King of the Delawares: Teedyuscung, 1700-1763 (Iroquois and Their Neighbors)

Customer Reviews:

King of the Delawares: Teedyuscung.......2000-04-04

Anthony F. C. Wallace, like his father, Paul A. W. Wallace, is an acknowledged authority on the Lenni Lenape, or Delaware, and this book is one of his finest. It tells the story of the enigmatic Teedyuscung fairly, accurately, and (at times) grippingly.

Interestingly, the flow of the book reflects the uneven, back-and-forth fortunes of Teedyuscung and his people in eighteenth century America, which can be somewhat dizzying for some readers. But it is well worth the effort, and the persevering reader will be rewarded.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent resource.......2005-03-18

As a writer of Lenape fiction, I used a number of books for reference material. As a Lenape man who was raised off the reservation, I needed to find information that was not passed on to me as a child.

I highly recommend this book for those who want an idea of our past and our future as a Lenape Nation

The First Book was the Best.......2005-02-26

The Delaware Indians was the first book I read on the Lenape. ("Delawares" was the name given by European colonists to the Lenape people.) After reading many other books on the Lenape, Weslager's work remains the best book on the subject I've read.

As striking as the exemplary research demonstrated in the book is its accessible style. Cleary Weslager took great pains to make the story of the relatively unknown Lenape people available to as wide an audience as possible. The book is a complete history of the Lenape, and its source material is oral traditions carried down by the Lenape, colonial records and writings, and 20th century records and personal narratives as well.

Weslager also describes Lenape customs, ceremonies and beliefs. His description of the Lenape Big House Ceremony is fascinating. Weslager's accounts of the successive betrayals, deceptions and crimes of the European colonists and their American descendants track the disastrous trail of the Lenape from their original homeland to present day Oklahoma. Readers can easily sense that Weslager's sympathies for the Lenape people border on advocacy. Unsurprisingly, Weslager ends the book by describing the Lenape's attempt to receive compensation owed to them by the USA government for over 100 years.

I highly recommend this book and others by Weslager as well.

PERFECT.......2002-04-08

I thought this book was perfect! I had a HUGE paper to write on the Lenni-Lenape/Delaware tribe and I couldn't find much information on them. I found this book, I bought it, I read it, I loved it, I wrote my paper using some information from it, and I got an A+ on my paper. I learned so much from this beautifully written book!

An excellent, well-researched study of Delaware Indians.......1998-11-16

Weslager combines a flair for description with a scholarly tone to produce what is to date the most fair, accurate study of the Delaware Indians, or Lenni Lenape. Using historical, archealogical, anthropological, and ethnohistorical evidence, Weslager provides an almost complete history of this often neglected Indian tribe. This work is a must read for anyone interested in the early history of the mid-Atlantic region.

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Flimfammery!
Awesome Story!
Self Hating Whites are a pain in the . . . .
This book is awesome.

The Red Record
David McCutchen
Manufacturer: Avery
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0895295253

Customer Reviews:

Flimfammery!.......2005-11-10

A "poetic" paraphrase of Rafinesque's early nineteenth century hoax. The so-called "Delaware" or "Lenape" text is a patchwork of words culled from early Moravian missionary sources, strung together without regard for grammar or semantic structure. It's a transparent fraud. The so-called "pictographs" are, likewise, a fabrication of Rafinesque. The eminent scholar of Delaware culture and language, Dr. David Oestreicher, in his lengthy doctoral dissertation, has completely demolished any flicker of a notion that this work has any legitimacy, whatsoever. It was ever unknown to the Delaware Tribe of Indians, now headquartered in Bartlesville, OK; and their council has summarily dismissed it. Every resurrection of this work, as an "authentic" production of the Lenape Indians, constitutes another hoax perpetrated on an unsuspecting public--even if done unintentionally. In the end, this is a just another White Man's fiction, masquerading as an Indian narrative.

