this promise, and desire you will perform it: You have promised it, and must perform it. We your uncles promised to return the prisoners. We your uncles, have promised to return all the English prisoners among us, and therefore we expect that you our cousins and nephews will do the same. As soon as you come home, we desire that you will search carefully in your towns for all the prisoners among you that have been taken out of every province, and cause them to be delivered up to your brethren. You know that it is an article of this peace that was made between you and your brethren: In conformity of which you received a large peace belt; of which belt we desire you to give an account, and let us know what is become of it, and how far you have proceeded in it."

After this was interpreted in the Delaware language, it was observed that there were no Minisink Indians present; the governors therefore desired that Mr. Peters and Mr. Read would procure a meeting of the chiefs of the united nations, Delawares and Minisinks, and cause the speech of Tagashata to be interpreted to the Minisinks in the presence of their uncles.

A word about the title to lands in New Jersey will be of interest. After the English conquest of New Netherlands in 1664, King Charles II granted to his brother James, Duke of York, afterwards James II, certain territory including New Jersey; and the Duke of York, in the same year granted New Jersey to Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret, in recognition of, and in reward for, valiant services performed by those noblemen for the unfortunate Charles I, father of the Duke. It is certainly unfortunate for anyone to have his head chopped off or be otherwise executed, and it is in that sense alone I use the word "unfortunate" with reference to the perfidious King. The tribunal that tried Charles I pronounced him a traitor, murderer and public enemy. And I agree entirely with the declaration of that illustrious martyr to liberty. Colonel Algernon Sidney, who, speaking of the execution of Charles I, said it was the "justest and bravest action that was ever done in England or anywhere else."

William Penn acquired this interest in New Jersey before he obtained any in Pennsylvania, and several years before he visited America the first time. Sir George Carteret, owner of East Jersey, pledged himself to purchase lands from the Indians from time to time as required by the settlers; and Penn, the dominant owner of West Jersey, found the practice of acquiring title from the Indians an old and established custom, and followed it. In 1682 the legislature passed an act in which it was provided that no person should buy lands from the Indians without a written authorization of the Province, the grant to be to the proprietors who would reimburse the purchasers. In practice, however, the deeds always appear to have been made to the purchaser, who bought of the proprietors on presentation of the deeds to them. The actual title to the soil was derived from the King of England who claimed it by right of discovery and conquest. The Indian title was a possessory one, that of an occupant only, and was not of the fee, and "fee" means the absolute ownership. Taking deeds from the Indians, therefore, was a sort of buying one's peace in the possession and occupancy of the soil in which the grantee had the fee. The Indians had no ownership in "severalty," which means that they did not own lots or tracts whereon they dwelt themselves or which were in possession of their tenants, but the ownership of the land, such as it was, was common to the tribe.

