By: Ty “Dancing Wolf” Ellis, RNJCC Strategic Advisor
Lenapehoking is what the Lenape traditionally & currently still call these lands; a territory in which New Jersey is the only state that is entirely within (next to the partial inclusion of Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New York).
With generations of forced erasures of culture and the removal of a large bulk of Lenape people from these lands, there are now descendants of those who have been forcibly removed from their homelands; some in which long to return home. Likewise, there are descendants of those who chose to remain at the expense of forfeiting a lot of their identity, practicing our language and traditions in secret, as prior to 1978, it was illegal for any Indigenous community to have Religious Freedom.
This was less than half a century ago. Today, we still face adversities and both direct & indirect negative affects from the disservices that our Lenape communities faced.
With that being said, we are hopefully stepping in a new age of respect for Indigenous People. We are being properly represented in media. We are getting spotlights and recognition in political spaces. We are being looked to for guidance in our own homelands. Yes, there is quite a ways to go, but looking back on my still short life, and recalling the stories told to me by my grandmother, elders, and Chiefs of our community; we’ve come a very long way.
There are tragedies that most times aren’t told in history books, or taught at schools. There are many issues that our communities face that are directly linked to the oppression embedded into our very existence.
And though, it is extremely important to correct the history, and acknowledge the past for what it is, it is just as important, if not more important, to LEARN from these histories for a promising future.
Many Indigenous Communities have adopted the responsibility of Seven Generations. We are currently responsible for Seven Generations. In some cultures, that means three before you, your own, and three after. Others, it means those that come after. The common theme in whichever way this is interpreted, WE as a whole are responsible for the future of our children, and their children, and to children we will never meet. And WE were once (and still are) the responsibility of a number of generations before.
A lot of states are celebrating 250 years this year. For multiple centuries, these lands have become home to many. And regardless of background, ethnicity, and beliefs, we are all responsible for the condition of Lenapehoking! As individuals, we should all make the conscious decision to make these lands better. Always do more for the community than it does for you. And by community, I don’t just mean People.
We share these lands with many species; many of our conscious relatives; many of earthly relatives. But, we aren’t doing our part to maintain balance. We aren’t being active enough to keep our waterways free of pollutants. We aren’t being mindful of the pesticides we utilize that poison small animals, which eventually leads to the poisoning of their direct food chain.
We’ve forgotten our place within Creation.
If you take care of the Trees, the Trees will take care of you.
Lenapehoking is our responsibility to restore.
These lands are now home to all of us.
Let’s remember to respect the environment.
And let’s begin this long journey of Rewilding our home.
Let’s get wild New Jersey!
For more on this Community Blog author, visit our Leadership page.
Photo Credit: Historical Society of West Windsor
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