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March 2009
Volume 5, Issue 1
THE SRAC JOURNAL THE REGION’S ARCHAEOLOGICAL, CULTURAL, INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
AND
H ISTORICAL R ESOURCE
LOUISE WELLES MURRAY AND HER GARDEN BY DEB TWIGG,
Louise Welles Murray Garden
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SRAC The Welles family, whose Murray, and they had heritage reaches as far three children, Jessie, back as the early settlers Elsie, and Louise. of French Azilum, has Louise and Millard’s home been very deeply rooted was located on Main and involved in the presStreet in Athens, and in ervation of our area’s his1882 they decided to have tory for over a hundred a drainage ditch run from years. Louise Welles was their house to the river. born on January 2, 1854 The PA Bulletin would to Charles Fisher Welles later report, “The discovand Elizabeth LaPorte. At ery of an Indian burial the age of 12, Louise’s ground in the garden of interest in archeology was their new home in 1882 at said to be first aroused once interested both her when Ralph Pumpelly, a and her husband, and cousin, spent some time 4 inch pot from grave #2 (Photo they determined literally to in her father’s house writleave no stone unturned ing his first volume on ex- courtesy of Tioga Point Museum) until they learned the origin plorations in Asia. By all of those aboriginal remains . . .” claims, Louise was a very intelligent child, and attended Wells College at the age of This seemingly dull home improvement 16. By age 22, she married Millard P. became a turning point for Louise; one that (Continued on page 2)
SIX POPULAR MYTHS ABOUT THE LENAPE: A PROGRESS REPORT Marshall Joseph Becker, PhD 19 West Barnard Street West Chester, PA 19382 Mbecker@wcupa.edu
• Our Vision The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies (S.R.A.C.) is dedicated to education, research and preservation of the Native American archaeological, cultural and historical assets of the Twin Tier Region of Northeastern PA and Southern NY.
Prof. of Anthropology, Emeritus West Chester University West Chester PA 19383
Today there are over 550 different Native American tribes recognized by the Federal Government and thereby eligible for special services and preferred treatment. The real history of each of these tribes is a fascinating and very complex story. For the Lenape the major “historical” events in their aboriginal homeland took place over a period of some 200 years, ca. 1550 to 1750. During the first part of this period of European contact some adventurous Lenape began to move away. By 1737 most of the more traditional members of the Lenape people had moved out of the Delaware Valley, both to
Sr. Fellow in Anthropology University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 19104
seek economic opportunity as well as to maintain cultural traditions that were increasingly altered or influenced by the newcomers. Those who remained in their ancient homeland, or homeland at least since ca. 1000 CE, merged into the colonial population (Becker 1990a, 1992c, 1993a). Many popular beliefs now blur distinctions between these many aboriginal tribes of the Delaware Valley, creating a fictitious "Indian" that never existed. In the twentieth century a Pan-Indian political movement
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would put her on a path that would change her life forever. The reason for this is that while digging the trench through the Murray garden, the workmen uncovered a very special Susquehannock burial ground. It is important to note that Archaeology as a science did not even exist in 1882. “Antiquarianism” in the United States had begun in the 19th century and was the basic study of archaeological evidence before there was much science associated with it. There is documentation that in fact Millard Murray at least had been an antiquarian of sorts and knew of many sites that existed at Tioga Point and the surrounding region. Millard and other antiquarians of the region relied on the latest books and theories of the time (many times based on mythology and legends, rather than science) to try to
explain local artifacts, their design and their age. While this might seem ridiculous today, until professional archaeology became a science, antiquarianism was the most scholarly approach to understanding the artifacts of past cultures in the United States. Louise would later observe that there were two notable types of antiquarians that existed: those that looked for artifacts as “evidence” and a way to preserve the past, and those that looked for artifacts for their own personal gain. While most would be categorized as the latter by the next generation of scientists, Louise Welles Murray would actually make the transition from antiquarian to scientist in her lifetime.
seum, which was the Wyoming Valley Historical Society in Wilkes Barre, PA. The Society’s Harrison Wright and S. F. Wadhams came in April, 1883, measured off the plot in twelve-foot intervals from the original grave, and began excavations.
I have to wonder what my response would have been if workmen dug up artifacts while working in my yard back then. The Murray’s response was to take these artifacts to the nearest mu-
Grave #1 contained a skeleton above the average height, buried in a sitting posture, with turtle-shell rattles in good
The following is the actual diagram and explanation of the site by Harrison Wright, courtesy of the Wyoming Valley Historical Society. Defined Plot: About 80 feet long and about 20 – 30 feet wide. In the corner, twenty feet from the north line was found, underground, a pillar of eight large drift stones, and with them a flat stone on which is roughly cut the exact proportion of the plot.
