First People

​The Lenni Lenape are the descendants of those first people in what is now New Jersey.

Archaeological research on the Trent House grounds has uncovered artifacts of Native American life here from as long ago as 6,000 years as well as after European colonization. Some of these artifacts are on display at the Visitor Center. ADD TO SIDEBAR LINK TO CATALOGIT ​

Reports from archaeological invesitagations at the Trent House are available. Inquiries about access to the artifacts should be sent to [email protected]

​The Lenni Lenape are the descendants of those first people in what is now New Jersey. The Trent House Museum in
partnership with tribal members of the Nanticoke Lenni Lenape Tribe and the Nanticoke Indian Tribe of Delaware is
engaged in a long-term effort to research and present information on this rich history and contemporary issues. ADD
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​The Lenape were not immune to the long and difficult story of forced displacement and removal during European colonization and territorial expansion. While there are several Lenape or Delaware tribal communities in the Midwest and Canada, some continue to reside in the state of New Jersey. Three tribal nations have been recognized by the State of New Jersey: Ramapough Lenape, Powhatan Renape, and Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape. Representatives of these nations serve on the New Jersey Commission on American Indian Affairs.

DECSRIPTION OF LONG TERM EXHIBITS AT THE NJ STATE MUSEUM Museum Website

Explore First People

The People of Turtle Island

Humans first reached the east coast of North America around 12,000 years ago. Their descendants who lived in what became New Jersey were the Lenni-Lenape. Lenni-Lenape translates to "we, the people," The land on which the Trent House was built is part of the traditional territory of the Lenni-Lenape, called “Lenapehoking.”

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Indigenous people in New Jersey began to garden about 900 CE (Common Era). They grew corn, beans, squash, and harvested wild berries and fruits. The Lenape had knowledge of healing plants and used them to treat ailments. They hunted and fished, as well.

The Lenape society was matrilineal. Lineage was traced through the mother's side and clan affiliation was determined by the mother. When they got married, Lenape were expected to marry outside of their clan, and husbands lived with their wives' families. Lenape lived in small villages organized by clan and lived communally in wooden longhouses.

​Based on European accounts, the Lenape were tall and healthy. They often adorned themselves with body paint and tattoos. They wore clothes made out of skin and fur.

The spiritual beliefs of ancient Lenape cannot be completely verified. According to oral tradition passed down through many generations, they believed that the world was made by a creator and that everything in creation had a spirit--good or bad. Like some other indigenous American groups, their creation story was that the land they lived on was created on the back of a turtle in the midst of the sea, given the name “Turtle Island.”

SOURCES:

The Lenape: Archaeology, History, and Ethnography Hardcover - January 1, 1986 - by Herbert C. Kraft

Lenape Country: Delaware Valley Society Before William Penn (Early American Studies) Paperback - May 11, 2016 by Jean R. Soderlund

Contact With Early Colonists

European fur traders encountered Native Americans in New Jersey around the year 1600. Archaeological evidence and written history show that the two groups of people exchanged goods. Native Americans traded pelts and other goods for European objects such as glass beads, metal tools, and alcohol.

SIDEBAR: Copper ornaments and a glass bead were found during archaeological excavations on the Trent House property. They suggest that Europeans and Lenape may have engaged in trade here. SHOW IMAGES

Later Europeans came with the goal of creating permanent settlements. The first colonists were the Dutch, followed by Swedes and Finns, then the Germans and English. Sometimes, the colonists purchased land from Native Americans, though they paid small amounts of European money or objects. These "purchases" disregarded the fact that the Lenape believed all land belonged to all people and living things. The Lenape believed these purchases were agreements to share the land with the Europeans.

SOURCES:

Separate Paths: Lenapes and Colonists in West New Jersey (CERES: Rutgers Studies in History) Paperback – July 15, 2022 by Jean R. Soderlund

Disposession & Diaspora

​By the early 1700s, some Lenape were being pressured to leave the colony of New Jersey to find new homes in the west while others assimilated into European culture. Those that stayed in New Jersey resented the colonization of their homeland and raided European settlements during the French and Indian War (1754-1763).

William Trent, the youngest son of the founder of Trenton, organized a militia to defend British interests in the northwest territory known as the Ohio country. Accounts of his interactions with the native people of the area are included in two books by Jason Cherry, “Pittsburgh’s Lost Outpost: Captain Trent’s Fort” (2016) and “William Trent: Factor of Ambition” (2024).

In 1756, a colonial commission on Indian affairs was created with the goal of resolving conflicts. In 1758, a peace conference was held and some Lenape were paid for their land while even more Lenape groups made the difficult choice to leave their homes to go westward. The colonial New Jersey government also created the first Indian reservation in 1758. Some of the Lenape were relocated to the Brotherton reservation, located in what is now Indian Mills in Burlington County, New Jersey. The reservation failed as the land was not productive and the Lenape continued to be harassed by colonists.

Tribal Nations Today

Some Lenape people remain in their ancestral lands today. Those who joined other tribes had to move again as white settlers expanded westward. Regardless of where they originated or finally settled, Native Americans across the country continued to be oppressed by colonial and then federal expansion and only gained citizenship in 1924.

In 1982, the New Jersey government acknowledged the Powhatan Renape, Ramapough Lenape, and Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape tribes. Subsequently, state recognition was dropped during the Christie administration. In 2017, the Nanticoke sued the state to regain their recognition. In 2018 and 2019, the NJ state Attorney General officially recognized the existence of the Ramapough Lenape, Powhatan Renape, and Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape nations. This state recognition qualifies the tribes for all state and federal benefits and rights.

Want to Learn More?

Explore our other stories:

Colonial Trenton

Contact With Early Colonizers

Tribal Nations Today

TRENTON MAKES

Trent House's neighbors

Becoming the museum