Woodland Indians Forum

HE! Friend,

                              I got to know Bob Wills and his Sunrise Trading Post many years ago. I purchased a few items from him over the years-  Nothing lately.

                                I don't remember our discussing Lenape History, culture, etc.  So I am not sure of his knowledge in this area.   Might be worthwhile for someone to attend his talk and see how well he knows  the Lenape.

                                                                  Wanishi!
                                                                                     MaryEllen

I might try to make it out to that, it's not "too far" from me.

Thank you!

I wanted to go but it was pouring rain that day but decided not to. I didn't want to drown, that site is notorious for the river overflowing.

Good thing nobody travelled for this one.  LOL!

http://www.bergencountyhistory.org/Page … rrentEvent

EVENT: RESCHEDULED DUE TO STORM
TO APRIL 18.
History Café . Lenape New Year
Sunday, April 18, 2010 - 1:00 to 4:00 pm

The Bergen County Historical Society celebrates the Lenape New Year, Chwame
gischuch, with a History Café from 1 to 4 PM on Sunday, April 18, 2010, at
Historic New Bridge Landing, 1201-1209 Main Street, River Edge 07661 Join us
for refreshments and a lively historical presentation as Bob Wills, of the
Sunrise Trading Post, shares his knowledge of Lenape foods, herbs and
customs, showing and selling traditional trade items representative of the
Contact Period. Reproduction items for sale include real quahog shell
wampum, hair pipes (originally ornamental bone tubes manufactured from bird
bones, but which the Dutch traders made from cattle bones), medicine bags,
clay pipes, tomahawks, thimbles, mirrors, cloth, deerskin, knives, gorgets,
and books. This year's celebration will include a special exhibit of rare
native artifacts from the collections of the Bergen County Historical
Society, including pottery, stone and bone tools, found throughout Bergen
County over the past several centuries. The Historical Society's Dugout
Canoe, unearthed in Hackensack in 1868, will also be exhibited, along with
Hungarian sculptor John Ettl's famous 1921 bronze bust of Oratam, Sachem of
the Hackensacks. Author and historian Kevin Wright will be available to talk
to about the Indigenous People of Bergen County.

Suggested donation: $7 adult, $5 children, BCHS members free. For info,
visit www.bergencountyhistory.org or call 201-343-9492

The first Dark Moon after the Long Moon marks the arrival of Chwame
gischuch, the Shad Moon, and the New Year of the ancient Sanhicans and
Minisinks, locally known as the Hackensacks and Tappans. Native peoples
returned from their winter villages, gathering at the narrows of the great
streams, in places such as Acquackanonck (Garfield) and Aschatking (New
Bridge), to set their fykes and weirs and catch smelt and later shad as
these fish ran up the rivers in great numbers.


Takes place at Historic New Bridge Landing,
1201-1209 Main St, River Edge, NJ.

At least perhaps here, information won't evaporate into the blue nowhere. Possibly, baring misfortune.

ramapoughnative wrote:

i've seen this one..
http://www.lutins.org/weir/

A pretty good article, except for their description of how the fish-dam was used:

"...the primary method employed in their use was not to chase fish into the upstream-facing side of the structure, but rather to wait for spawning runs to conduct large quantities of fish against the downstream side."

This is just "ass-backwards"--a rather bizarre interpretation!

sschkaak wrote:

ramapoughnative wrote:

i've seen this one..
http://www.lutins.org/weir/

A pretty good article, except for their description of how the fish-dam was used:

"...the primary method employed in their use was not to chase fish into the upstream-facing side of the structure, but rather to wait for spawning runs to conduct large quantities of fish against the downstream side."

This is just "ass-backwards"--a rather bizarre interpretation!

Here, from a Moravian source, is the proper way these fish-dams
("achkwonikan") were employed by the Lenape:

   "There is a particular manner of fishing, which is undertaken in parties,
as many hands are wanted, in the following manner:  When the Shad-fish
(clupea alufa) come up the rivers, the Indians run a dam of stones across
the stream, where its depth will admit of it, not in a strait line, but in
two parts, verging towards each other in an angle.  An opening is left in
the middle for the water to run off.  At this opening they place a large
box, the bottom of which is full of holes.  They then make a rope of the
twigs of the wild vine, reaching across the stream, upon which boughs of
about six feet in length are fastened at the distance of about two fathoms
from each other.  A party is detached about a mile above the dam with this
rope and its appendages, who begin to move gently down the current, some
guiding one, some the opposite end, whilst others keep the branches from
sinking by supporting the rope in the middle with wooden forks.  Thus they
proceed, frightening the fishes into the opening left in the middle of the
dam, where a number of Indians are placed on each side, who standing upon
the two legs of the angles, drive the fishes with poles, and an hideous
noise, through the opening into the above-mentioned box or chest.  Here they
lie, the water running off through the holes in the bottom, and other
Indians stationed on each side of the chest, take them out, kill them and
fill their canoes.  By this contrivance they sometimes catch above a
thousand shad and other fish in half a day."

-Loskiel, George Henry, History of the Mission of the United Brethren among
the Indians in North America, tr. from the German by Christian Ignatius
LaTrobe, London (1794), Volume I, page 95.

Last edited by sschkaak (Apr-07-2010 04:36:pm)

Oh that's so awesome,   Tokipahkino.

So, were the shad going up river to spawn?

The shad spends most of its life at sea, but swims up fresh rivers to spawn. The fish survive breeding and can return to the sea; they do not inhabit fresh water except to spawn.

Oh, okay, very interesting!

I've seen bass lay their eggs in the Brazos river.  Really neat to see. They make little round "beds" to lay their eggs in.