Thread by @RoaminBison

~LENAPE NATIVE HISTORY THREAD~
It wasn’t long ago that NYC was inhabited by the Lenape people, who used the island for trade, oyster cultivation, harvest, political meetings, and more!

Most people are unaware of the island’s pre-colonial history, so here’s a thread with info!

Manhattan itself derives from the Munsee Lenape dialect word ‘manaháhtaan’, with ‘manah’ meaning ‘to gather’, ‘-aht’ meaning ‘bow’, and ‘aan’ acting as a verb stem. Translated as ‘place to gather bows’.

/c

This named was earned for the hickory tree grove that grew on the lower end of the island. The wood of these trees was some of the best for the construction of bows.

Speaking of trees.
/c

Though most people know one of NYC’soldest parks as that of Bowling Green, it was once an important meeting place where Council Fires were held under the Council Elm.Kapsee, Lenape, and other tribes near by wouldcome to trade, talk politics, socialize, and listen to storytellers.

Most famously, the Council Elm was purportedly where the ‘trade’ for Manahatta took place between Chief Seyseys of the Carnasee Lenape and Peter Minuit on May 24th, 1626

Most Americans were taught the Lenape traded it for‘a handful of beads’, but the reality is much different /c

The island was traded for ‘60 guilders’, which has been valued anywhere between $2,000-$14,000 USD in current value. At this point in the island’s history, it was controlled by the Wecquaesgeek of the Wappinger after years of mostly mutual trade between the Dutch and Lenape.

The Hudson River, as it’s known today, facilitated much of initial contact with Europeans and subsequent trade between nations.

The Lenape and Mohican knew of the unique river’s alternate north and south water flows from the tides of the Atlantic./c

As such, it was called ‘the river that flows both ways’ or ‘the river that never stays still’, or Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk in Mohican or Muhheakantuck in Lenape.

Similar loan words like this are common amongst Algonquian languages. /c

Back on land, those from Lower Manhattan are familiar with Pearl Street, but did you know it’s waters were once home to half of the world’s oysters? The Lenape cultivated them in NY Harbour so much so that discarded shells once piled several feet high along the river! /c

The pearls, not exactly good eatin’, were usually discarded if not taken for jewelry or trade, which led to streets being and riverbanks being covered in pearls. As such, the Dutch named the street - which was paved eventually with the help of oyster shells - Pearl Street! /c

Though Cherry Street is famous for housing the cherry tree chopping (a myth!) George Washington, it was once a massive cherry tree grove kept by the Lenape! Sadly, the last of the orchard was swept away-along with Washington’s home- in 1870s to make way for the Brooklyn Bridge /c

Beneath West 3rd Street runs Minetta Creek, which Minetta Street and Lane are named for - but the word likely comes from the Lenape ‘Manetta’, or ‘Manëtu’, an evil underwater serpent who was defeated by the cultural hero Nanapush. /c

This is just a sampling of the history of Manahatta, but I hope it piqued your curiosity to go out and learn more!

My next thread for #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth will be the history of the Forced Migration out of the Lenape homelands of modern NJ and the Hudson Valley.