Native Americans

Their Clothing
The Native Americans of Delaware where the Lenni-Lenapes. Lenape women wore knee-length skirts. Lenape men wore breechcloths and leggings. Shirts were not necessary in the Lenape culture, but the Lenapes did wear deerskin mantles when the weather was cool. Both genders wore earrings and deerskin moccasins on their feet. In colonial times, the Lenapes adapted European costume such as cloth blouses and jackets, decorating them with fancy beadwork. Here are some pictures of Lenni Lenape clothing, and some photos and links about Native American clothing in general.

Men's and women's roles
Lenape men were hunters and sometimes went to war to protect their families. Lenape women were farmers and also did most of the child care and cooking. Both genders took part in storytelling, artwork and music, and traditional medicine. In the past, Lenape chiefs were always men, but today a Delaware Indian woman could be chief too.

Where they lived
The Lenni Lenapes were original people of the mid-Atlantic area: New Jersey, Delaware, and parts of New York and Pennsylvania. Most Lenape Indians were driven out of their homeland by the British. Here is a partial map of the forced travels of the Lenape Indians. The Americans eventually relocated them to Oklahoma, where the modern Delaware Indian tribes are located today. Other Lenape people joined the Nanticoke or Munsee Delawares. There are also some small Lenne Lenape communities remaining in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.