By Nancy Edwards
One of the oldest Indian tribes to have settled in central Indiana is returning to Conner Prairie for a day of entertaining cultural lessons and energetic dance traditions.
The Lenape Tribe, which planted roots in Anderson, Muncie and Strawtown from 1795 to 1821, is also a part of the Delaware Tribe that originated in Ohio in 1770. One of the leaders of the Delaware Tribe, Chief William Anderson, was born in the mid-1750s in Marietta (formerly Anderson’s Ferry), Penn. to a man of Swedish ancestry named John Anderson and the daughter of Indian Chief Netewatwees. Chief Anderson’s tribe was forced from Ohio by treaty, and he and his family moved to the city in Indiana that is his namesake.
Anderson’s first marriage lasted just a few years until his wife died. His second marriage to an Indian woman named Ahkechlungunaqua produced three children: Sarcoxie, Sosecum, and a daughter, Mekingee, who wed William Conner. After the Treaty of St. Mary’s forced the Lenape and Delaware tribes from Indiana, Conner’s wife and children, along with other tribe members, moved to Oklahoma where the tribe exists today.
Mike Pace, whose great-great-great grandfather is William Conner, is an experienced specialist and interpreter in Conner Prairie’s Lenape Indian Camp, a member of the Lenape Indian Tribe and a former assistant chief. His involvement with the annual “Dance! Lenape Indian Traditions” is something he said he has fun doing.
“Kids enjoy it and teachers get a real thrill,” Pace said.
Guests are welcome to dance alongside the tribe, which will perform traditional dances that show off the women’s fringe on their costumes. Other dances honor veterans and the eagle, a cultural icon.
Education Program Manager for Conner Prairie, Rosie Arnold, said “It’s a great opportunity to see native group that still embrace traditions of the past. They are the first point of contact; their history to Indiana is as much as a part of anyone else’s.”
The Lenape Indian Tribe, which has roots in central Indiana, will bring their cultural and dance traditions to life from 1 to 2 p.m. on Oct. 5 at Conner Prairie Interactive History Park, 13400 Allisonville Rd. Price is included with museum admission ($15 for adults, $14 for seniors at 65 or older and $10 for youth age 2 to 12). For more information, please visit www.connerprairie.org.