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Artifacts from graved #1 and 6 (spiral bracelet), courtesy of the Wyoming Valley Historical Society.
condition and four small pebbles in each, close to each temple. This grave also yielded a discoidal stone, a quantity of burnt ochre, a broken antler comb, part of a shell gorget, and some small shell beads that disintegrated on exposure to the air. Harrison added in his report that “these objects might well have belonged to a squaw, but no skeleton was found here except of the "medicine man," or "Turtle chief." Grave #2 contained a bark covered grave (hemlock?), 4 ½ inch pot with faces (the clay of this pot was burnt black and possibly contained food), a lapstone, and a common chert arrow point. Grave #3 contained a skeleton that was noted to be of average height, with no grave goods; and grave #4 contained a double grave with 1 pot undecorated, 1 large pot between them, and 1 pot with red ochre. Grave #5 contained a skeleton wrapped in bark with an Andaste high-collared pot with clay that was burnt black. Grave #6 contained another double grave, with one buried much later on top of the other. Grave items included one shell, and the earlier grave revealed spiral jewelry - bracelet (copper/bronze). Grave #7 contained the only skeleton buried lying flat (full length) which had a pillow of twigs and was accompanied by 1 pot. It was noted that there was a deep cut in the cranium “evidently by a celt.” NOTE: “The upper part of each of the graves we met with a considerable amount of charcoal. It looked as though subsequent to burial but before the grave was entirely filled in and slowly smothered out. Whether it was part of the ceremony or was charcoal thrown in is not understood.” (Wright, 1883)
Although the 1883 report by Wright seems quite conclusive, the digging in the Murray Garden was far from over as it was quickly realized that his test pits at intervals of twelve feet left a lot to be overlooked. In fact, in what was to be understood later as the center of the burial site, was what would be described later as a chief that was actually unearthed as part of the Tioga Point Museum High collared pot from grave #5, opening ceremonies in courtesy of the Wyoming Valley Historical Society 1895. Louise Welles Murray reported, “The graves were grouped somewhat regularly around the one in the center which was marked with such care that it was believed to be that of a chief surrounded by members of his clan. This burial site accidentally discovered was on a previously un-occupied village lot. The workmen unearthed three skeletons buried so close together as to indicate one grave.“ (Murray, 1921) Warren K. Moorehead in his Susquehanna River Expedition describes the unearthing of the Susquehannock chief as follows: "The owner like his forebears, long refused to examine the grave at the center of the plot but at last had consented to celebrate the formal opening of the Historical Museum, and June 27th, 1895, the work was begun. The circle of stones proved to be over a sepulchre about 3 to 5 feet, with an upright stone at each corner, apparently as a marker, for, of course this would have been well above the surface originally... The writer, hoping to save the pottery, assisted Messrs. Murray and Ercanbrack in the excavation. Finally, two large flat stones, full of devonian fossils, proved to be the covering to a skeleton of six feet or more in height. While laying on back with head to the southeast, with hands crossed on breast, the crushed front of the skull and the unusual position of legs, right foot
Warren K. Moorehead
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cle of graves, about three feet underground on a layer of clay, were eight pots carefully embedded in sand. Every one had been perforated by thread-like apple roots, and all were broken by a careless workman who was removing the stump just after a day's futile excavation by a second party from Wilkes-Barre. Throughout this plot with one exception the skeletons were flexed but buried in a sitting posture, often with the right hand upraised and bearing a pot containing food, arrow points, or seeds, the latter leading to the conjecture that the old apple trees may have grown from these very seeds… But it was the pottery that attracted most attention; and in all the museums we have visited we have yet to find faces
Murray Garden pots taken by the Wyoming Historical Society in 1883. Due to flood damage and lost records, sadly these pots are no longer accounted for or available for research. (Photo courtesy of Wyoming Historical Society)
under thigh, left leg fallen across right, seemed to indicate that he might have been buried in a sitting posture, and overturned by settling of stones of the sepulchre, which had evidently crushed the large pot, fully eighteen inches in diameter, at the left side of the head." (Moorehead, 1938) Many may remember this skeleton because it was actually placed in the museum for many years, and even I recall it scaring me to death at my 4th grade field trip to the museum! In the end, for over a decade, the garden continued to reveal more and more unique artifacts that to date are still without comparison anywhere else. Louise Welles Murray explained, “It yielded skeletal remains of twenty-five males, one child, and three females, each of the latter buried shoulder to shoulder with a male. Several skeletons examined by students indicated a height of above six and a half feet… After Mr. Wright's investigations, test holes having been made all over the one hundred foot lot at said stated intervals, it was soon discovered that there were many more graves and much more pottery. For long years this had been an apple orchard and under several of the old stumps, supposed to be from trees of Indian planting, were Indian graves … Around each of two such stumps were seven graves in a circle, and directly under one stump in the center of a cir-
North Appalachian Pottery – Christopher Wren, 1914 (Photo courtesy of Wyoming Historical Society) (Continued on page 5)
