These Are Not Costumes: Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Regalia - Movers & Makers (2021)

[@harryjackson3259]

Fantastic video covering a community with a long history in this area. Thank you to WHYY for producing and providing this segment. Hope to see more in the future!

[@RandomActsOfBlindness]

I was raised in Jim Thorpe Pennsylvania. I was always told that I was Lenape by my grandparents, but everything beyond that died along with them. I know that I am not 100% “Probably closer to 50“, but I would love to know where my family mixes in. I know that this is a difficult question to ask, but is there anyone who knows where to begin putting this story together? Nothing else in my bloodline can explain my features. I’ve always felt robbed of this part of my culture, so anything will help! Thank you so much!

[@bestnayeever6318]

we are in the same boat my friend

[@Elias_Truth]

Have you tried Dawes rolls or treaty census? I would say start with your family tree.

[@RandomActsOfBlindness]

@@Elias_Truth thank you! That’s exactly what we did. The puzzle is just now starting to come together. It’s a little different than we originally thought, but still along the same lines. I really appreciate the recommendations. Be well!

[@RandomActsOfBlindness]

@@Elias_Truth what we thought, just not Lenape.

[@mgould42]

What a wonderful tribute to our community. Missing the Pow Wow more and more. Can't wait to get back out there to display our beautiful culture to the entire east coast. Thank you to all that contributed to the production.

[@theresajohnson4639]

These are people pretending to be Indians or more specifically Lenape or Nanticoke’s. The real Nanticoke’s left the area before 1750. That is well documented. Lenape and the sub tribes are the most documented tribes in the USA.

[@barbram8001]

@@theresajohnson4639 How do you know these Indians, are pretending to be Lenapes, or Nanticokes?

[@Elias_Truth]

@@theresajohnson4639 are you twitter, FB or instagram? I would love to ask you some questions. Do you think it’s possible some Nanticoke could’ve been left behind or mixed with whites or blacks thus “leaving” their tribe or community? Also have these ppl dna tested?

[@theresajohnson4639]

@@Elias_Truth I am on both. Nanticoke’s have an interesting history as well and were forced out of their homelands. They went a number of directions including my community. The final group went on to California.

[@theresajohnson4639]

@@Elias_Truth some of the Nanticoke’s and others such as Ramapough have done their DNA. I know that Native American was not found in the cases that I know about. I felt sorry for the one young lady as she didn’t know where to turn because she had had been told all her life she was not Lenape but her DNA said she had NO Native ancestry. Another girl said her Grandmother on tic toc said she was Nanticoke but when she got tested, there was no Native American but the lady was actually white and related to the Queen. You can tell if they showed Lenape, the would be yelling it to the rooftops, but instead refuse to share their results

[@TyGouldJacinto]

Beautiful, very beautiful. Very well done! A unique community and wonderful opportunity to be up close and involved with this information. Thank you for sharing. Please keep sharing more!

[@theresajohnson4639]

Lenape is NOT their culture. I just don’t understand why they don’t look into their REAL culture instead of trying to stealing our Lenape ways. It looks silly because you don’t understand our ways.

[@paulharvey2396]

to link to family and identity with clothes for the dances - this is something you can teach = I would like to learn and share. How difficult it is in modern society to lay hold of ancient truths and culture and keep them strong. These is a warmth of happy memories for the children in learning about this -- a sustaining warmth. thank you for sharing

[@natalynwilmore7065]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge of tradition regalia making . I’m looking forward to sharing with my grandchildren. We need to keep our children/grandchildren proud of their culture.

[@theresajohnson4639]

Cultural appropriation!

[@christymaisonave9530]

What a wonderful tribute to our culture. Keeping our traditions alive by passing down the knowledge to our children. There is nothing like hearing the drum call you.

[@markpierce7200]

Cory is a great mentor to my daughter! We are so thankful for her!

[@theresajohnson4639]

She should be mentoring on the real heritage, not one they just made up!

[@theresajohnson4639]

@Bright Light 😅😅😅😅☑️

[@tdenby]

This was beautiful and something that I missed out on as a child. I look forward to catching up with tradition that I missed out on.

[@theresajohnson4639]

It’s a tradition of the real Lenape or Nanticoke’s, not these people pretending to be. Nanticoke’s left the area before 1750. These people on here are descendants of slaves brought in from Africa

[@TheNYCndn]

@@theresajohnson4639 You are so clearly uneducated and a major part of the problem of the continued erasure of indigenous Americans. I don’t see you saying anything about white people claiming 100% Native heritage, enrolled and literally governing tribes. Are you even remotely aware of the intermarriage that took place among the woodland peoples? And in the New England not ALL blacks that joined into tribal communities were enslaved people, in fact entire free societies of color have always existed in this country since the arrival of Africans. Your misinformation is rooted in anti blackness and I’m not having it. Google is free.

