Honoring Lenape history during Native American Heritage Month

November 19, 2024| Arts & Culture, Community, People

By: Mia Shaw

November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate and honor the rich cultures, traditions, histories, and contributions of indigenous peoples. This month, we’re reflecting on the Native origins of our own Lake Hopatcong. While many territories have existed and overlapped across this region, New Jersey was primarily home to the Lenape. The name "Lenape" is often interpreted as "ordinary people" or "real people."

The indigenous people who settled in the Lake Hopatcong area thrived in a landscape shaped by ancient glaciers. It is believed that the name Hopatcong is derived from the word “Hapakonoesson,” meaning pipestone. While it is impossible to know the context in which the Lenape used this term, it may have referred to the soft stone found in the area or the lake’s jagged shoreline.

As early as 10,000 B.C., the Lenape established hunter-gatherer communities on what we now know as Halsey and Raccoon Islands. They often settled near water, relying on abundant fish and wildlife to sustain their tribes. Not much is known about the Lenape as they had no written history beyond pictographs carved in stone. Our understanding of their culture comes from archaeological studies of artifacts and natural clues, as well as early explorers’ and settlers’ accounts from the 1600s and 1700s. You can learn more in this article by archaeologist and author John Kraft.

The Lenape way of life changed drastically with the arrival of European settlers. Initially centered on trade, their relationship with settlers was later marred by disease and territorial disputes, which devastated the Lenape population. A detailed account of the relationship between the Lenape and European settlers can be found here.

Although the Lenape are no longer prominent around Lake Hopatcong—many having migrated north to Canada or westward—descendants still reside in parts of the Northeast, including New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. To connect with the Lenape in the region, you can explore their state tribal websites: New Jersey  ǀ  Pennsylvania  ǀ  Delaware. Today, Lenape tribal members actively preserve their cultural practices and traditions, offering educational resources and hosting events that invite community participation and learning.

Thank you to the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum for their support in creating this article. The museum features a Lenape exhibit, which visitors can view during scheduled open hours.

Water scene image courtesy of Herbert C. and John T. Kraft