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LOUISE WELLES MURRAY AND HER GARDEN C O N T . response to increased contact with European traders and the more artistically executed than those on one of the five pots, growing pressure to replace native items with Europeanall of which were broken in removal.” (Murray, 1908) made goods. By the end of About the Pottery: The pottery in fact was the most imthe 17th century, brass trade pressive of all the artifacts from the site, even today there kettles had almost entirely are no other pottery specimens ever found to have the hureplaced native-made pottery man faces that were found there. Christopher Wren wrote in vessels in the Susquehannock his North Appalachian Indian Pottery in 1914, “The faces culture. “ shown in different views in this plate are the very finest examples of Indian modeling of the human face, made by If this is true, then we have eastern Indians, which the writer has seen. ..They are in just dated the Murray Garden high relief and bring out the forehead, eyebrows, the eye- site at 1600-1625 AD, which lids, the high cheek bones, the aquiline nose, the mouth, supports the idea that the Susquehannock were here in and the chin in a quite realistic manner.” (Cadzow, 1936) Louise Welles Murray 1615 when Brule visited the Even Dr. Barry Kent in his Susquehanna’s Indians (1984) nation of Carantouan and Spanish Hill. Add the fact that wrote, "Many facets of developing Susquehannock culture brass (copper) spiral bracelets have been unearthed in the history in the upper reaches of the Susquehanna River valgarden in association with that pottery as well as other sites ley still need to be worked out. The need for more archeolin Athens, PA that are dated 1570 – 1625 AD, and I think ogy here may be tainting our understanding of settlement we have decidedly uncovered enough evidence to question patterns, trade good associations, and the evolution of current beliefs professionals such as Kent (1984) have Shultz Incised from Proto Susquehannock. Even more munclaimed that the Susquehannocks left our region before dane questions, such as the relationships of the strange Brule’s historic journey. vessels with faces and rim and body decorations from the Athens area of Bradford County (see Witthoft 1959; 48; and I look forward to ongoing research on this site and many illustrations in Wren 1914; Plate 6, figures 1-8; Plate 8, Fig- others in our region. SRAC considers it our responsibility to ures 1-4) can perhaps be answered through more intensive continue to compel these discussions concerning our region and the people who lived here. As many of you already archeology." (Kent, 1984) know, I personally believe that the truth concerning this part As I researched this pottery design, the closest face effigies of our history is long overdue. on pottery that I could find was a very simple version of this style found in Washington Boro, Lancaster County, Pennsyl- It is also important to note that as a result of the Murray vania as reported in Susquehannock Indians of Pennsyl- Garden, Louise Welles Murray went on to found the Tioga vania by Donald Cadzow, in 1936. Cadzow reported that all Point Museum, and eventually would become one of the of the vessels at that site had “two elevated notched angles cofounders of Pennsylvania Archaeology. I have to wonder opposite each other on the rim with a molded face upon if the workmen did not uncover the burial site in her back yard in 1882, if she would have actually been involved with them.” either. Interestingly, the Pennsylvania State Museum reports on their website that “Curiously, effigies only appear on Sus- The author expresses special thanks to John Orlandini and quehannock pottery during the first quarter of the 17th cen- the Wyoming Historical Society for providing reports and tury. The Susquehannock may have developed this elabo- photos to help preserve this information enabling future rerate decoration, an expression of pride in native tradition, in search. (Continued from page 4)
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began among various people of native descent as a means of creating a new identity, and sometimes to gain political power. My people, the Lenape, called themselves "Lenape" (Le-NAH-peh), a self-referent term that means "The People" (as in "We are Lenape."), or “human beings.” With the recent passing of the last of the final generation of native speakers in Oklahoma, the language spoken 100 years ago in eastern Oklahoma no longer survives in the United States. All of these people were born to Lenape parents, who spoke Lenape at home in the first half of the twentieth century. Efforts to reconstruct that language are ongoing. There is a caveat, however, that remains to be studied. The people living in the Bartlesville area of Oklahoma may actually have been descended from the Lenopi (Len-OH-pee) from southern New Jersey (Becker 2008a). Efforts to trace the genealogies of these two separate cultures have been a focus for my research for more than 30 years (Beckera, 1998b). I believe that this line of research ultimately will provide answers to questions relating to the descent lines of each of the two groups of "Delaware" who settled in different parts of Oklahoma. The different decisions made by the ancestors of these groups regarding where to settle in what had been "Indian Territory" appears to reflect their long standing cultural differences.
During the winter each of these bands separated into its individual families, each of which moved into the interior for winter food collecting and hunting. The basic fact that most people find difficult to understand is that in aboriginal times the total population of Lenape was only about 300 individuals, typical for a foraging society. These numbers are confirmed by the archaeological evidence as well as from the documentary record. In particular, the land sales records from the Lenape list every adult male as well as some females, providing the basis by which full genealogies can be constructed.
2. Myth: The Lenape lived on both sides of the Delaware River.
Reality: The Lenape lived only on the western side of the lower Delaware River. The people who lived on the east side of the Delaware, in New Jersey south of the Raritan River (Becker 2008a) were an entirely different tribe. The name "Lenopi" was used by the peoples of southern New Jersey, and also means “The People.” Both the Lenape and the Lenopi had been one people during the Middle Woodland period. Technological developments at the beginning of the Late Woodland period, ca. 1000 CE, such as the development of the bow and arrow, led to more specific or focused foraging strategies throughout the region. The Lenape focused on anadromous fish spawning in the streams in a specific part of the west side of the Delaware A few of the most common myths drainage (Becker 2006a), while the about the Lenape are listed here, fol- Lenopi focused on marine (salt water) lowed by the “reality” that is based on resources. These separate lifestyles what we now know about their history led to two distinct cultural traditions, and archaeology between 1000 and and to linguistic differences that devel1750. oped after ca. 1200 CE. The similarities in the names “Lenape” and 1. Myth: The Lenape lived in one or “Lenopi” led to the Lenopi being identitwo large villages, the largest now burfied consistently by the English coloied under Philadelphia. nists as the "Jerseys" (see Becker Reality: The members of the 13 iden- 2008a). tified Lenape bands lived most of the The distinction between these two culyear at a series of very small fishing tures was common knowledge before stations spaced all along their territory, 1740. The distinction was a stretch of the lower Delaware River "rediscovered" by John Heckewelder extending from Old Duck Creek on the late in the 18th century, and by two south to Tohiccon Creek on the north..
