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Land Acknowledgment for Rewilding School School-Age & Adult Programs


 

Croton Point Park - Croton-on-Hudson - Munsee Lenape

 

We strive to include Indigenous Facilitators in ways that are appropriate and as respectful as possible in accordance with our Practice of Allyship. We honor and recognize the countless sacrifices made by our Indigenous Hosts of the Munsee Lenape Tribe so that we may live in the privilege we do. We have committed to putting our privilege to use by sharing knowledge and love for the Indigenous People, plants, and creatures of this stolen land. The Indigenous People of this land go by the name Munsee Lenape and speak the eastern-Algonquian dialect of the Lunaape language (aka Munsee or Delaware or Munsee-Delaware). There are 3,500 members of this nation, 1 first-language speaker left, and less than 100 second-language speakers left. Their homeland includes The Hudson River, East River, Upper New York Bay, reservoirs, lakes, small mountains like Turkey Mountain, deciduous and coniferous forests. All home to creatures like Bald Eagles, Crows, Blue Crabs, Sturgeon, Chipmunks, and Squirrels. The Lenape called themselves 'Lenni-Lenape' which is translated to mean 'original people'. From the early 1600s, the European settlers called the Lenape people 'Delaware Indians', although there was never a single tribe called either Delaware or Lenape. The Lenape had three clans - Wolf, Turtle, and Turkey. It is thought that the three clans correspond to the three tribes, with the Turtle forming the Unami, the Wolf forming the Munsee, and the Turkey forming the Unalachtigo.


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Brinton Brook Sanctuary - Croton-on-Hudson - Munsee Lenape

 

We strive to include Indigenous Facilitators in ways that are appropriate and as respectful as possible in accordance with our Practice of Allyship. We honor and recognize the countless sacrifices made by our Indigenous Hosts of the Munsee LenapeTribe so that we may live in the privilege we do. We have committed to putting our privilege to use by sharing knowledge and love for the Indigenous People, plants, and creatures of this stolen land. The Indigenous People of this land go by the name Munsee Lenape and speak the eastern-Algonquian dialect of the Lunaape language Huluníixsuwaakan (aka Munsee or Delaware or Munsee-Delaware). There are 3,500 members of this nation, 1 first-language speaker left and less than 100 second-language speakers left. Their homeland includes The Hudson River, East River, Upper New York Bay, small mountains like Turkey Mountain, deciduous and coniferous forests. All home to creatures like White-Tailed Deer, Eastern Chipmunks, Gray Squirrels, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-Tailed Hawks, and Garter Snakes. The Lenape called themselves 'Lenni-Lenape' which is translated to mean 'original people'. From the early 1600s, the European settlers called the Lenape people 'Delaware Indians', although there was never a single tribe called either Delaware or Lenape. The Lenape had three clans - Wolf, Turtle, and Turkey. It is thought that the three clans correspond to the three tribes, with the Turtle forming the Unami, the Wolf forming the Munsee, and the Turkey forming the Unalachtigo.


 

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Marsh Sanctuary - Mount Kisco - Wappinger

 

We strive to include Indigenous Facilitators in ways that are appropriate and as respectful as possible in accordance with our Practice of Allyship. We honor and recognize the countless sacrifices made by our Indigenous Hosts of the Wappinger Tribe so that we may live in the privilege we do. We have committed to putting our privilege to use by sharing knowledge and love for the Indigenous People, plants, and creatures of his stolen land. The Indigenous People of this land go by the name Wappinger and speak the eastern-Algonquian dialect of the Lenape-Munsee language. The general term "Mohican" has been used to refer not only to the Mahicans and their kin the Wappingers, but also to six or seven other Indian tribes lumped together as Mohegans by early colonists. There are 2,500 members of this nation and less than 10 speakers left. Their homeland includes The Hudson River, Long Island Sound, reservoirs, lakes, small mountains like Turkey Mountain, deciduous and coniferous forests. All home to creatures like White-Tailed Deer, Wild Turkeys, Snapping Turtles, Green Heron, Great Blue Heron, Red Tailed Hawk. Culturally Wappinger people are Lenape People (aka Delaware Indians). "Wappinger" means "easterner" in most Algonquian languages. Spiritually, they consider all living beings as relatives. River waters, the land, mountains, the sky and all living things have sacred spirits which are acknowledged and respected. Many of the Wappinger and Lenape rituals, rites of passage, ceremonies and food hunts were and are directly tied to honoring and interacting with these spirits for the benefit of the entire community. Acknowledging the seasons and the bountiful production of nature, especially food-giving animals and plants, was and is central to their customs.

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Brinton Brook - Croton - Munsee Lenape

 

“Native people have always lived here on the land where our country is built, which we call the United States. The Munsee Lenape tribe is from the land where we have Forest School and they call this continent Turtle Island. A person from the Munsee Lenape Tribe might drink sassafras tea. Today we can find sassafras plants in the forest and make tea! Let’s say ‘Thank you’ in English, then in the Lenape language! ‘Thank you!’ ‘Wanìshi!’"


 

Marsh Sanctuary - Mount Kisco - Wappinger

 

“Native people have always lived here on the land where our country is built, which we call America. Native people from America can be called Native Americans or IndigenousAmerica and Canada are part of North America, which Native people call Turtle Island. The Wappinger tribe is from the land where we have Forest School, they call this continent Turtle Island. Most Wappinger people moved away from this land to join the Mohican Tribe."

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The Legend of Turtle Island

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This is a creation story from some indigenous cultures. It explains the origin of the Earth and how it came to be. According to the story, before the Earth existed, everything was water and many creatures lived in it. The story then introduces a powerful chief and his wife who lived in a land far above the clouds. The chief's wife had a dream that a great tree, which had roots stretching to the four sacred directions and bore many kinds of fruits and flowers, was uprooted. The chief knew that this was a powerful dream that must be fulfilled and so the tree was uprooted, leaving a large hole in the sky. The chief's wife fell through the hole, grasping a handful of seeds as she fell. The water creatures saw her falling and tried desperately to think of a way to help her. One of the creatures suggested that they try to get some land from below the waters. Many of the creatures tried to retrieve land but failed, but finally, a brave little muskrat succeeded and brought a piece of land to the surface. However, there was no place to put the land. The turtle then offered to put the land on its back and hold it up for the chief's wife, who had landed safely on the turtle's back, to stand on. She then cast the seeds around, and the land on the turtle's back began to grow and grow, forming an island in the middle of the water. This island grew and grew to become what is now known as North America, also called Turtle Island in honor of the turtle's bravery.

 

 


 

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