{"id":15776,"date":"2022-07-22T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-22T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.renthop.com\/content-manager\/?p=15776"},"modified":"2022-07-22T15:01:28","modified_gmt":"2022-07-22T19:01:28","slug":"lenape-sites-in-nyc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.renthop.com\/blog\/lenape-sites-in-nyc\/","title":{"rendered":"Lenape Sites in NYC"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Before European colonization forever reshaped the land we stand on, New York City<\/a> and the surrounding area were part of the Lenape nation. The Dutch \u201cbought\u201d the land in 1626. However, it’s difficult to ignore the contentious practices settlers enacted while claiming land in the early history of the country. Many scholars, historians, and tribes<\/a> agree that it was less of a purchase and more of a swindle.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The name \u201cManhattan<\/a>\u201d comes from the Lenape word manahatta,<\/em> roughly meaning \u201chilly island.\u201d Though the Lenape have been largely displaced from their ancestral lands, there is an active, federally recognized tribal government. The majority of the tribal citizens remain concentrated in southern New Jersey<\/a>, but many people now live throughout North America. Our tribe is a charter nation of the \u2018Lenape Confederacy,\u2019 which includes Lenape people from our larger extended family as far away as Oklahoma, Kansas, Indiana, Texas, and Ontario,\u201d reads a statement on the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribe official website<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"\"\r\n
Credit: Nikater via Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Only recently has NYC begun to formally acknowledge the original people who lived here\u2014for example, the city hosted a pow wow in 2018<\/a>, the first of its kind since the 1700\u2019s. Several notable Indigenous sites remain accessible in the city, and it\u2019s important for all NYC residents to be aware of the historic Lenape land we occupy every day.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The Bowery<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Often called the oldest street in the city, The Bowery was a trade route for the Lenape<\/a> long before European colonists showed up. The northern part of The Bowery<\/a> was dedicated to agriculture, while the southern part led to Lenape meeting and storytelling locations. Known as Wickquasgeck Trail, this is one of several trails that have been incorporated into the NYC grid system. While the original trail has been replaced by concrete, The Bowery still lives on as one of the main nerves of the city.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Bowling Green<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The city\u2019s oldest park, Bowling Green, was the site of council meetings<\/a> for the Lenape. The infamous \u201cpurchase\u201d of Manhattan by the Dutch allegedly took place here. This was the site that the Bowery led to, and it\u2019s said that Broadway started here as well. It was also the site of a massacre in 1643<\/a>, in which 110 Lenape were killed by colonists. Though the area is not preserved as an official cultural site, it became a public park in the 1730\u2019s.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Shorakkopoch Rock<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Though the rock itself had no significant purpose, it does mark this site as important cultural land<\/a> for the Lenape. Located in Inwood Hill Park, the stone commemorates the area where many Lenape would live seasonally when fishing opportunities were more abundant. Historians found many artifacts over the years, including tools, pottery, and weapons.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"\"\r\n
Credit: Irving Underhill via Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Governors Island<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Another seasonal village, Governor\u2019s Island was originally Paggnak<\/a>, and had an abundance of oak, hickory, and chestnut trees. In fact, there were so many trees that the name Paggnak roughly translates to \u201cnut island.\u201d The waters surrounding the island were perfect for fishing several times a year, which is why the island became a Lenape destination. They would stay until the fish moved on, and then travel to other parts of what is now Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and the rest of New York. It was a significant Lenape site until 1637, when the Dutch confiscated the island<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Learn more:\r\n