Lenape Feast
 The Lenape nation has preserved its legacy and traditions for more than 10,000 years, passing them on to Lenape now residing in every corner of this country. The Pennsylvania Lenape Nation consists of approximately 300 members.
Most reside in Pennsylvannia, and New Jersey, but some are dispersed through other parts of the country. They no longer possess their own reservation but continue to maintain the matrilineal tradition, of female elders and a chosen chief, Robert Red Hawk Ruth.
Shelley DePaul, a new Board Member of the Interfaith Center, is an active member of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania. She recently described various traditions and ceremonial practices still treasured and observed by the Lenape people of Pennsylvania. Some holidays that the Lenape people continue to celebrate are the Maple, Midwinter, and Summer Water ceremonies. One of the most important ceremonies is the Meesing, an annual October celebration that ensures a good hunt. There are also specific observances for planting and harvesting of corn.
Most ceremonies consist of stages which guide participants into the spiritual realm. During the first part of the ceremony, members smudge themselves with cedar smoke, using an eagle feather, for cleansing and purifying purposes. This is followed by prayers, relevant stories, and the offering of sacred herbs in the fire. At this time people may ask for healing and give thanks. Often the pipe, containing a mixture of healing herbs and tocacco, will be passed around the the circle. The ceremonies often end with continuous rounds of Rattle Songs and/or dances.
Almost always, the ceremonies are concluded by a time of feast and fellowship, when many symbolic food items are served to honor the spirits of nature. Corn, beans, and squash, the three sisters, are often served. Different main dishes are prepared for specific holidays – in the case of the Meesing ceremony, the main dish is deer.
After years of dispersal and hiding, many Lenape people are returning to their traditions, which offer a way of honoring all our relations and living in balance with creation. For Shelley these traditions have become even more important. She is profoundly moved to witness the sharing of teachings and stories among circles of children and elders during the ceremonies, as they are passed on from generation to generation.
The exhibition “Fulfilling a Prophecy: the Past and the Present of the Lenape of Pennsylvania,” curated by Shelley DePaul, is open to the public at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Antropolgy until July, 2010.
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