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Trip to the Delaware Water Gap National Park
by CeCe Biggoose
A trip to the Delaware Water Gap National Park came to life in July when five Delaware teens, ages 14 to 17, embarked on a 12-day journey of their lifetimes. The trip made possible by the tribal leaders of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, including the help of Greg Brown and Brice Obermeyer, Delaware Nation of Anadarko, Stockbridge Munsee of Wisconsin, the National Park Service, Cultural Preservation committees, archeologists, professors, many elders, leaders, volunteers and so many people behind the scenes who envisioned, discussed, planned, set aside funds, wrote grants for this special event. The vision of this event spanned a decade or more.
This Summer Youth camp made it possible for our future generation of tribal leaders to see through their eyes, learn through their hearts and minds, experience hiking through their original homelands. An experience the youth never envisioned possible, none of the youth groups had ever flew on a plane or traveled so far from home!
The trip attendees from our tribe included Cece Biggoose as the chaperone. Youth ambassadors were Tiana Long, Shu-Day Johnson-Biggoose, Hopie Thicknail, Kamren Pisachubbe, and Michaela Provence. They were joined by the Delaware Nation and the Stockbridge Munsee youth groups at the Pocono Environmental Education Center, where the groups were provided yurts to stay in and daily meals and snacks. PEEC and their staff provided the youth with educational environmental hikes throughout the trails surrounding their youth camp facilities. It was a very busy place! Check out the Facebook pages and websites for both the PEEC and Delaware Water Gap National Park (www.peec.org and www.nps.gov/dewa/).
Linda Poolaw, an elder of Delaware Nation, flew up for the first day to pray and smudge all with our sacred cedar. She explained the importance of this trip to everyone who participated. She provided us with spiritual guidance. She was one of many elders, including our own leaders, who envisioned this event. She explained to us why we were there. She took us to the reburial site and we prayed.
National Park Service (NPS) employees were our personal guides throughout entire the visit. We were treated like royalty and given the red carpet treatment. More than once we were told, “You are the very reason we love the jobs we do to preserve and protect your history.” The NPS employees were so enthused to share their experiences with us and learned from our youth as well. The youth groups said it made them very proud to hear how much our visit meant to the NPS. Our youth presented the Superintendant of NPS at Delaware Water Gap a gift, our Tribal Flag.
A castle called Grey Towers was an impressive visit due to the origins and history of National Parks. We were the honored guests at an ice cream social, set up like an extravagant affair, specially prepared for the youth on the first day touring the area in a chartered bus!
The groups camped on the river, canoed 18 miles over a two-day journey down the beautiful Delaware River, stopping along the way at various important sites where our ancestors lived many, many years before anyone else inhabited the area, rich in natural beauty, plentiful in food and water. Understanding, sadly, that was the very reason we were killed, forcibly removed or fled our homelands.
So many learning experiences made possible, including a field trip to an important archeological dig site conducted by Temple University students and archeologists. The youth received hands on experience. The teens actually found arrowheads, tools, points, and items! They were so focused, to see them was amazing. All finds were logged and placed in bags with other archeological finds, tools our ancestors made by hand hundreds and hundreds of years before any other people invaded our original homelands. They learned the basics of pottery making and shown pottery our ancestors made. They will ship the pottery the teens made back soon.
The groups swam and fished thanks to the NPS guides. They visited the Historic Preservation archives and viewed items donated, found, protected in climate controlled buildings, not available to the public for viewing. A night hike to a beautiful waterfall and viewed stars through telescopes was fun. They hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail to an overlook. They met with biologists researching turtles affected by disturbed natural habitat due to the huge power lines overhead.
NPS set up a Career Day to show all the different roles they have in protecting our natural resources and the wildlife and the many people who visit the area. They encouraged our youth to check out opportunities such as internships for youth in the park. They want Delaware youth to return and work in their original homelands for the National Park Service.
