Lenape

Imagine a group of people who have lived in a special place for a very, very long time. These are the Lenape, also known as the Lenni Lenape or Delaware people. Their ancient lands stretched across places like New Jersey, parts of New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. That's a super big area! Today, many Lenape people live in different places like Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and even Canada.

The Lenape's homeland was like a giant playground! It included all of New Jersey, which is bigger than many playgrounds. It also covered parts of New York, like the area around New York Bay, and even western Long Island. Think of it as a land with rivers, forests, and coastlines. They were the first people to call this beautiful place home, long before any towns or cities were built.

Sometimes, people have to move away from their homes. For the Lenape, this happened a long time ago because of new settlers arriving and a big war called the American Revolutionary War. They were gently pushed north and west.

Later, the government moved many of them even farther away to places like Indian Territory. It was a difficult time, but the Lenape are strong and have kept their culture alive.

Even though many Lenape had to move, their communities are still going strong! You can find Lenape people living in Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and in Ontario, Canada. These communities are like modern-day villages where people share their traditions, stories, and language. They are federally recognized tribes, which means they are officially known and respected.