Written by Chris Bowser (NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and NYS Water Resources Institute) and Ben Maracle (NYS Water Resources Institute)
Originally published in New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson RiverNet Newsletter
The Hudson River Estuary Management Program hopes to honor the Indigenous communities of the Delaware Nation, Delaware Nation Moravian of the Thames, Delaware Tribe of Indians, Munsee-Delaware Nation, and Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians by co-creating engaging programs of shared learning, and committing resources for longer term partnerships. These Indigenous communities, violently dispossessed and displaced far from their homelands, are building bridges to Lenapehoking, their homelands in what is now known as the Hudson Valley, through a number of dynamic programs of their own.
At the Norrie Point Environmental Center, we have been honored to learn alongside the Lenni Lenapexkweyok for the past two summers. The Lenni Lenapexkweyok is an organization of Lenape matriarchs from the five federally recognized Lenape Nations who "organize multiple annual trips back home for our people, with special attention to the matriarchs and youth in our communities. Our trips are focused on land and water stewardship, culture, language, stories, healing, education, building relationships, and ceremony.”
These trips included shared learning experiences while exploring Mahicannituck, the Hudson River, through seining for fish and canoeing tidal marshes full of traditionally important flora and fauna. We saw beavers and their lodges and even some wild rice while canoeing the tidal marshes. We got close to hold turtles and eels in the Norrie Point Environmental Center, viewed the magnificent Valley from the Mohonk Mountain House, and learned a lot from local experts. One superb fishing moment came while seining with Quinn and his mom Sam, members of the Lenni Lenapexkweyok organization. As the net came to shore, we noticed a toothpick-sized Atlantic needlefish, a rarity in the upper Hudson River.
It’s more than experiencing Mahicannituck together, it’s connecting cultures through stories, crafts, shared meals, and productive dialogue about state and tribal relationships.
"Long term, we intend to get land back, which will enable us to protect the local ecology, restore Lenape’s ability to be home in their own lands, create a safe space for Lenape women and femmes, educate the local communities, honor our right to land-based culture, and help to heal a five century long wound."
Our hope is to continue supporting our partners, co-create programs around reciprocity, and build resources so these opportunities continue as we learn about the Hudson River together.
Quoted sections are from the Lenni Lenapexkweyok Organization website.
This engagement was made possible in part due to support from the NYS Environmental Protection Fund.