In return, the youth took pictures of all their experiences with GoPro cameras provided to each groups by NPS. The youth collaborated together and made a short picture presentation of their own for the NPS. Tiana Long brought her Delaware clothes to wear during the presentation. The trip ended with a smudging and prayer ceremony conducted by Cece Biggoose, Shuday and WeeKah, who built the fire, burned cedar and fanned all who attended before our journey home. Many good words, handshakes, hugs, feelings expressed, a special prayer by Larry Hilaire, tears flowed from youth and adults alike. That is how awesome this trip was. Lifetime friends were made and history was made once again. We brought back gifts of heirloom Indian corn, tobacco seeds, beans and earth from our homelands.The youth presented items at Tribal Council and shook hands with their Delaware leaders thanking them for this wonderful experience.
A planning committee is working together with the chaperones to plan and prepare for next summer’s Youth Camp. I hope this event is the first of many for our future, our Delaware youth.
Wanishi!!
CeCe Biggose
cbiggoose@delawaretribe.org
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| Great group of Delaware youth headed out to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area with their fearless Leader, Cece Runnels. (l-r) Cece, Hopie Thicknail, Kamren Pisachubbe, Kayla Provence, ShuDay Johnson Biggoose, Tiana Long. | |
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My Trip to the Gathering, by Cayla McGee
Cayla Magee
Note: this story was written by Delaware tribal member Cayla Magee, age 9, who was part of a tribal delegation attending “Maawehlahtiit” (Gathering of Our Relatives) on the Stockbridge-Munsee Reservation in Wisconsin. The delegation was led by Chief Chet Brooks and included elected leaders, elders, veterans, and youth.
On Tuesday 7/21/15, my grandad Curtis Zunigha, Paula Pechonick, Anna Pechonick, my mom Erica Magee, and I left the tribal center at 9:30 am in a tribal van. We drove to Albert Lea, MN. Along the way, we beaded on some earrings. We also learned some Lenape words. Lenape Ni means ‘I am Lenape’ and Lenape hach ki means ‘Are you Lenape.’ That was the first time I went through 5 states in one day. We stopped and ate a wonderful dinner. We were full, we went to our hotel, the Motel 6. It wasn’t that nice of a hotel but I still had an ok time.
On Wednesday 7/22/15, the group and I left our hotel in Albert Lea, MN around 9:45 am, after breakfast at Perkins. We crossed the Mississippi river into Wisconsin around 11:30. It was Anna and I’s first time at the Mississippi River. There were a lot of farms with big silos and barns along the way. Finally, we arrived at the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans reservation. We checked into the North Star Casino and Hotel around 1:00 pm. We unpacked and I immediately knew that it was going to be a great trip. After the group got changed, we all went to the powwow grounds and checked into the Gathering. We went to the hotel and it was hard to fall asleep because I was so excited for the next day!
On Thursday 7/23/15 we ate breakfast at the hotel buffet. The food was so yummy! We went to the powwow grounds and watched the color guards bring in all the flags. The Eastern communities talked about their history that morning. After lunch Anna, mom, Paula, and I set up a teaching tent. While Paula and mom displayed Lenape regalia and stomp dance cans, Anna and I went swimming in the West Branch Red River. We met one of the local girls, Lorretta, who showed us around the campgrounds. Around the arena was a road that lead to the swimming hole. Across the road was camping spots. There were over 200 people who came to the gathering. Each community sponsored a meal. That night we had Indian tacos. Our group led the evening program of social and stomp dances. My mom wore turtle shells and I wore the cans and shook a lot of the stomp dance songs. A few of my favorite social dances from that night were the Bean Dance, the Go Get ‘Em Dance and the Duck Dance.
On Friday 7/24/15 after breakfast, our group went to the grounds. The Stockbridge-Munsee and the Canadians spoke then we had lunch. We met several other kids from the reservation and even got to visit with some close friends that came from Green Bay for the Gathering. After lunch we helped work the booth. Anna and I rigged up 12 or more girls with cans during the stomp dance workshop. Mom and I got interviewed for a documentary. Anna and I helped serve supper. I tried to wear the turtle shells for the stomp dance that night, but they were too heavy, so I let my Auntie Martina wear them. At the end of the night Bruce Stonefish and his daughter showed us the stick dance. The drum was a deer hide with several long sticks around it. The men tapped it with special drum sticks and sang special songs. The songs got faster and faster. It was fun!
On Saturday, 7/25/15 our chief Chet Brooks talked about our history that morning. Anna and I slept in that day. My mom came back and got us and Paula before lunch. We stopped at the museum and learned about the medicine wheel, dugout canoes and a basket weaving. Each of us kids read about one of the displays. Next we went to the gift shop general store. It was owned by the tribe. We all played in the creek all day until supper.
