Lecture on the Lenapé Indian Tribe of Delaware

On Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018 at 2 p.m., the Zwaanendael Museum, located at 102 Kings Highway in Lewes, Del., will present “The Lenapé Indian Tribe of Delaware,” a lecture by Theo Braunskill, Lenapé citizen and Elders Council member, and Nena Todd, manager of the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs’ downtown Dover museums. The program will explore Native American lifeways, culture, challenges and successes—both past and present. Braunskill will also discuss his experiences growing up Lenapé in Delaware.

 

The program is the first installment of “Across the Ages to the Edge of the Sea,” a seven-part series exploring the history of the Lewes, Del. area from the 17th to the 20th centuries. The program will be held on the museum’s 2nd floor (entry via staircase; no elevator). Admission is free but, due to space restrictions, reservations are required by calling the museum at 302-645-1148 no later than Oct. 19, 2018.

 

The Lenapé Indian Tribe of Delaware is a state-recognized Native American tribe with an unbroken history of hundreds of years of settlement and continued residency in the vicinity of the town of Cheswold, Del. Formerly known as the Moors (or Indians) of Kent County, Del., the tribe traces its ancestry to the Lenape, also known as the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, whose historical homeland included present-day New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware along the Delaware River and Bay watershed, New York City, western Long Island and the Lower Hudson Valley.

 

The Zwaanendael Museum was built in 1931 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the state's first European colony, Swanendael, established by the Dutch along Hoorn Kill (present-day Lewes-Rehoboth Canal) in 1631. Designed by E. William Martin (architect of Legislative Hall and the Hall of Records in Dover), the museum is modeled after the town hall in Hoorn, the Netherlands, and features a stepped facade gable with carved stonework and decorated shutters. The museum’s exhibits and presentations provide a showcase for Lewes-area maritime, military and social history.