[@theresajohnson4639]

@@TheNYCndn there are a lot of white people claiming they are Lenape as well. Some of them are Ramapough’s. One white lady in Ohio told me she was Ramapough. I think you are getting paranoid if you think it is only black people that claim they are Lenape. Now if they claim Ramapough, still has no connection to us.

[@theresajohnson4639]

@@TheNYCndn most of these are just stories... that’s a proven fact, especially with DNA testing now. And black people always tend to use the ‘race’ card when we speak up. We know there are white people that tell these same stories and again DNA has shown not all of them are fact. While some have married into other races, we accept them. They are our family... no if’s, ands, or but’s about it. It’s the ones that continue to lie and and pretend they are us. Ramapough and Nanticoke are well documented. While the odd person may have married an Indian in the Nanticoke, it doesn’t make a whole tribe.... that’s what they are counting on. You need to be more educated on this yourself!

[@theresajohnson4639]

@Bright Light 😂😂😂😂

[@timwalsh1511]

Thank you , my mothers family came from the Cape May NJ area - growing up she said not to tell anyone about this part of my heritage - reason being the issues that her and her family felt with during the 1920-30’s .

[@laurawarriorforlife4041]

Is there a way to contact this lady? I’d like to talk wedding ideas.

[@snowflowerridgeway4245]

Beautiful...love this...and sis you are truly talented. Beautiful tribute to our culture .

[@theresajohnson4639]

Cultural appropriation!

[@sunitatorres]

Family ... beautifully represented

[@sugarskull2206]

Just here trying to find out who I am. My lineage was hidden due to it being unfashionable to be an indian in years gone by my family embraced our britsh genealogy😪. I'm so thankful for this.

[@Qááh_Eskiminzin]

I am not “Indian” I am First Nation - Native American Indigenous My father is HUALAPAI TRIBE & 🇺🇸 JICARILA APACHE TRIBE🇺🇸 & my mother PASQUA YAQUI TRIBE🇺🇸 I am SAN CARLOS APACHE TRIBAL member🇺🇸

[@LatonianToniJazmineDunson]

I'm also not "Indian". Being called "Indian" when we are Indigenous and Native American/First nations to America is just weird. We don't even come from India. But we have been called that. Even my paternal tribe uses the word but in context of what we were called and not who we are alone. Nanticoke means "people of the tidewater". I have the Lenape blood from my maternal grandmother and we definitely are not "Indians". I agree.

[@ivanettemorris-yearsley4717]

The most beautiful regalia's are made by Cory, she is 1st quality. To pass down the tradition of regalia making is very important if the lenape culture.

[@theresajohnson4639]

Our Lenape regalia should be made by us and for us, not by these people pretending to be Indians, more specifically Lenape or Nanticoke’s.

[@ilenebrooks1814]

She is special ❤❤

[@jakedenby4279]

I love this. Absolutely brilliant

[@aari5003]

absolutely beautiful!! i hope to one day learn and connect with my culture

[@theresajohnson4639]

Lenape just isn’t in your background...

[@Sdaddaz]

Such a beautiful and lovely culture!

[@theresajohnson4639]

It isn’t their culture.... it’s actually culture appropriation!

[@temikapierce9267]

I love my my tribal family...we are strong..we are alive...and growing...!!!! We will always have haters with that being said...good luck with that...we will SHINE..I Was once told if you don't truly understand something without any knowledge just ask...and you shall seek...much love

[@theresajohnson4639]

May be your tribal ways in a sense but Lenape or Nanticoke’s are not your culture. Should be learning more about your African culture ways, stories, etc

[@victoriaspruill7287]

I live in NJ I want to visit

[@JohnnyDysRexic]

I'm looking for a Lenape, anyone see one lately?

[@jppestana1]

Beautiful.

[@ChrisRubeo]

Awesome.

[@setfreeoutreach8131]

Love

[@johncadogan8577]

Family ❤️❤️❤️

[@ashiacameron]

✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾

[@benhamon1823]

You people are the black Israelites of America!!!!!

[@melanieridgway4503]

🔥

[@coolradcocolorado7398]

The Nanticoke of New Jersey are not a real tribe nor can they provide factual & historical relation to the federally-recognized Lenape tribes. No other FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBE claims them as the real Nanticoke moved west with Unami and Munsee. Please reach out to Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe, Stockbridge-Munsee, Munsee-Delaware, Delaware of Six, or Moravian of the Thames for authentic and accurate Lenape representation.