Bonnie Jo, Kay, Martina, John, and a few other of our Oklahoma group cooked fry bread, corn soup, and grape dumplings for the big supper that night. Bella, my friend from Green Bay, and I helped serve supper.
We dressed for powwow in Delaware clothes. My grandad was proud of me. At the powwow Anna and I were recognized by the elder women. I was given a really cool pair of beaded earrings. My grandad was recognized too, by the committee.
On Sunday 7/26/15 after breakfast at the casino, again we went to the grounds for a healing ceremony. Each of us took cedar in each hand and put it into the fire. One was forgiveness of self and one was forgiveness of others. We all took a big group photo. It was sad to leave, but I was excited to see my daddy and brother again.
We drove to Albert Lea MN. and stayed at the same hotel and the same restaurant!
Sunday 7/27/15 we left the motel that morning and went to go eat breakfast around 8:00 am, we crossed state lines into Iowa around 10:00 am, we crossed state lines into Missouri 2:00, Kansas 5:00, Oklahoma 8:00 I was glad I was home.
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| Heading to the Gathering (Curtis, Erica, Cayla, and Anna) | |
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| Rez Casino. | |
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| Molly, Erica, Tammy, and Sheila; Curtis leads the Bean Dance. | |
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| Lacrosse game; social songs. | |
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| Dugout canoe. | |
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| Erica, Cayla, and Curtis; Lloyd and Molly Miller. | |
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| Gathering group photo; finally returning home! | |
Delaware Member Receives Prestigious Fellowship
A Delaware Tribe of Indians member has been selected as a part of the inaugural class of the George Kaiser Family Foundation’s Tulsa Artist Fellowship.
According to Stanton Doyle, senior program officer at George Kaiser Family Foundation, tribal member Nathan Young, son of Delaware Tribal Council member Nate Young and Carol Chapman Young, is one of 12 artists who will comprise the Tulsa Artist Fellowship’s inaugural class.
» View Story from Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise
Bonnie Thaxon Named AARP Honoree
Tim Hudson
A Delaware Tribe of Indians elder is set to be honored by the AARP as a key Oklahoma-based Native American Elder.
According to a release form the AARP, Delaware Tribe of Indians Member Bonnie Thaxton has been “nominated and selected” as an honoree for the 2015 AARP Oklahoma Indian Elder Honors. The 7th annual Honor banquet will be held on October 6th at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
“I’m 92-years-old and I’m certainly proud of my heritage with the tribe,” Bonnie said.
“And I plan to go to Oklahoma City for the ceremony.”
“This is one of AARP Oklahoma’s most prestigious and visible awards, given to recognize outstanding Native American Elders who are making a powerful difference in their communities, and Indian Country, in ways that are consistent with AARP’s mission and vision, and who inspire others to service,” said Mashell Sourjohn, Associate State Director of Community Outreach for Oklahoma AARP.
“AARP Oklahoma takes great pride in congratulating Mrs. Thaxton on all that she has done for her nation, state, community and for Indian country.”
Delaware Tribe of Indians Chief Chet Brooks says that he’s known Bonnie “at least 33 years.”
“And she is one of the Delaware Tribe’s most deserving elders to receive this AARP award and I’d like to personally thank Bonnie for all the years of service to the Delaware Tribe.”
AARP, Inc., which was formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is a nonprofit membership and interest group, founded in 1958 for people over the age of 50. It is one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States.
Sourjohn says Thaxton’s record of achievement, service, and commitment to the community is “making a difference and bringing purpose to those around her.”
“She is an extraordinary exampleof the difference that can be made in the lives of individuals and in the well-being and vitality of a community,” she said.
Tim Hudson
918-815-2653
Journey of a Lifetime
Dewey resident Curt Anderson said that a visit to his ancestor’s homeland had always been in the works, but it unintentionally garnered social media attention over the summer.
» View Story from Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise
Tribal Leaders Attend Speech by President Obama
Tim Hudson
A delegation from the Delaware Tribe of Indians was among several tribes that attended a speech by President Barack Obama in July.
The speech was during a stop the President made to Choctaw Nation land in Durant, Oklahoma.