Awesome Story!.......2003-04-03

Several years ago I was stuck working in an office, so for some relief after gulping down food at lunch, I retreated to the sanctuary of the local public library just down the street. To my amazement, I discovered a whole range of books on the Native people of the United States. Most of what I had read was negative in nature until finding this book.
I checked it out, brought it home and proceeded to absorb the whole essence of what the author was trying to say. Although it came from the perspective of a descendant of the most recent immigrants;Europeans; nevertheless, it was to me and eye-opening experience. The pictographs are wonderful, the story is magical. It is a pity that I hadn't found it sooner. The story of the Lenape sounds like the whole story of mankind, complete with Creation, floods and evil serpents like the account in Genesis and records of their leaders just as Kings and Chronicles contain in the Holy Bible. I felt a sort of kinship with these people, even though I have never met any Lenape personally and though I am a Christian, I sensed the presence of God in their tale as well.
I live in West Virginia and there is a Petroglyph near to my home that I have visited several times. A Petroglyph is a rock with carvings from some past culture chiseled upon it. The carvings are very similar in nature to the ones in the Red Record so it is quite possible that some of the Shaman of their tribe may have been in my area hundreds of years ago.
All I can say is this book will open your eyes to the rich history and culture of the Native people. I know it will make you want to beat the drums and sing their song.

Self Hating Whites are a pain in the . . . ........1999-11-17

Read jessito's review. What is your problem dude? The book is interesting, the lenni lanape are interesting, but your white bashing is a bummer. Just because you have a problem with your own race doesn't mean you need to "share." Talk to a shrink.

The Delawares are a very interesting people, and their history, particularly their role in the early West of the 1830s and 1840s is not widely known. Its a great book. Ignore Jessitos "white business" and read the book. Dave

This book is awesome........1999-03-11

Scientists and Native Americans argue amongst themselves and each other about if/when/how the Indians reached North America. Much of the so-called debate in the popular press is shallow and insipid.

Here we have the written pictograph record, along with accompanying orally transmitted songs - and translation, of the Lenni Lenape people, known to us white folks as the Delaware (named for some dead white guy). The Lenni Lenape were acknowledged as "grandfathers" among the Lenape family of tribes, known to us white folks as the Algonquian language group, the largest language group of Native Americans in North America.

The Wallum Olum begins with the mythical creation of the world, the entry of evil and strife, and a great flood. Sound familiar?

Then, things get interesting, as the tale takes on a more historical character, discussing a migration, perhaps from somewhere near Lake Baikal, north, until the icy sea is reached.

Lacking a land bridge to "stumble" (as one white guy put it) across, the Lenape set out in boats and explore a beautiful country to the east. When the icy sea freezes over, 10,000 Lenape cross in an arctic night, after a debate on the subject.

They find a North America already populated by humans. They interact with these others as they migrate across the continent - Iroquois, Moundbuilders, others. And as they migrate, they leave a trail of splinter groups of Lenape peoples, Yurok, Wiyot, Salish, Blackfeet, Cree, Cheyenne, Shawnee, Nanticoke, etc.. Finally they reach Delaware and wait a few hundred years to get "discovered" by whites.

Well, I apologize for telling so much of the story, but it is really a fascinating story, and David McCutcheon does a much better job of telling it than I can, so go check it out. In addition to translating the Wallum Olum and including other stories of the Lenni Lenape and other Lenape tribes that illuminate their culture and migration, he also provides plenty of sound analysis tying the story to the various geographical locations I've hinted at.

Book Description

Examining interactions between Native Americans and whites in eighteenth-century Pennsylvania, Jane Merritt traces the emergence of race as the defining difference between these neighbors on the frontier.

Before 1755, Indian and white communities in Pennsylvania shared a certain amount of interdependence. They traded skills and resources and found a common enemy in the colonial authorities, including the powerful Six Nations, who attempted to control them and the land they inhabited. Using innovative research in German Moravian records, among other sources, Merritt explores the cultural practices, social needs, gender dynamics, economic exigencies, and political forces that brought Native Americans and Euramericans together in the first half of the eighteenth century.