[@ntvrthmn]

Maybe "appropriated" isn't the right word...maybe it should be "misappropriated"?

[@JoseAntonio-kb2zd]

Lol They look Venezuelan.

[@THECABSOURHERE]

Dude research bloodline u sound ignorant to woodland descendants

[@loochhmm6334]

Venezuelans are largely indigenous to the Americas also

[@benhamon1823]

You are not our blood

[@w0lv3r1nebeast9]

Such ignorance to the woman in this video, she is of American Native Descent, the tribe is recognized federally, such vulgar comments!!!!! get your facts straight, this woman on this video is related to my wife who is a Munson/Munsee descendant, stop disrespecting these people, all true native Americans today are descendants of the destroyed and mistreated people of the First Nations before the European people came to steal everything here from them, stop the fighting and the disrespect

[@theresajohnson4639]

They are NOT Native American, let alone Lenape or Nanticoke’s. The real Nanticoke left the area long time ago. They have African roots, why not appreciate what they really are! They have NO connection to any of the real Lenape or Nanticoke people.

[@LordOfSweden]

Nothing unique to native americans. It was the same for pagans (the real Europpean reliogion) in Europe.

[@joewhittle77]

They actually are costumes in this case because these are pretendians from a fake "tribe" that never existed.

[@Cattrez]

Lenape are not western Indians so stop teaching false history

[@StevenOsburnHollywood]

Fake Indian Group. Not Lenape at all.

[@benhamon1823]

Stop lying to people m!

[@Qááh_Eskiminzin]

These people don’t look Native American 🤣🤣

[@theresajohnson4639]

I don’t believe these people are the real descendants of the Nanticoke’s. ALL the Nanticoke’s left the area. They are the descendants of the slaves which is just short distance from Gouldtown, whiich is the oldest slave community of the USA. This young person most likely grew up being told she was Nanticoke, so I can’t blame her. It was a lady years ago that decided they were Nanticoke’s and it just went from there. I know where some of the real Nanticoke’s descendants are today and none of them are there. This young lady tells of these costumes she makes but that’s what they are today because she doesn’t know the meaning of what she is seeing, just copying from the real Native Americans and making up a story from that. That isn’t how it works.... “Only an Indian can do that”, a quote from one of Chief Dan George’s movies.... meaning only an Indian knows the stories, the designs and where they come from. I have questions: who is their real Nanticoke leaders? Names? They were all out of the area by 1750!

[@noebrook]

Agreed!

[@rexcaliban2480]

Why are you still trying to push up on my people? I already shut down you and your flunkies and proved how uninformed and inaccurate your “knowledge” of Native people truly is, so much so that you had to delete the conversation and block me from the “fake ndn page” made by “fake ndns”.. Your just embarrassing yourself now..

[@Starss685]

First, Im very sorry you feel this way. Yes, after the plot in the swamp in 1742 many Nanticokes and Lenape left and migrated all over. But according to state records not all were allowed to leave in fear they might regroup and attack. Just so you know, the definition of an Indian person around here at THAT time was a non Christian person who lived in the woods and ate mosty deer meat. So the possiblilty of families of Nanticoke people staying behind and to themselves, going to church so they werent targeted, and becoming farmers and fisherman is impossible? I am a Nanticoke Indian, desendent from the group of Nanticoke families recognized by the State of Delaware in 1881. But i do not blame you, I'm sure you are just regurgitating what you have been told on all these comments. When you are ready to come visit these communities from Delaware and NJ and have an actual respectful conversation face to face we are here. And that is all im willing to comment on this subject.

[@theresajohnson4639]

@@Starss685 if that’s what believe, it’s all a lie! Do the DNA test like the Ramapough did, you will know the truth. Any Lenape that could be found were killed as well as others. It’s so sad your people keep telling the children they are Indian. Almost every story told by the descendants of slaves have the same story and are puzzled when they find out the truth. Cultural Appropriation at it’s best. The slaves were people too, why not honour them and their culture? Are you not proud of who they are? I don’t understand why you don’t accept them. Especially Norwood, he is suppose to be a christian, a preacher no less, but yet lying to the public?

[@themariagigante]

@@theresajohnson4639 LMAO ?????????????? are you actually serious right now??? you're going to actually tell people where they came from? you should honestly mind your own business in that case. let people live and carry on the tradition of their ancestors in peace, you're not doing any good by denouncing any part of this video, their family, or the lenape tribe's existence - you're a part of the problem. if you're not going to be supportive of their programs then you can focus on your own ways to help the tribe continue their tradition if you TRULY CARE and think you can do better. thankssss !!

[@Mark-ej4uf]

TOM TORLINO has never been to a boarding school. Read the sources!