The Native People of New Jersey: The Lenni-Lenape Indians
*Wolf Fang Killer is a child of the Unami Tribe, located in Central New Jersey, listening to the Elders stories in his parents’s wigwam to pass the time on this cold winter night*
*Wolf Fang Killer is waiting for his mother to be finished with serving the elders dinner, and for his father to come back from hunting with the next day’s game*
"Elders are served meals first, and usually tell tales to children while having dinner. Lenape Men hunted a variety of animals: deer, elk and bear were the Lenape's largest prey. Deer were often hunted by surrounding or herding them into pens or rivers ("Lenape Lifeways")."
The Elder speaks to the young Indian child, who is black-faced from today’s wrestles and competitions with the other children of the tribe.
"The Lenape admired strength and liked to compete with one another in contests or games ("Lenape Lifeways")."
“Do you know of how we were created, Wolf Fang Killer?”
“Please, tell me great elder,” responded Wolf Fang Killer.
“Tantaque took a piece of coal out of the fire where he sat, and began to write upon the floor. He first drew a circle, a little oval, to which he made four paws or feet, a head and a tail. “This,” said he, “is a tortoise, lying in the water around it … this was or is all water, and so at first was the world or the earth, when the tortoise gradually raised its back up high, and the water ran off of it, and thus the earth became dry … and there grew a tree in the middle of the earth, and the root of this tree sent forth a sprout beside it and there grew upon it a man, who was the first male. This man was then alone, and would have remained alone; but the tree bent over until its top touched the earth, and there shot therein another root, from which came forth another sprout, and there grew upon it the woman, and from these two are all men produced ("Lenape Lifeways").”
The following day Wolf Fang Killer was to be addressed by the chief of Unami tribe, also known as the Sachem. The Sachem was chosen for his known ability to lead. The Unami chief was known as the head chief of the two other sub-tribes that equaled the Lenni-Lenape Tribe of New Jersey. Unami was the central area that represented the Turtle Clan. The Minsi was the northern tribe that represented the Wolf Clan, and the southern tribe, Unilachtigo Tribe, represented the Turkey Clan.
Minsi "the people of the stony country." (Ditmire)
Unami "the people down the river." (Ditmire)
Unilachtigo "the people who lived near the ocean." (Ditmire)
"The chiefs were chosen for their behavior, skill in speaking, honesty, and ability to make wise decisions. The chiefs also had to know about religion so that they could lead the people in rituals and ceremonies ("Lenape Lifeways")."
The Unami chief gathered all the young boys of the tribe up in a school circle surrounding him. Many of the tribe people came to witness what the chief actually had planned for the young boys of the tribe. Each boy gave the respectful attention the chief deserved while they waited for him to speak.
The chief began to speak, “You must go and claim your spirit animal in the woods. You must fast for three days and three nights and become one with the nature surrounding you. This quest is yours and yours alone. Your spirit animal may or may not come to you in offering of their pity and wisdom.”
"It was the custom for boys – and sometimes girls – to mark the time when they became adults by going away alone for many days to fast and dream. The special power they received at this time might enable them to have visions, and some of them might find a guardian spirit. This special guardian could take the form of a fox, a hawk, a small ant or even a rock and could protect the individual for life or tell them what their future would be ("Lenape Lifeways")."
The boys simply nodded quickly, and ran back to their wigwams to gather their tools needed for this vision quest. They gathered their bow and arrow and simple woodcraft tools to either defend themselves from an attack or build shelter. Wolf Fang Killer was anxious all day as he sat there in his parent’s wigwam looking inquisitively at his bow and arrow. He annoyed his mother with his fear and excitement for his vision quest he was to embark on for the first time, alone.
"The Lenape made dome-shaped houses called wigwams where a small family or individual could live. They pushed a circle of poles into the ground and then bent them over one another to make a domed frame, which they covered with sheets of bark, skins or woven rush mats ("Lenape Lifeways")."
His mother was a kind woman. She was well endowed, and respected by many in the village. She was known for her flawless beadwork and gardening skills. Every spring, she was known for the best looking and tasting corn in the village. Villagers claim she uses magic to help grow her crops better than everyone else’s. She wore a skirt and jacket made from deer and beaver skin, and bore long black hair down her back. Two red-painted dots covered the middle of her cheeks to distinguish her femininity and spirit for the whole Lenni-Lenape Tribe.