But as Merritt demonstrates, the tolerance and even cooperation that once marked relations between Indians and whites collapsed during the Seven Years' War. By the 1760s, as the white population increased, a stronger, nationalist identity emerged among both white and Indian populations, each calling for new territorial and political boundaries to separate their communities. Differences between Indians and whites--whether political, economic, social, religious, or ethnic--became increasingly characterized in racial terms, and the resulting animosity left an enduring legacy in Pennsylvania's colonial history.

Customer Reviews:

A good reference on pre-independence America 1700-1763.......2007-04-09

Jane Merritt gives an inside expose, on the clash of cultures in the Mid-Atlantic frontier(Delaware,Pennsylvania,Virginia etc.). The early relationship between a young Colonel George Washington of England and the Delawares is highlighted. The initial interaction between Washington and the Delawares, was poor. This lead to early military defeats to the French. The dynamics of the 7 years war, which changed the harmony of this region dramatically, is examined.

The odd antagonistic relationship between the Delawares and the Iroquois 6 Nations is analyzed to the fullest. It appears the Iroquois sold Delaware land inappropriately (walking purchase Treaty). You will gain insight into famous chiefs such as Delaware chief Shingas and chief Teedyuscung.

The shrewd business dealings of the European settlers is analyzed. You are made aware how simple semantics could misconstrue entire Treaties and agreements. Overall this book does a good job in clarifying, certain key points, in a very complex period, in American history.

Delaware's Forgotten Folk: The Story of the Moors and Nanticokes

Average customer rating:

Finally Reprinted
Moor roots in North America
Legendary book lives up to expectations

Delaware's Forgotten Folk: The Story of the Moors and Nanticokes
C. A. Weslager
Manufacturer: University of Pennsylvania Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

Book Description

"It is offered not as a textbook nor as a scientific discussion, but merely as reading entertainment founded on the life history, social struggle, and customs of a little-known people."--From the Preface

C. A. Weslager'sDelaware's Forgotten Folk chronicles the history of the Nanticoke Indians and the Cheswold Moors, from John Smith's first encounter with the Nanticokes along the Kuskakarawaok River in 1608, to the struggles faced by these uniquely multiracial communities amid the racial and social tensions of mid-twentieth-century America. It explores the legend surrounding the origin of the two distinct but intricately intertwined groups, focusing on how their uncommon racial heritage--white, black, and Native American--shaped their identity within society and how their traditional culture retained its significance into their present.

Weslager's demonstrated command of available information and his familiarity with the people themselves bespeak his deep respect for the Moor and Nanticoke communities. What began as a curious inquiry into the overlooked peoples of the Delaware River Valley developed into an attentive and thoughtful study of a distinct group of people struggling to remain a cultural community in the face of modern opposition. Originally published in 1943,Delaware's Forgotten Folk endures as one of the fundamental volumes on understanding the life and history of the Nanticoke and Moor peoples.

Customer Reviews:

Finally Reprinted.......2007-07-06

I have been anxious to get a replacement copy of this marvelous book since I misplaced mine in the family. Anyone related to the Ridgeways, Morgans, Morris, Hanzers/Hanzors, Clarks and Wrights should have this book. My mother's family traces back to the Durham Hanzor family tree and Dr. Weslager has shared much of the struggle that many went through regarding their identity in this text. Thanks to Dr. Weslager who did a tremendous piece of work for Native American history in Delaware and for our family by writing this story. I am thrilled that it is available again.

Moor roots in North America.......2007-04-07

For those who do not believe the Moors genesis begins in North America as well as North Africa C.A. Weslager proves this fact. This book tells the story of the plight of a noble people. That was subject to enormous indignIties and injustice. This story sears the mind like a red hot poker. The story is a painful one, but absolutely true for the most part.