"To all person to whome these presents shall Come we Caponohkamhcon Chekanthakainan Kelelaman Hokontoman all Indian Sachemas and the onely sole and proper owners of the tract of Land hereafter described and by these presents bargained and sould send Greetings Know ye that we the said Indian Sachemas for and in consideration of fivety fathom of Wampum thirty blew matchcotes thirty Red mattchcotes Eight inglish cotes twenty white blankets twenty stroudwaters thirty shirts fourty pare of Sotckings twenty one Kettles Tenn Gunns Twenty Hoes Twenty Hatchets fivety knives thirty Tobacko Boxes thirty Tobacko tongs thirty Lookeing glasses one Pound of Read Lead one rundlett of Gun Powder fourty barrs of Lead one pound of Beads one hundred tobacco pipes five hundred fishookes five hundred Needles one hundred and fivety awles sixty flints twnety paire of Scissors and fiveteen Gallons of Rum to us in hand paid by Mahlon Stacy Samuell Jennnigs Thomas Gardiner George Deacon Christopher Wetherell John Wills John Hugg Jun Isaac Sharp and John Reading all of them members of the Councill of Proprietors for the time being within the westerne division of the Province of New Jersey The Receipt of all which said goods above mentioned We the said Sachemas doe hereby acknowledge and therewith to be fully contented satisfied and paid have granted bargained and sold aliened Enfoeffed Released and confirmed and by these presents doe fully freely and absolutely Grant Bargaine and sell Alyene enfoeffe Release and confirme unto the said Mahlon Stacy Samuell Jennings Thomas Gardiner George Deacon Christopher Wetherill John Wills John Hugg Isaac Sharpe and John Reading and to ther heires and Assignes forever all that tract or parcell of Land Situate above the falls of Delawar and lying and being within the Westerne division of the province of New Jersey aforesaid being Limited and bounded in manner following That is to say Begining at the River Dellawar at the mouth of a westarne brooke called Laokolong as from thence along the old Indian purchase line which was formerly made by Adlord Bowde to the white oake tree standing by the side of an Indian Road Leading from Arhelomonsing unto Neshaning or Coponockons wigwam and so from the said corner along by A line of marked trees North and by East or thereabouts along by the bounds of Hoyhams land untill it meet with a branch of Rariton River called Neshaning and so down the same unto the mouth of a brooke or Runn called Peescutchola and so along the Northermost branch of the same along by the bounds of Nymhainmans alias Squahikkons land unto an Indian Towne called Toquemenching and from thence along the Indian Road Leading to Sheroppees plantation called Asinkoweerkong North and by west or thereabouts by trees markt along the road and from Sheroppees plantation along a line of marked trees North west and by North to a runn on the back side of Ohoeming and so downe the same untill it empties it selfe into a branch of Rariatn River called Caponanlong and so up the said brooke by the bounds of aquatoons land untill it devides it selfe into two branches and soe from the said forks by a line of marked trees south west and west south west by the land of Chekanshakaman untill it meet with a brooke called the upper Neshasakowerk and soe downe the same to the mouth thereof emptieing it selfe into Dellawar river and so downe the said River to the mouth of Loakolong being the place of first beginning togeather with all and Singular the Mines Minerals Woods Waters Fowleings Fishings Huntings and all other Royalties franchises powers profitts Commodities Hereditaments and appurtenances whatsoever to the said tract of land belonging or in any wise appertaining and all estate Right title interest use possession propertie Claime and demand whatsoever of us the said Indian sachamas of in and to the said granted land and premisses and every part thereof with apurtenances full and free liberty at all times hereafter soe the above said Indian Sacchamas our heires successors and Subjects to hunt fish and fowle uppon the unimproved land within the above described tract of land Alwayes excepted Reserved and foreprised To have and to hold the above described tract of land and granted premisses and every part thereof with the appurtenances unto the said Mahlon Stacy Samuell Jennings Thomas Gardiner George Deacon Christopher Whetherell John Wills John Hugg Isaac Sharpe and John Reading there heires and assignes forever to the onely proper use and behoofe of themselves and the rest of the english proprietors within the said westerne division of the Province aforesaid who have subscribed and are concerned in and shall contribute their respective proportions towards this present purchasers to their severall and respective heires and assignes forever more And We the said Indian Sachemas for ourselves our heires and successors severally and respectively doe covenant promise and grant with the said English proprietors above mentioned and their heires and assignes severally and respectively by these presents that we are the onely true sole and proper owners of the abovesaid tract of land and granted premisses and now have good right full power lawfull and absolute authority to grant bargains and sell the same in manner abovesaid and also that the same premisses is and are free & cleare of and from all and all other former Gifts Grants Bargaine Sales and all other incumbrances whatsoever made done or at any time preceeding this date committed or suffered by us the above Indian Sachemas or by any others whatsoever with or by our Consent knowledge or procurement and we the said Indian Sachemas for ourselves our heirs and successors severally and respectively all the above described tract of land and granted premisses with every part thereof with the appurtenances unto the said english Proprietors and their heires and assignes severally and respecitvely against us the said Indian Sachemas and our heires and successors severally and respectively and against all other Indian or Indians whatsoever Claimeing or pretending to Claime any right Title or interest of in or to the same shall and will warrant and forever defend by these presents in witness whereof We have hereunto fixed our hands and seales this eleaventh day of November Anno Dom 1703:

Coponakonkikon: X his marke . Hurkanntaman: X his marke Chekanshakaman: X his marke . Kelalaman: X his marke ."

Each nation had its boundaries, the lands within which were subdivided between the tribes. These boundaries were generally marked by mountains, rivers and lakes, and encroachments on their lands by neighboring tribes were resented as a sort of poaching on their hunting and fishing domains. There were, however, Indian paths which were common highways through the territory of the various tribes, which, later, in numerous instances, were widened into public roads, many of which exist unto this day. The Indians freely traveled by these paths from the ocean to the interior, especially to the ancient council fires at Easton, Pennsylvania.

This was the valedictory of the Lenape in New Jersey; and the haunts that knew them formerly knew them no more.

As "along the banks of the sacred Nile, Isis no longer wandering weeps, searching for the dead Osiris," so along the banks of the historic Delaware, the Indian maiden no longer watches, waiting the return of her dusky lover from the war-path or the chase. As "the divine fires of Persia and of the Aztecs, have died out in the ashes of the past, and there is none to rekindle, and none to feed the holy flames," so the camp fires of the Indians in New Jersey have flickered and expired, never to be relighted, never again to send a gleam athwart the nocturnal skies.

Lord Campbell concludes the introduction to his monumental work, the "Lives of the Lord Chancellors of England," by quoting from Lord Chief Justice Crewe, and says:

And I ask: Where are the Lenni Lenape?

Teedyescung, Oraton, Mosilian and the other sachems and sagamores of old Sch?jachbi have long since gone to the happy hunting ground, and the remnant of their tribes is on a reservation in the far West, perishing as a type and destined to become extinct as a people.

The Indians have gone from New Jersey, never, never to return. But we shall not forget them! While pictures are painted; while books are printed; while children perennially play Indians all around us, we shall ever be vividly reminded of those bands of roving savages whose deeds have been rendered so popular in American story.

Transcriber's Notes

A few minor errors in punctuation were fixed.

Page 3: "desidious trees" changed to "deciduous trees"

Page 5: "Rafineseque gives" changed to "Rafinesque gives"

Page 12: "him to vengenance" changed to "him to vengeance"

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