Lecture: This is Lenapehoking: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow in Partnership with the Morris Arboretum

Lecturer: Adam Waterbear DePaul, Tribal Council Member; Storykeeper of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania

 

Drum Performance: The Itchy Dog Singers and Chuck GentleMoon DeMund, Chief of Ceremonies of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania

 

The Morris Arboretum and Woodmere Art Museum sit side by side in Northwest Philadelphia, and both share a strong interest in the history of our shared landscape, our institutions’ role as stewards of the land, and a desire to acknowledge and honor the past as we plan for the future.

Our shared location in Northwest Philadelphia is on the traditional land of the Lenape people, and still holds names that come from the original inhabitants like Wissahickon, Tulpehocken, Conshohocken, and Manayunk. ‘Lenapehoking’ is a term for the lands historically inhabited by the Lenape (the area that was named the Delaware by early European settlers).

In recognition of this history of our land and in celebration of Native American Heritage Month, we have invited Adam DePaul, storykeeper of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania, to share stories of the Lenape and their relationship to the land–past, present, and looking into the future.

 

The evening will begin with a tribal drum performance led by Chief of Ceremonies Chuck GentleMoon DeMund and the Itchy Dog Singers, a group within the Lenape Nation. This event is a partnership between Woodmere Art Museum and the Morris Arboretum, and will take place at Woodmere Art Museum, 9201 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19118. In accordance with CDC and City of Philadelphia guidelines, proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test is NOT required to enter the Museum and mask-wearing is optional.

 

Adam DePaul is a Tribal Council Member of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania, where he also holds the positions of Storykeeper and Coordinator of the Rising Nation River Journey. He co-curates the Lenape Cultural Center in Easton PA and the exhibit Existing Artistry, Enduring Presence: The Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania, soon to be featured at Haverford College. DePaul is a PhD candidate and instructor at Temple with a primary research area in Cultural and Mythological Studies, and the co-founder and president of NAISAT (Native American and Indigenous Studies at Temple).