"The Lenni-Lenape traveled with the seasons, making full use of the area resources. During the spring they planted gardens around their permanent settlements. In the summer, they went to the shore to catch oysters and clams and stayed cool. In the fall, they would move back to their village and harvest their crops. In the winter, they hunted deer and other animals (Ditmire)."
Wolf Fang Killer’s father was of equal respect. The matter was well-known that Wolf Fang Killer’s parents had good standing within the Unami Tribe. His father was the medicine man of the tribe. He was more decorated than the rest of the older males, and for his skills as an herbalist. He had many tattoos of animals covering his back and coming around the front side of his right oblique. His hair was cut and worn in a Mohawk fashion, and had two eagle feathers sticking out from his band that was tied around his head. His face, chest and shoulders were all painted for spiritual resemblance of the Unami Tribe. Pierced through his ears were two shell earrings swaying and bouncing each time he walked. In Unami language he was known as a nentpike and a meteinu that was skilled in the art of witchcraft and herbs; not only tasked to heal mortal wounds, but wounds of the spirit as well.
"The nentpikes, or herbalists, cured diseases and healed wounds and infections by applying natural remedies.The meteinu or medew, in addition to being familiar with the properties of herbs, plants, barks and roots also claimed to know how to deal with witchcraft and other occult practices. It was belied that meteinu could cure illnesses of supernatural origin and could chase away evil spirits ("Lenape Lifeways")."
"Men tattooed themselves with pictures of animals, birds, snakes or various geometric designs. Both men and women wore earrings, necklaces and hair ornaments from many natural objects like shell, bone, feathers, stones, clay, and animal claws and teeth ("Lenape Lifeways")."
"Young men often would cut their hair or pull it out by the roots so that only a small round spot on the crest of the head would remain. Although Lenape men did have sparse facial hair, most got rid of it by plucking it out. Men typically wore a hairpiece called a “roach,” made out of porcupine hairs and dyed deer hair. They might also wear feathers in their hair, but usually only about two – never the big war bonnets worn by the Plains tribes ("Lenape Lifeways")."
Wolf Fang Killer’s time came the following night when he had to say goodbye to his family, his mother and father. He was under a lot of pressure to have a vision, and to receive his imprint of a spirit animal. His mother and father were people he wanted to make proud the most; he was only seven years old. His father left a strange and lonely rock by the wigwam they lived in as an offering for the spirit’s favor in Wolf Fang Killer’s vision quest.
Music was played for the final departure of all the young boys in the Unami Tribe. Older men and women bore and played hide-and-water drums, bird bone whistles, wooden flutes and turtle shell rattles to accompany the ritualistic dancing that was taking place around a tribal fire.
As Wolf Fang Killer was about to join the festivities before his departure, he had a smoke with his father, and consumed the last meal his mother made him before his three day and night journey. Wolf Fang Killer asked his father for last minute advice, but his father simply just passed him the pipe for another smoke. Smoking tobacco before a vision quest was a good offering to the spirits for help in the Unami Tribe.
Wolf Fang Killer kept worrying if he would survive this vision quest presented before him. He was afraid of dying, but excited for the possible experience with his personal sprit animal. He thought about the burial he witnessed the other day of one of the warrior tribal members killed by a black bear. He remembered the shallow grave lined with tree bark and grass mats, and the clay, sculpted pot full of food that gave his tribe brother strength to make the journey to heaven. The Lenape believed the soul of the dead went to live on with the Great Creator, Kishelemukong.
"The dead were laid in a shallow grave lined with tree bark or grass mats. In early times, the arms of the dead person were folded across the chest. The knees were bent so that the legs were close to the body. A clay pot was filled with food and placed in the grave.This food gave the soul of the dead person strength to make the long journey to heaven ("Lenape Lifeways")."
Wolf Fang Killer and the other boys came to the edge of the forest as the festivities cheered them on for their first step into their journey of becoming men. The cold and damp forest floor filled their minds of worry and nervousness. Each one of the boys was wondering if they would meet their spirit animal, and if their spirit guardian would show pity on their journey.
Wolf Fang Killer took the first step into becoming a man.