other scholars (Nelson 1894, 1899, 1902, 1904, then Stewart 1932) in the early 20th century. At the end of the 20th century I became the fourth person to point out the distinctions between these two very different Native American tribes. [Thank you, Josephine Tay].
3. Myth: William Penn held a single big treaty with the Lenape under an elm tree at Shakamaxon and bought all their land at one time Reality: The several bands of Lenape each claimed the lands that they used, and each band made its own decisions regarding sales. Land was held in common by all the members of a band, thus supposed “sales” bearing the signature of only one vendor are to be questioned (cf. Becker 1998 MEH) In addition to numerous small tracts of land sold by individual Lenape bands to Swedish immigrants after 1638, small parcels also were sold to many other individuals long before William Penn came to the New World. By 1661 many of the Lenape had abandoned the Delaware Valley to move west and become involved in the lucrative pelt trade. Penn made dozens of purchases from all of the various Lenape bands during the 21 years between 1682 and 1701 (Kent 1979; other volumes on Native Land Cessions also are available), ultimately purchasing all of the lands of the Lenape. Many of these purchases were followed by "confirmation" treaties, at which the earlier deeds were reviewed with the Lenape vendors and their descendants. The myth of a single “treaty” became common after Benjamin West painted his masterpiece; a painting of a fictitious event that “depicted” Penn’s supposed treaty (one) with the Indians.
4. Myth: The Lenape were forced off their lands. Reality: Every inch of Lenape land was sold to William Penn, and at very high prices. In fact, the prices paid by William Penn were a major factor in his venture going broke. Somewhat related is the fact that much of the land of the
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SIX POPULAR MYTHS ABOUT THE LENAPE: A PROGRESS REPORT CONT. bounds as well as detailed lists of goods given for the land and excruciatLenape had been sold before, to ingly detailed accounts of what rights Swedes as well as to other English were included in the land sale, such as colonists. Some of these Lenape had “fishing, fowling, etc. Furthermore, periabandoned these lands more than 100 odic confirmation treaties were held for years before Penn first arrived in the almost every one of these sales! At Delaware Valley in 1682. Many more these confirmation treaties, the vendors had moved west by 1661 to become would be invited to attend with all their involved in the lucrative pelt trade. kin. The deeds then would be read so Many other Lenape groups left after that all present could hear what had 1675 when the Susquehannock Con- been paid and what lands had been federacy of central Pennsylvania was bought, and the ancient (and usually destroyed by the Five Nations Iroquois. non-literate) vendors would confirm Other Lenape never left. By the time (verify) their marks (signatures) for the that Penn arrived, so many of the Le- next generation, whose members then nape bands had left the area to be- could sign the confirmation record. All come rich in the pelt trade that he had these native people were then predifficulty in calling them back into the sented with “gifts” or resources that Delaware Valley to arrange the pur- were, in effect, a type of payment for chases of their abandoned areas. Still their services as legal witnesses to the other Lenape married among the colo- original treaties. nials, or otherwise merged into colonial Modern claims that the natives did not society. understand what was going on reflect A myth related to the idea that these ignorance of the documentary record, people were forced from their lands is or deliberately ignore that record. I do one suggesting that the Lenape (and not know when the first claims of ignoother Indians) were ignorant of con- rance regarding European land rights cepts of land ownership. This basically were made, or if they were made by is a racist view in that it suggests that natives or by non-natives. All fail to the Indians were uniformly stupid and consider the vast numbers of docuunable to conceptualize land rights ments and make up stories regarding such as those held by the immigrants. the historical and archaeological reAt best it reflects ignorance of the cords. changes in land sales over a period of 5. Myth: Disease was a major factor in more than a century, which can be unthe "demise" of the Lenape. derstood only through reading the many deeds in chronological order Reality: Disease had no more impact (e.g. Kent 1979). People who make on the Lenape than on the colonists (cf. such claims about “ignorant” Indians Snow 1995). The popular myth regardhave never read any of the documents. ing disease wiping out the Indians is a The early land sales from the Lenape racist view suggesting that the native were for small holdings, and the peoples of the Americas, after many boundaries are generally as imprecise years of contact with Europeans, reas they are unimportant. The definition mained biologically inferior to the immiof precise borders became a problem grants. This view also depends on the common throughout the colonies. Even idea that the only “Indians” are people the very important and very famous who wear buckskins and feathers or Mason and Dixon’s Line was not sur- wampum, and that once natives veyed until 1763 to 1767. This survey adopted European dress and lifestyles provided some resolution to border is- they were no longer native. Using the sues between four colonies; issues that perspective that dress equals culture, had led a number of conflicts among we may ask what event killed all the these colonial governments. By the Quakers? The myth of disease, and of 1660s native land sales documents disease ridden blankets (see Becker generally list precise meets and (Continued from page 6)
2005) being given to Indians, merits a study by itself.