C.A. Weslager also mentions the Nanticokes as well as the Croatans, Melungeons, Red Bones, Wesorts, Virginia mix blood bands etc. The fascinating superstitions and folklore of the Moors are mentioned in detail. Weslager even spends a weekend with an amalgamated Moor, and narrates the whole experience to the reader. Weslager lists ancient Moor medicinal remedies, Moor sayings and Moor proverbs. The photographs of Moors and Nanticokes illustrate how their hue has amalgamated over the years. Weslager's "The Delawares a History" would be a great companion. I would also highly recommend "The Huevolution of Sacred Muur Science Past and Present" by Noble Timothy Myers-El

Legendary book lives up to expectations.......2006-11-14

This book provided great insight into the history and culture of the Nanticokes and Moors of Delaware. Weslager really depicts the lifestyles and barriers faced by these proud people. It also demonstrates how Delaware's "race laws" helped to divide and almost eliminate the groups. A must read for people interested in Native American, African American and Delaware history.

Average customer rating:

Incredible! And I don't use that term lightly....
Make time in your summer for this book!
You won't want to put this down!
Prepare To Step Back In Time
I Was Hooked!

Cry Freedom (Winds of Freedom, Book 1)
Marlo Schalesky
Manufacturer: Crossway Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Fiction | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1581341695

Book Description

First a prisoner, now a slave--so far from her heart's cry for freedom.

But nothing threatens Kwelik's dream as much as the whisper of forbidden love and the question of whether she'll be brave enough to stand against the fire of her fears. When the choice comes, will she sacrifice everything to find the freedom of following God... even when He leads her into the flames?

Jonathan Grant fled his privileged English life to forge a new start on the American frontier. Yet the past that he so desperately wants to leave behind continues to haunt him. He searches for meaning through love, through war--and still freedom eludes him.

In a time of hope and betrayal, England and France are fighting on American soil, using the colonists and Indians as their soldiers. Kwelik and Jonathan will be caught up in the conflict; their lives intertwined, then torn apart...

All in the search for freedom

Customer Reviews:

Incredible! And I don't use that term lightly...........2004-01-12

What can I say about this book? It's so awesome...I almost can't describe it. When I started reading it in the beginning, I wasn't too excited. I thought it was going to be another one of those pointless "Christian" romance novels where the girl believes in God but never even thinks about Him until the very end when she's got the guy, who she managed somehow to convert, and then they both sappily thank God. But this was so different. The love story, while still there, melted into the background of Kwelik's extreme faith. I also love the fact that she doesn't do Christian platitudes...like,"Oh yeah, I'm going through all this horrible stuff, but the Lord will take care of it" Don't get me wrong, the Lord does get you through unimaginable things, but in the mean time, it still hurts. You can really feel Kwelik's agony and torment, but she still trusts in God. I also love the part about White Wolf. It really shows just how much bitterness and unforgiveness can completely change who you are inside, until you're someone no one can recognize. This book is fantastic!

Make time in your summer for this book!.......2001-06-13

This is an incredibly well-written book that is nearly impossible to put down. The author magically transports you through time and makes you truly feel you are a part of that time and place (which is a trick when you live in the desert). I am very glad this is part of a series. I can't wait to read more from this talented author.

You won't want to put this down!.......2001-05-18

Wow,this was a great book. I'm eagerly waiting the next in the series. Marlo crafted a fantastic story interweaving history and religion into a powerful prose. I could not put the book down. Her artistry reminds me of Mitchner. I enjoyed this so much I bought another and donated it to the library. ~ Hurry up with the next book!!

Prepare To Step Back In Time.......2001-05-11

Schalesky writes with such powerful prose that the reader not only believes the story, we are swept back in time to the early 1700's to experience it. What is the cry for freedom in a land that we today take for granted? What is the cry for freedom that every person feels within their life on a spiritual level? Schalesky weaves these questions into a story of historical accuracy and with characters who live and breath upon the page. As both a historical fiction and contemporary fiction reader, I will definitely return to Schalesky's books again and again. A reminder of our nation's foundation and with insights that touch us today -- a definite must read!