Attending the Presidential stop on behalf of the Delaware Tribe of Indians were Chief Chet Brooks, and Tribal Council Members Nicky Michael and Michelle Holley.
The visit to tribal land is the second time President Obama has visited tribal lands in as many years. In 2014 he visited Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Nation in North Dakota.
“President Obama has been kind to Indian Country during his years in office,” said Chief Brooks of the visit.
The Obama administration is reportedly working with local leaders in high-poverty areas to further eduction and economic goals. Dubbed “ConnectHome” the project is launching in the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. For areas that are known as “Promise Zones” like the Choctaw Nation, President Obama has also called on Congress to cut hiring and investment taxes to attract business and create jobs.
“This White House initiative, to provide internet access to rural Native American communities, is to alleviate education barriers identified by a group of Native American youth during the Generation Indigenous summit held at the White House earlier this year,” Holley said, adding that one Delaware youth, Joey Richard, attended the event in Washington D.C.
Tim Hudson
918-815-2653
Veteran’s Committee Report
Kenny Brown, Chairman
Lenape Warriors and family members, greetings! As summer passes and fall approaches we look forward to some exciting celebrations. First, I want to again extend our appreciation to the Delaware War Mothers. The Veteran’s Committee has given a letter of appreciation to the War Mothers for all they do and have done for all of our Veterans. In their honor the Veteran’s Committee is going to host a cookout for our Delaware War Mothers organization on October 10, 2015 at 2:00 P.M. at the Delaware Community Center.
I want to acknowledge and thank Homer Scott, John Sumpter, Curtis Zunigha and Associate Member Kerric Franco of the Lenape Veteran’s Color Guard for representing our unit at the Stockbridge Munsee Rez. I have been told by many, our guys looked the sharpest and after seeing some pics, I agree.
As I write this Delaware Days is just a few weeks away. The Veteran’s Committee has nominated John Sumpter, Sargent, U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Beret) for this year’s Veteran Honoree.
Mark your calendar!
- Oct. 17, 2015: Pryor Powwow, your color guard is on duty. It’s always a good one.
- Oct. 24, 2015: American Legion Post #1 in Tulsa is having a fund-raising gourd dance. Curtis Zunigha will M.C. Come support the Post and Curtis.
- Nov. 11, 2015: Veterans Day! Participate in or go watch a parade and fly the Flag!
- Dec. 7, 2015: Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day! Recognize and shake a WWII veteran’s hand.
- March 5, 2016 Tulsa Community College 2nd Annual Powwow! Your Lenape Gourd Society is Host Gourd Clan. Come dance with us!
Order of the Day: Support your local American Legion Post!
Not a member? Locate a post and join.
American Legion — www.legion.org
Disabled American Veterans Adminstration — www.dav.org
Wounded Warrior Project — www.woundedwarriorproject.org
Lenapeowsi Foundation
Weli kishku tahkoken. Nkwelaha kulamalsi. (Greetings tribal members! I hope each of you are in good health and spirits as we move into the autumn season.)
The Lenapeowsi Foundation would like to express our gratitude to each and every one of you for your continued support of our youth and our program! Without your support and participation, we would not be a success. This upcoming year brings exciting developments and unexpected changes to the Lenapeowsi Foundation and our program.
Some unexpected changes within our leaders, will bring unexpected change to the schedule of the Thursday night program. As most of you know, Chairwoman Dr. Nicky Michael has accepted an appointment as Professor of Native American Studies at the University of Wyoming. This is an amazing opportunity for Dr. Michael to share her vast and diverse knowledge and experience of Native American issues with an emerging generation. We wish her, Xavier, Tahkoken, and River the best in their new journey.
In addition, our instructors have been experiencing time constraints, due to an increasing work load with their employers. So the Board of Directors has decided to change the Thursday night weekly program to a bi-weekly or monthly program. The Board is coordinating with our instructors to finalize a calendar. Once we have the details nailed down, the calendar will be posted on our website (www.lenapeowsi.org), Facebook page, and at the Community Center. The program content will still consist of language, dance and craft instruction.
Now for some exciting news! As we move into the coming year, we are looking at expanding our program into the Vinita, Miami and Grove areas to increase our outreach area. We are coordinating with tribal leaders in these areas to identify locations and instructors. Please contact one of the Board members listed below if you are interested in becoming a volunteer instructor or participant.