6. Myth: Archaeological sites where large numbers of stone tools are found represent Lenape “villages.” Reality: Archaeological sites in southeastern Pennsylvania and much of the northeast have a long history, and many have been reused for thousands of years (multi-component sites). The use of these sites by a single family, or a small band, even only once a year, for 15,000 years, can easily create huge collections of stone tools. The historic Lenape, as a distinct people, came into being after 1000 CE. These Lenape, and most of their neighbors, rapidly shifted to the use of metal tools after 1600 CE. By 1650 or perhaps as late as 1660 the Lenape had all but abandoned the use of stone for making tools. Some Notes on What the “Lenape” and Their Neighbors were Called: "Lenni Lenape" is a usage found largely among historians that can be traced to the nineteenth century. It was not and is not in common use by the Lenape or their descendants. It appears to have derived from a letter from the Ohio frontier that included a call to the "real Lenape" who remained behind in various parts of Pennsylvania to join their kin in the west. The alliterative qualities of this designation appear to be the principal reason that non-native speakers seem to like this designation. A related problem is the development of the common fiction that "Lenape" and "Delaware" are synonymous.major native groups have, at one time or another, been glossed as "Delaware": the Lenape, the Lenopi, and the Munsee. All three of these groups were collectively called the "River Indians" in the seventeenth century. All three of these groups did use the Delaware River as one part of their respective boundaries. All three also were foragers, but with three very differnt foraging strategies (see Becker 2006a). Even the Sekonese (Ciconicin) chiefdom, the north-
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ernmost true chiefdom in the Middle Atlantic Region (see Becker 2004c) have commonly been called "Delaware" by amateur historians, and now are commonly called "Lenape" by
some claimants to native descent from them.
means "treacherous" or "stealthy" is a bowdlerization. I'll gladly provide in a journal article the translation that Nora More interesting is the Lenape term Thompson Dean reluctantly offered to "Minquas" or "Minquasy" [not Minqua] me many years ago; one that has to describe the neighboring Susquesasince been confirmed by scholars of hannock, theof the Susquehannah the Algonquian languages. River region. The idea that "Minquas"
A LENAPE CHRONOLOGY 1000 CE: Origins of Lenape culture. Transformation from Middle to Late Woodland cultural tradition. This is marked by the invention of the bow and arrow and developments of region-specific, intensive foraging patterns. 1500-1550: Earliest contacts with Europeans; sporadic and minimal direct influence. However, this period established the basis for the continental pelt trade and the development of the great Susquehannock and Five Nations Iroquois confederacies. 1623: Susquehannock use routes through Lenape territory to vend pelts to Dutch on the Delaware River. 1638: Swedish “colonization� of the Delaware Valley has little direct impact on the Lenape. A number of Swedish colonists have Lenape wives and bilingual children. 1640-1660: Gardening of maize provides a cash crop to be sold before leaving on winter hunting (Becker 1995? ETC. Land sales and other economic activities provides the Lenape with access to European cloth and other desired goods. 1650s: Five Nations aggression weakens the Susquehannock, who provide concessions to allies such as the Lenape. Some Lenape moving west. Traditional bands summering upstream from ancient fishing stations. 1655-1660: New England farmers can sell maize at cheaper rates than Lenape, accelerating Lenape movement west to participate in the pelt trade. Mill dams interfere with fish runs. 1674-75: Five Nations destroys the Susquehannock confederacy, leaving the Lenape as de facto principals in the pelt trade. Further migration takes place. 1681: Beginning of William Penn land purchases (1681-1701). Penn protects rights to summer fishing stations. Continuing flow of individual Lenape into the colonial population. 1733-35: Last of the Lenape fishing bands shift their summer stations to location along the Susquehanna River or further west. A small number of Lenape remain at the headwaters of the Schuylkil River, in the Tulpehocken area, and others live among the colonists. A few Lenopi move from New Jersey into the Forks of Delaware in Pennsylvania, a formerly uninhabited mutual resource area north of Lenape territory. 1800: The last Lenape remaining in their homeland die in the early 1800s. The last colonists who had seen Lenape living in traditional ways also are dying. This is the period of Quaker missionaries working among the Seneca. 1830: The publication of Quaker missionary reports describing Seneca lifeways ca. 1800 leads to confusion as to how the Lenape had lived. Historians ignorant of the fish-oriented Lenape foraging lifestyle describe generic Indians as being village dwelling, maize planting horticulturalists, such as the Five Nations Iroquois.
