Newsletter – Lenape Wuskén

Little Flower dancing
Little Flower dancing

quills & quill workKwangomel (I greet you)

Welcome to our seasonal newsletter  Lenape Wuskén  (Lenape News)
Look for the following page: Words to Ponder, there are several thought provoking quotes on this page.

Porcupine Quills ready to embroider onto items, such as leather on the left & the purple basket to the right – by Jan Romer.

Below are a variety of short articles for you to enjoy.

For February – Celebrate – Elk DreamersTo the Lakota / Dakota people also known as Sioux the Elk was a chosen symbol of love and power.  The elk would fight to its death to protect its loved ones.  So an Elk Dreamer was a person who had a repeatedly strong vision about an Elk.  But to truly obtain the power of elk medicine the person had to study and be true in heart.  The nature of the power varied and was depended on the personal vision of that particular person.  They served as “marriage counselors” and mediators, settling arguments, finding just the right match for a young person.  Some Elk Dreamers could even find lost articles! 

The Elk Dreamer Shield show that the owner has the power of elk medicine.  The elk on the shield is radiating love medicine.  (Like the Greek idea of Cupid’s arrow).  The medicine bags are filled with sweet smelling herbs and flowers. 

Since Elk Dreamer’s were matchmakers they used their powers wisely.  At a dance an Elk Dreamer might touch a lady at a dance with his feather fan to show that some man nearby was interested in her.  The bells on the fan would let folks know that the medicine was being used.  The fringe represented the power of “Tate” the wind.  bead divider
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You will find a November Thanksgiving reminder and some Seasonal Lenape Resources at the end of this page.

Indigenous DAYTachquoak (Fall): hunting, harvesting and drying foods, fruits, vegetables, and meats, Thanksgiving (in October).     Kilchilachqoak – Autumn – Time of the Grasshoppers     Pooxit – Time of the falling leaves

How do YOU celebrate Indigenous Day?

T shirtOn this page you will find some Native Humor followed by the Newsletters.  Others will be posted during the years, so stop by when you can!  Check out our Words to Ponder  page, too.  Click on the thumbnails below to see the full picture. 

Siquon – Spring is near!  Soon we will be clearing out the gardens.
Celebrate National Woman’s Heritage Month with a lively program on the Contributions of Native American Women, Then & Now! Check out the details in our Programs link, we offer a talks, exhibits, regalia’s & more!  Use the articles & activities in our Women’s Links.

Golden eagle feathers

Some of you think an Indian is like a wild animal. This is a great mistake.
-CHIEF JOSEPH  (HIN-MAH-TOO-YAH-LAT-KEKT), NEZ PERCE, 1879,  ADDRESSING POLITICIANS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
“The smarter a man is the more he needs God to protect him from thinking he knows everything.” — George Webb, PIMA

Fall has returned!  We have added additional articles to Woman’s Pages, Socio-Political Pages, Teacher Resource pages.  We hope they will help you start conversations.

Fall  How will you Celebrate November – National Native American Indian Heritage Month??? 

How will you celebrate National Native American Heritage Day, the Friday after Thanksgiving??  AKA – Black Friday

We hope this Fall newsletter finds you well and preparing for winter.  If you are interested in submitting information, please send it to palenape@enter.net.  Please cite where it is from or if it is your original work.

There are several articles for you to enjoy.  The November Proclamation will be posted when it arrives. Check out our Celebrate November! pages.

Our children’s book, When the Shadbush Blooms is available as a hardbound book, signed & dedicated from www.whentheshadbushblooms.net and now as an e-book from your favorite internet store.

This full color book based on the “cycle of the seasons” depicts the both traditional and modern Lenape family life.  When the Shadbush Blooms is designed to be read and seen by the children, it is good for young children, geared for learning to read and ESL pupils and it has parent/teacher pages with Lenape words, meanings and pronunciation guide.  You can purchase a signed and dedicated copy through www.lenapeprograms.info.  E-books may be purchased through online dealers. There is a related activity page and you will find Teacher page links.

Kitschinipen – Summer! 

Gardens to tend!  The heat, children play, insects buzzing and fresh food from the garden! It feels like it will go on forever!  But the seed catalogs and back to school specials in the ads say – it is coming to and end, with crisp evenings and warm but mild days.

Enjoy your summer & stop in when you can!

Carla & Allan

Siquon – Spring Newsletter   Spring is in the air!  Everyone is anticipating clearing and planting their gardens.

How will you Celebrate MARCH – Women’s Heritage Month??  

Make it a time to celebrate the accomplishments of Native American Women!!

Check out our Women’s Pages and Health & Socio-Political Links, and enjoy Frogs in poetry by children and Frog / Amphibian information in the Natural World Page.  Read about the Honey Bee Crisis there too!

Native American Heritage Programs offers the following program for your business, club, or social organization.  Please plan your program early.

The Role of Women In Native Society, Then & Now The role of Native American women in Native life and their contribution to our nation’s history has always been elusive and greatly underestimated, because early European writers were unwilling to accept and value women in roles other than the limited ones allowed in their own culture.  Reservation life forced men to abandon their traditional roles as hunters and warriors and to conform to European social customs, leading them to usurp female roles.  In contemporary Native American life, what women try to accomplish is often distorted or ignored.

Exploring the roles and achievements of women in Native society through the eyes of a Native woman and a historian, participants will also view video and exhibits, such as the visual creative arts contributions of Native Women – Their “Beautiful Visions” which were handed down through many generations.

Needed: 4 long tables for exhibits, optional – TV/VHS equipment , related cables, microphone and electric, depending on the room a microphone might be needed.  Adult oriented.color strip divider

Lenape Cycle of the Seasons

Siquon (Spring): fishing, Corn Planting Ceremony, planting, “football” (soccer).   Plant the crops Tend the Gardens

Tsquali Gischuch – Time in which the frogs begin to sing

Mechoammawi Gischuch – Time when the shad fish return

Kschilandeke (Summer): garden work, berry picking, seashore vacations and mountain trips, hunting, preparing skins, weaving mats, swimming.

Jagatamoewi Gischuch – Time of the honey bee

Winaminge – Time of the Roasting Ears of Corn

Tachquoak (Fall): hunting, harvesting and drying foods, fruits, vegetables, and meats, Thanksgiving.

Kilchilachqoak – Autumn – Time of the Grasshoppers

Pooxit – Time of the falling leaves

Lowan (Winter): indoor activities – storytelling, pick-up sticks, making toys, constructing wampum and arrowheads, other small projects including learning Lenape picture written history, and doing “homework”. Outdoor activities – snowball fights, sledding, snowshoeing, hunting.

Winigischuch – Time of the falling snows

Mechakhokque – When the cold makes the trees crack

Anixi Gischuch – Time when the ground squirrels run

Péhewe na kun – The snow is waiting!