Lenni Lenape Lands

Some of the areas on campus like the Cedar Bog seem little-changed from the days when the Lenni Lenape lived in the area.
Some of the areas on campus like the Cedar Bog seem little-changed from the days when the Lenni Lenape lived in the area.
Some of the classes at Stockton explore the cultural heritage of the Lenni Lenape people, as well as the geology and biology of the Pine Barrens.
Some of the classes at Stockton explore the cultural heritage of the Lenni Lenape people, as well as the geology and biology of the Pine Barrens.
Walking through the woods on campus, one can imagine the pristine lands on which the Lenni Lenape lived.
Walking through the woods on campus, one can imagine the pristine lands on which the Lenni Lenape lived.

The South Jersey area is the ancestral home of the Lenni Lenape American Indian tribe. Before the Stockton campus and its instructional sites, before Saw Mill Ponds, Inc., before the cranberry industry, and before the sawmill, Lenni Lenape inhabited the region for more than 10,000 years. The Lenni Lenape are held to be the earliest native tribe in the northeastern United States. Their tribal name is translated as "Original People."

When European settlers arrived in the area, they made treaties with Lenni Lenape elders, many of whom did not comprehend that they were giving up their rights to the lands permanently, as ownership of land was not practiced by native peoples. For example, Nacote Creek - where Stockton鈥檚 Coastal Research Center and Marine Field Station are now located - was transferred by three Lenni Lenape persons in 1710 for the price of three coats, rum, bread, flour, and two pounds of currants. Land disputes resulted in the tragic removal of native peoples, including the Lenni Lenape, from their homes to reservations, like the one in Brotherton, New Jersey (1758-1802) and to others in the western United States.

Today, Lenni Lenape tribal members still live in South Jersey, and further evidence of their original stewardship of the land is seen in place names, like Nacote Creek, Manahawkin, and Absegami Island, where Atlantic City is located.

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