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SIX POPULAR MYTHS ABOUT THE LENAPE: A PROGRESS REPORT CONT. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This paper covers a small part of my research on the Lenape as they were during the period 1600 to 1750 that has been carried out over the past 40 years. These data were included in the symposium Time, Space, and Society in the Eastern Woodlands organized by Bernard K. Means for 2009 MAAC meetings in Ocean City, MD. My sincere thanks are due to Prof. Means for his invitation to join this session and for his encouragement to get this information into print. The kind efforts of many people have contributed to this research over the years. The listing of their names would considerable, but all have contributed to this effort. Special thanks are due Dr. Charles A. Bellow and Dr. Ellen Kintz. Thanks are also due Mr. and Mrs. Henry Secondine, who were my hosts during my stay in Oklahoma, and to Mrs. Nora Thompson Dean for her many insightful observations on her people and the people who came to Oklahoma in an attempt to glean information from her and from others. The important information and guidance of Dr, Sue Roark-Calnek prior to my trip to Oklahoma was crucial to the success of that trip. The support and encouragement of these people were essential to my understanding of Lenape culture history. Thanks also are due to Josephine Tay, whose revelations put into perspective the task faced by scholars in revealing truths that no one wants to hear. The initial support for this research was provided by a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. That grant produced an enormous amount of information, distilled into a paper presented (Becker 1983), but never published. My apologies are due the NEH and all the people involved in this research for my long delay in putting these data together. My thanks also are due the Congress of the United States of America for the encouragement provided by the tax laws that support research. Thanks also are due to Denise B. and Ernest Tyler, and to F. P. and M. E. Gillon for their generous support of this research`. The ideas presented here, as well as any errors of interpretation or presentation, are entirely the In memory of: responsibility of the Ed Nizalowski author. Jim Northrup A full list of references is available from the Author!
Elynor W. Depue
Beryl Cleary
S R AC M E M B E R S H I P D R I V E C O N T E S T ! From today until our next annual membership meeting at our Drumbeats Through Time event on October 10, 2009, we are having a membership drive contest. SRAC members can win huge prizes for referring new members to SRAC! There will be three top winners in two categories: Most new members referred and most membership dollars made. How can YOU win? 1.) You need to be a member. 2.) In order for a referral to count for you in this contest, the new member must write in that they were referred by you on their membership form. 3.) Download the form at http://www.sracenter.org/Join/MembershipForm.pdf, put your name on them as the referrer and give them to your friends to join the contest today! 4.) We will keep track of the new members and referrers in our database. We'll announce the leaders at different intervals throughout the contest. The top three winners for both categories will win prizes and will be announced at the annual event in October! Stay tuned for more information! The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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Archaeology in the News A New Explanation for the Demise of the Mammoths The earliest people known to be in North America are referred to as the Paleo-Indian or Clovis culture, named after a site in New Mexico where this style of spear point was first identified. The clovis points are rarely found in our area and at last count, 7 were known to be found in Bradford County PA. The Clovis culture lived as hunters and gatherers, not having an understanding of agriculture yet. Even more interesting is that their points have been found in skeletal remains of woolly mammoths and other huge creatures that died out around 12,900 years ago. It was until recently presumed that this Clovis culture was the cause of these huge creatures extinction...but now some scientists claim that man as well as the huge beasts all were met with the same horrific event. In January of 2009, a very interesting yet brief paper was published that offers a new insight: "Last year a 26-member team from 16 institutions proposed that a cosmic impact event, possibly by multiple airbursts of comets, set off a 1,300-year-long cold spell known as the Younger Dryas, fragmented the prehistoric Clovis culture and led to the extinction of a large range of animals, including mammoths, across North America. The team's paper was published in the Oct. 9, 2007, issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Now, reporting in the Jan. 2 issue of the journal Science, a team led by the University of Oregon's Douglas J. Kennett, a member of the original research team, report finding billions of nanometer-sized diamonds concentrated in
Walter Newton and Ted Keir with 10 foot woolly mammoth tusk uncovered at Spring Lake, near Wyalusing, PA
sediments -- weighing from about 10 to 2,700 parts per billion -- in the six locations during digs funded by the National Science Foundation. "The nanodiamonds that we found at all six locations exist only in sediments associated with the Younger Dryas Boundary layers, not above it or below it," said Kennett, a UO archaeologist. "These discoveries provide strong evidence for a cosmic impact event at approximately 12,900 years ago that would have had enormous environmental consequences for plants, animals and humans across North America." (Source: ScienceDaily.com)
When Was Corn Domesticated? Corn (maize) was domesticated from a wild grass called teosinte that is found in Mexico, Guatemala and Nicaragua. This wild grass has been proven to be the origin of domesticated corn, but the period of when this domestication Students Grinding Corn occurred has remained elusive. at an SRAC Event Early man, the domestica-
By analyzing starch residue in ancient grinding tools and tion of corn and the charred remains in cooking pots, researchers now claim that transition from they have found evidence that corn was being domesticated "hunter/gatherer" to as much as 8,700 years ago. Even more impressive is that an agricultural society they have located a rock shelter in Mexico's Central Balsas has been a hot topic in River Valley that actually yielded evidence of domesticated archaeology for a very corn and squash.(Anthony Ranere, Dolores Piperno et al. The long time. Cultural and chronological context of early Holocene maize and squash domestication in the Central Balsas River Valley, Mexico. PNAS, March 24, 2009) But wait a minute....ROCK SHELTER...AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY? These two terms are not commonly used together! The people that used rock shelters are commonly referred to as the PaleoIndian/Early Archaic and agriculture is not thought to have been part of their lifestyle. How this relates to the PaleoIndian/Early Archaic people who lived in our region will also be an interesting thing to watch for. If anyone has any info on the use of starch analysis in the Northeast, please send it to SRAC so that we can share it with our readers! The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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Archaeology in the News Cahokia Copper Axe Stolen! In March 2009, the following news announcement was released by William R. Iseminger, Asst. Site Manager/Public Relations, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site: "We recently discovered that a copper celt (axe) had been stolen from one of our exhibit cases. The thieves apparently were able to compromise the security of the case at the "Fiber" display. It was solid copper, 5 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 7/8 inch thick. One side had fabric impressions on the surface caused by the copper oxidizing and incorporating the pattern of the cloth or bag in which it originally had been wrapped. There was a catalog number on it, 19 x 862. Please keep an eye out for this axe and if you see it or something similar for sale, please contact us. This comes at a time when we are understaffed due to budget cuts but we are taking special steps to make sure all the cases are more secure. Other than some minor vandalism, this is the first artifact theft at the Interpretive Center in the 20 years since it opened."