I Was Hooked!.......2000-09-28

I really enjoyed Cry Freedom. I do not have much time to read but once I started this great book I couldn't put it down. I was instantly drawn to the characters and the excitement of the story. I appreciate the authors ability to bring the past to life with such historical accuracy. I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK IN THE SERIES!

The Grandfathers Speak: Native American Folk Tales of the Lenape People (International Folk Tale Series)

Average customer rating:

excellent resource
Wonderful Book!

The Grandfathers Speak: Native American Folk Tales of the Lenape People (International Folk Tale Series)
Hitakonanu'Laxk
Manufacturer: Interlink Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Fairy Tales | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1566561280

Customer Reviews:

excellent resource.......2007-05-07

This is an excellent resource for persons who are interested in the Lenape (Delaware) Indian people. The stories are clear and have the use of the Lenape language.

Wonderful Book!.......2007-04-28

My husband is one quarter Lenape and three quarters German. He grew up hearing a few stories from his Grandmother but she didn't know a lot of her own people's history. He's always been interested in knowing more about his heritage. We moved to New Jersey, near the Raritan River and imagine our suprise when we realized that he'd moved very near to one of the places his people once lived in. I got him this book for Christmas and we LOVED it. We read about Rainbow Crow and Nanapush. He read to me every night in bed, the stories of his people. We found much to be sad over but much more to be joyful for. Whenever we see a Crow now, we smile and we look at eacother. This is a highly recommended book for anyone interested in the history and stories of the Lenape People.

William Penn's Own Account of the Lenni Lenape or Delaware Indians

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Core Historical Document on Lenni Lenape Indians

William Penn's Own Account of the Lenni Lenape or Delaware Indians
Albert Myers
Manufacturer: Middle Atlantic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0912608137

Customer Reviews:

Core Historical Document on Lenni Lenape Indians.......2004-07-28

This is a core document concerning the Lenni Lenape (Delaware) Indians in that it was written by a known, astute observer during the time that they were still practicing their ancient customs. It consists mainly of a lengthy account including details of crafts, housing, customs, religion, governance, etc. His view of these Native Americans was quite positive. Also included are various treaties and letters that reflect on the Lenape. A forward and introduction establish the context of the document for the modern reader. As would be expected, the account includes some statements that are silly or objectionable to modern ears (such as a suggestion that they might be one of the tribes of Israel).

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The Delaware Indians a History
C. A. Weslager
Manufacturer: Rutgers University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O583LY

History, Manners, and Customs of the Indian Nations Who Once Inhabited Pennsylvania and the Neighboring States. (Eastern Europe Collection)

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A Christian perspective on the Delaware People

History, Manners, and Customs of the Indian Nations Who Once Inhabited Pennsylvania and the Neighboring States. (Eastern Europe Collection)
John Heckewelder
Manufacturer: Arno Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

William Penn's Own Account of the Lenni Lenape or Delaware Indians

ASIN: 0405028539

Customer Reviews:

A Christian perspective on the Delaware People.......2002-02-07

This excellent book gives a keen insight into the lives of the Delaware People. As a missionary to the American Indians in the early 1700's, John Heckewelder set to understanding these people inorder to bring to them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This book was actually written to his supporters not only for them to understand what he was doing, but also to train other missionaries before sending them into the wilderness. With clear descriptions and an almost overwhelming amount of understandable detail, Mr. Heckewelder brings to life the People whom he loved and understood. It is a great resource for novelists with not only the descriptions of everyday life as well as special situations or celebrations, but he also adds in the back a vocabulary and phrase listing that is most helpful. He covers every part of their lives~ food, marriage, birth and death and every thing in between With his understanding of The People, and the way they think, he has brought to light many of the reasons behind the wars between the whites and Indians for the generations that followed. If only the men of his time had tried to understand The People as he did, perhaps many a death would have been avoided. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the TRUTH about how the Deleware People lived in the 1700's.

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