Honoring Heritage, Protecting Coasts, Sharing Stewardship

Members of the Lenni-Lenape tribe, with Littoral Society staff and R-Corps members.

November is National Native American Heritage Month, and we at the American Littoral Society are honoring the original stewards of our coasts by highlighting the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape people and the ways they continue to keep their culture alive today. ​

The Lenni-Lenape—whose name is generally translated as “Original People”—have a history in this region dating back more than 10,000 years. Long before European colonization, they lived in small, semi-permanent villages along rivers and coasts, including the Delaware Bay and its tributaries, where they fished, hunted, and farmed. Their communities in what is now New Jersey included three main groups, the southernmost of which were the Unami (“People Down River”) and the Unalachtigo (“People Who Live Near the Ocean”). 

In the 1600s, the Nanticoke—known as the “Tidewater People”—began migrating from Maryland and Delaware to the Delaware River region, eventually uniting with Lenape who remained in the area. By the 18th century, many Lenape had been pushed westward into Pennsylvania, Ohio, and beyond. 

Given the meaning of their names, it is clear that the Delaware River watershed—including its tributaries and the bay—has always been central to their cultural identity. The descendants who remained or returned to New Jersey are citizens of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation, and many of them work to preserve their culture and continue advocating for tribal recognition. The Littoral Society is proud to partner with the Nation to help protect South Jersey’s waterways and the communities that depend on them. 

To highlight this month, we spoke with one of our partners, Charlene Johnson, Cultural Retention Chairperson and a proud citizen of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation. For the past decade, the Society has worked with Charlene and other tribal members through environmental education programs, and we are honored to share her perspective. 

How do you feel about Native American Heritage Month? 
National American Indian Heritage Month has been observed in the United States for 35 years. As the cultural retention chairperson of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation, I feel this has been a step in the right direction. Collectively, Indigenous people experience historical trauma rooted in systemic racism over several centuries. We, as a community, continue to work toward healing by maintaining our cultural identity and practices while balancing the reality of living in today’s American society. 
 
What can conservation organizations learn from Lenape values and practices? How can nonprofits like ours better honor your knowledge when restoring habitats or managing coastal areas? 
We assist with developing land acknowledgements and have a version on our website for public use. Land acknowledgements have long been a tradition among Indigenous people whenever they enter the ancestral lands of another tribal nation. This has become a trend among organizations in recent years, but few go beyond recognition to offer meaningful action. 
 
For the last 10 years, Zach Nickerson from the American Littoral Society has done just that. He has facilitated activities with our youth group during tribal meetings, staffed information tables at powwows, and, for many years, worked as the sole facilitator of conservation lessons at our youth summer camp. Our relationship has naturally developed over time because we share the same values around environmental conservation. 

What is the goal of the summer camp you help run? 
The purpose of our summer youth camp is to impart cultural lessons that help students understand who they are as Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape people. This includes dance lessons, growing food, crafting, and learning our roles and responsibilities to our community and environment. A special moment for me was seeing one of our former campers return as a member of the [Littoral Society’s] R-Corp crew—I was so proud. 
 

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In 2024, Zach and I coordinated an off-site excursion to Cook’s Beach in Middle Township. The R-Corp crew set up stations on scavenger hunts, reef restoration, and seining. Earlier in the week, one of our tribal artists and youth educators, Denise Ashton-Dunkley, taught the campers how to make traditional nets. Many brought them to use that day and continue to use them. 
 
These are just a few examples of how the seeds we plant in our youth keep our culture alive. This is essential to thriving as an interconnected community and honoring the legacy and resilience of our ancestors. 
 
The summer camp is also a highlight for the Littoral Society’s Delaware Bay Restoration Corps. Our crew members return each year for real-world environmental education experience—designing lessons, leading activities, and learning from the campers in the process.  

How can the public celebrate and support Lenape heritage beyond National American Indian Heritage Month? 
As the resident Native community in South Jersey, we are in high demand for programming in schools, colleges, churches, libraries, and historical societies each November. The best way to learn about our community, though, is to attend our annual Strawberry Moon Powwow. It is held on the first weekend of June at the Cumberland County Fairgrounds. There you will be immersed in our culture with food, dancing, drumming, mostly Native vendors, and, of course, our people. 
 
The annual Powwow is an extraordinary event. Tribal members gather from many locations to participate in traditional dances held at the center of the fairgrounds. These sacred events are among the clearest demonstrations that Native culture and traditions remain vibrant and cherished.  
 
Attendees not only experience the beautiful regalia worn during different dance styles but also have opportunities to speak with Littoral Society staff, who host an informational table each year. 
 
We are deeply grateful to Charlene for her partnership and insights. 

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