SRAC Gift Shop Volunteers ~ THANK YOU! SRAC’s Gift shop has grown immensely but could not be possible without the wonderful volunteers that have donated hundreds of hours to allow us to be open Tuesdays through Fridays from 1-5pm and Saturdays from 11-4pm. Special thanks to: • • • • •
Mary Ann Taylor Pat Miran Mary Keene Bev Murphy Nellie Brewster
• • • • •
Ben Borko Ann Carrigan Marilyn Weber Beryl Cleary Janet Andrus
Would you like tp be a volunteer in our gift shop? Volunteers who work at least 7 hours a month get to attend all of the events each month for free! Call the Center at (607)565-7960 during hours of operation for more information.
Janiak Collection Added to SRAC Exhibits Recently Valerie Sinsabaugh contacted the Susquehanna River Archaeological Center (SRAC.) Her parents, Stan and Barbara Janiak, past residents of the Valley now living in Myrtle Beach, SC heard about SRAC and wanted to return their artifact collection to the area. The collection included 4 cases of arrow and spear points and 2 cases with hard to find glass trade beads, some from as early as the 17th century.
To learn more about SRAC visit www.SRACenter.org, call (607)565-7960 or email info@SRACenter.org.
SRAC’s Executive Director, Deb Twigg stated, “The Janiak collection is a wonderful addition to the SRAC and it is the tenth local collection that we have received since our inception. While we have received much larger collections in the past, this collection is special specifically because of the glass trade beads that are very hard to find these days. I want to thank the Janiak family again for donating these wonderful artifacts because many people would have sold them for a lot of money instead of considering their worth as it relates to our history.” The SRAC/Janiak Collection is already on display in the SRAC Exhibit Hall, which is located at 345 Broad St., Waverly, NY and is open from 1-5 pm Tuesday through Friday and 11am – 4pm on Saturday.
Barbara Janiak Displays the SRAC/Janiak Collection
The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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RECENT EVENTS
AT
S R AC
The start of 2009 has been wonderful for SRAC and its membership! We continue to provide the community with many fun learning opportunities, and the crowds at our events keep growing. The pictures on these two pages are just some of the special moments we’ve captured.
The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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RECENT EVENTS
AT
S R AC
The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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S RAC IS HEADLINE R OF THE WINTER 2009 NYSA A NEWSLETTER
Contact Us!
Our Headquarters Mail: SRAC PO Box 12 Sayre, PA 18840 Phone: 607607-727727-3111 Email: info@SRACenter.org
SRAC was honored to be the lead story in the New York State Archaeology (NYSAA) Winter 2009 Newsletter. The article can be read online by visiting the NYSAA website at nysaaweb.bfn.org/publications.shtml.
Our Center Location: 345 Broad St. Waverly, NY
The NYSAA is a non-profit organization composed of people interested in various phases of archaeology in New York State. Founded in 1916 and chartered in 1927 by the Board of Regents of the State of New York, NYSAA is a nonprofit organization composed of 15 chapters and a world-wide membership-at-large. All who are devoted to historic and prehistoric archaeology are invited to join.
Phone: 607607-565565-7960 Website: SRACenter.org Online Giftshop: SRACenter.org/store Online Membership: SRACenter.org/join SRAC Blog: SRACenter.blogspot.com Online Donations: SRACenter.org/donations Mobile Website: SRACenter.org/mobile
Several of our members are members of the Tri-Cities Chapter of the NYSAA as well. NYSAA functions are: » to vigorously promote research into the lifestyles of the early inhabitants of New York State with an emphasis toward cultural preservation, » to participate in excavations when necessary to preserve threatened historic and pre-historic habitats, » to interpret excavated cultures in a shared environment by lecture or publication in one of many scholarly journals, » and to promote that environment by hosting an annual conference in one of the 15 communities within which NYSAA chapters are located and by publishing "The Bulletin" which is the annual journal of NYSAA.