The Board members have also discussed initiating a Dress for Success program to service our members with professional clothing for interviews and work. This would be a need-based program, where a member can peruse the collection of donated professional clothing, if that member could not afford to purchase new attire for an interview with a potential employer or university. The clothes would be returned or additional items would be donated, once the member was able to purchase their own clothing. Lenapeowsi Foundation is accepting donations for the Dress for Success Program Items needed are professional clothing for both men and women (dress shirts, blazers, slacks, matching suits, shoes). Monetary donations accepted as well. Please contact Michelle Holley to make a donation.
Another new development has been the creation of our web site www.lenapeowsi.org. This web site is still in the developmental stages and will provide an event calendar, Lenapeowsi merchandise (T-shirts, bracelets and fans), updates and many more features, as we move forward.
As you can see there are many new and exciting changes in the works. We will keep you posted as the developments progress. Please feel free to contact our Board of Directors with any questions or suggestions.
Chairwoman, Dr. Nicky Michael, Ph.D
nicky.michael@lenapeowsi.org
Vice-Chairman John Sumpter
longwalkerlongwalk@sbcglobal.net
Secretary Michelle Holley
michelle.holley@lenapeowsi.org
Treasurer Jason Jones
Jason.jones@lenapeowsi.org
Tribal Member Luana M. Strike-Axe Murphy Graduates from OSU Tech
Congratulations to Luana Marie Strike-Axe Murphy, 2015 Graduate of OSU Institute of Technology in Visual Communications
Graphic Design.
Luana’s degree is an AAS in Graphic Design Technology. She is a Delaware tribal member, daughter of Cecilia Biggoose, Lester Biggoose (deceased) and her step-father James Martinez; granddaughter of Jeanette Mitchell; great-granddaughter of Edith Parks Waters; and great-niece of Lucy Parks Blalock. Her Delaware name, Sikonatae, was given to her by Leonard Thompson and Lucy Blalock.
Luana’s persistence, through a serious life threatening health issue, a baby, along with school age children, with the support of her loving husband and family, attended school full time and accomplished her dream. Congratulations!
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| Pictured with her is her family. Left to right: baby Roscoe, husband Jason, daughter Tiana, son Tehi (not pictured is son Choske’) |
Garrett Powell Joins NSU Riverhawks
Tim Hudson
It’s looking to be a great year,” says Tribal member Garrett Powell, of the upcoming football season at Tahlequah, Oklahoma-based Northeastern State University where he’s recently signed.
The Delaware Tribe of Indians wide receiver and punter says he’s happy with his recent change into the NSU Riverhawks uniform.
Upon graduating from Bartlesville High in 2013, Powell initially signed with Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, where he played wide receiver and punter.
Eventually he entered the NCAA Division II ranks by playing at Pittsburg State in southeast Kansas. Shortly thereafter he transferred to Northeastern State where he will finish out his college career.
“The biggest thing with my college career is seeing now that the moves and everything else happens for a reason,” Powell told the Tulsa World, “… I’ve met some awesome people that I will be close with forever.”
In his junior year he racked up 57 catches for 728 yards and five touchdowns, so for Powell the next year looks very promising.
Basically we played our first game last week,” he said of the Sept. 4 contest. The Riverhawks fell short in that game 14-38
against Pittsburg State University.
“We made some mistakes and didn’t come out on top,” he said.
“But I’m optimistic about our chances this season. I’m really excited and they have a lot of new faces on the team. As a senior it’s fun to see the kids come in and to show them how to win.”
He says that compared to his team last year, the Riverhawks crew “is a lot more close knit.”
As to his native heritage Powell says that it’s something he’s always stayed close to.
“I’m always talking to my grandma and asking about the history and heritage. I’m proud to be Delaware I think that’s pretty
big,” he said of his grandmother Verna Sue Atherton, and adding that Tahlequah has a large Cherokee population.
“To be a native being in Tahlequah obviously it’s neat to see so much native culture there and it’s always good to to be a little different, that I’m Delaware,” he said.
“I’m always proud of my heritage and it makes me feel good that I am native.”
Tim Hudson
918-815-2653
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