S R AC S P O N S O R S H I P B OA R D Be on the lookout for a new addition to the exterior of the SRAC building at 345 Broad Street in Waverly, NY. SRAC has decided to offer a sponsorship board to organization sponsors in our banner program that will honor them by placing their organization banner on our sponsor board for different lengths of time based on their level of sponsorship. The SRAC Sponsorship board area will be on the upper space of the Center at 345 Broad Street, Waverly, NY that faces eastward.Please contact SRAC executive director, Deb Twigg at (607)7273111 for more information.
The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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SHS SENIOR VOLUNTEER ARTIST Sayre High School senior and active volunteer at SRAC, Daran Carlin Weber, has received many awards for his artwork over the years, and even has full length animated movies online. He has also put in many hours as a volunteer at SRAC, from manning the gift shop to using his art skills. As an artist, Daran has created caricatures at several SRAC events and his latest endeavor is to create a huge mural from approximately 20 smaller maps. This mural is located in the SRAC Exhibit Hall and shows many of the known Native American sites in the region that SRAC is involved with preserving evidence from. SRAC would like to thank Daran for all of the hard work he has done for SRAC, and wishes him well in his endeavors at college in the coming years. We will miss you! Daran With One of His Caricature Customers
Daran Working on the Mural Map Large Mural Map Located in SRAC Exhibit Hall
Special thanks to John Margetanski for taking event photos for SRAC!
Stanley Vanderlaan
Arnold’s Excavating
RECENT CONTRIBUTORS TO SRAC Special thanks to the following for their support:
• • • • •
William J. Inman & Lucia A. Inman Fund Dandy Mini Marts Triple Cities NYS Archaeological Association Janet Andrus Guthrie Health
• • • • • • •
Sandy Campbell Stan Vanderlaan Ed Nizalowski Arnold’s Excavating Beryl Cleary Elynor Depue Harley Mayo
The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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PLEASE CONSIDER SPONSORING THE SRAC JOURNAL WITH YOUR CONTRIBUTUION AT ONE OF THE LEVELS LISTED BELOW. Many of you are familiar with our quarterly journal, and the quality and volume of educational information we try to bring to the community throughout the year. In fact our range of readership includes high school students to retired persons as well as professional scientists and local universities. The journal has grown into a well read and respected publication; and we hope that it will continue to grow and be a resource of educational and entertaining material for years to come. Obviously, with this continued growth not only in content and pages but distribution, there are added costs associated. For this reason, we have decided to offer sponsorship by local individuals, families, and businesses who want to help us in our efforts. We currently publish and distribute 1,000 copies each quarter ~ that's currently 4,000 copies each year, with our coverage mainly in Bradford County PA and Tioga and Chemung Counties in NY, but we have readership that reaches far beyond these boundaries as well. How Can You Become a Sponsor? 1.) Choose your level of sponsorship and how many issues you would like to sponsor below. If you would like to sponsor multiple quarterly journals (4 per year) or even a whole year, just multiply the sponsorship level. 2.) Tell us what you would like us to print 3.) Include your check along with this completed form. Thank you for being an active supporter of this worthy cause!
THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF SPONSORSHIP LEVELS WITH FORMATS AND APPROXIMATE SIZES. • Platinum $500.00 Our top level of sponsorship! With your donation of $500 you will be facilitating 1,000
copies of one quarterly journal. Your donation will be recognized with a full half-page gray-scale or black and white ad that can measure up to 7 1/2” wide by 5” tall. (Sorry, but we can accept only one Platinum sponsor per issue; however, you can reserve for future issues.) Please email artwork and text you wish included to sfogel@hughes.net.
• Gold
$100.00
• Silver
$50.00
• Sup-
porter $25.00
• Friend
$10.00
The Leadership Company 234 Main Street Your Town, USA 555555-123123-4321
The Hollowell Family Jan, Christy Ryan, Allison, and Tommy
Please circle the level of sponsorship you wish to make; and indicate what you would like your sponsor recognition to say in the space below…..anything you like! LINE 1
LINE 2
LINE 3
LINE 4 (Limit lines to 35 characters. Gold level can include logo if space allows. Please email logos to sfogel@hughes.net.)
The Johnson Family In loving memory of our dad John
The Lucky Penny Club
Send check along with this form to: For additional information call Deb Twigg at 607-727-3111 or email Info@SRACenter.org
SRAC PO Box 12 Sayre, PA 18840
The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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Visit Us at SRAC Gift Shop and Exhibit Hall Open: Tuesday through Friday 1:00 - 5:00pm Saturday 11:00 - 4:00pm Call 607-565-7960 during business hours for more info. 345 Broad Street, Waverly NY T H E S R AC B OA R D O F D I R E C T O R S •
Deb Twigg
•
Tom Vallilee
•
Dick Cowles
•
Janet Andrus
•
Ted Keir
•
Mary Ann Taylor
•
Susan Fogel
•
Mark Madill
The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org
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The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies PO Box 12 Sayre, PA 18840
Volume 5, Issue 1
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The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies ~ www.SRACenter.org ~ email Info@SRACenter.org