Turkey Times NEWSLETTER OF THE LENAPE INDIAN TRIBE OF DELAWARE. In Memory of Yvonne Lynette Gourley By Chelsea Braunskill

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1 NEWSLETTER OF THE LENAPE INDIAN TRIBE OF DELAWARE VOL #52 APRIL 2013 Turkey Times In Memory of Yvonne Lynette Gourley By Chelsea Braunskill T The Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware participated in the Native American Month program at Sam s Club on November 14, The Lenape Indian Tribe of DE and the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribe of New Jersey led in the procession of Colonist Day in Ft Christina Park on April 13, P.O. Box 79 Cheswold, Delaware We all feel the loss of Ms. Yvonne Bright Sparrow. Her bright spirit and contagious laughter along with kind words and a big heart made her an amazing woman. She made such an impact on the youth. She was a leader. Ms. Yvonne was a great role model to us at the Tribal Youth Group. She was there with us in the circle for our talks. She listened and shared stories and gave good advice. She made Youth Camp so much fun. She taught us to dance. She loved dancing. There were times she was very serious because she was also a great protector. She put her heart into everything she did, whether it be Pow Wows or bead-making. Bright Sparrow we will never forget. She will be missed and loved by all LenapeIndianTribeOfDelaware.com

2 LENAPE INDIAN TRIBE TRIBAL COUNCIL Elections were held at our November 2012 meeting with the following being voted in: Lisa Caring Heart Coker Hurd, Assistant Chief. Lisa is the daughter of Franklin (Gene) and Nancy Coker. Lisa served as Assistant Chief but had to step down due to medical reasons. She is back and ready to go with many new ideas. She is experienced in being the Chief s extra hands. She is experienced in running our Senior Luncheon Program, Senior Medical Program, Youth Program, Newsletter, Dance Program, Student Grant (WIA) Program and citizen application processing. Lisa is also a Notary which is free of charge to Tribal members. Theo Three Winds Braunskill, Council-at-Large. Theo is the daughter of Thomas (Harmon) Lewis and Elizabeth Mosley/Pritchett Cooper. Theo was reappointed to serve as our enrollment Citizens Coordinator. Under her last term , our enrollment increased by 20%. Carla Coker, Council-at-Large. Carla is the daughter of Carlton and Anna Loatman Coker. She has served as Past Assistant Chief. Carla is the Chairperson of the Ways and Means Committee and will continue in that position. She has been instrumental in bringing much needed income from various fundraisers that help offset the cost of running the office of the Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware s Cultural Center. Terry Dream Wonderer Sammons, Council-at- Large. Terry is the son of Alfred and Millie Sammons. Terry has been with us for many years, serving as our Spiritual Leader. He lead with prayer and teaches with vision. He teaches because he wants our youth not to lose the gifts that were passed to us by our ancestors. Terry teaches traditions and ethics, beadwork, ribbon-work, traditional Indian clothing and other arts and crafts. He is holding beading circle classes at the Center. On January 9, 2013 Marian Coker was sworn into office after the recommendation from Chief, Dennis Coker. Marian A. Coker, Treasurer. Marian is the daughter of William and Ada Parrish. Marian has served as Past Assistant Chief. She is the Chairperson of the Youth Committee and will serve on the Ways and Means Committee. She has served as Youth Committee and Newsletter Chair in the past. Marian is ready to assist in any way to the success of the Tribe. The following members will be voted on for re-election this year. Minnie Flowering Heart Bowen, Secretary. Minnie is the daughter of Nehemiah and Victorine Coker Durham. Minnie continues, as she has for many years, to hold her position as secretary as she supports each of us at our tasks. She also serves on the Ways and Means Committee and Chairperson of the Newsletter Committee and coordinates and publishes the newsletter for our community. Dennis White Otter Coker, Chief of the Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware. Dennis continues to serve our Tribe with sure diligence. He leads with conviction and determination. We are nationally known because of his hard work. The Council took the oath on December 13 th and January 17 th and promised as a Council to be strong and dependable and work hard to serve you, our families and community. We also promised to serve and support Chief Coker as he takes us forward. Aho! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Youth Committee Marian Coker, Chairperson The Youth group was created to teach our children their culture and ways of life. The group is open to the children of the Sovereign Nation. If you are interested in allowing your children to participate, please contact marian_coker@yahoo.com (underscore is between marian and coker). The meetings will begin in March and we will meet at least twice a month. We will be preparing for the Swedish Celebration by working on their Regalia, jewelry and dancing. Parents will be responsible for the cost of the Regalia. They will also learn the ways of life as our ancestors knew them to be. I truly believe that our children have an important part in continuing our culture and by learning now they will have the tools for generations to come. 2

3 Culture Annual Fall Gathering We held our 22 nd Annual Fall Gathering on October 13, 2012 and it was a very successful day that was fulfilling in many ways. We came together to honor two of our elders, Corrine Christiansen and Winona Wortham, and to enjoy the festive meal. Below are two interviews with our honorees and we hope to see more of you this year. Our Gathering is always the 2 nd Saturday in October. Corinne Sammons Christiansen Corinne Sammons was born on February 23, 1928 to William and Ella Sammons in Cheswold, DE. She was born and raised in Cheswold and is the last of 13 children. She met Roy Christiansen in Cheswold, got married and moved to Philadelphia in 1948 for 25 years. She has two children; a son, Robin Christiansen and a daughter, Lori Christiansen. She also has 5 grandchildren. While living in Philly she worked at Litton Company and made circuit boards for the military. Roy, Corinne and family moved back to Cheswold in After moving back she worked at Wheatley s and JC Penney s and retired after 21 years. She also worked at Courtland Manor Nursing Home for 8 years. She has volunteered at Lutheran Towers for 5 years and City of Dover for a short period of time. She was married to Major Andre Christiansen for 52 years. She is a member of the Episcopal Church in Dover, DE. Winona Johnson Wortham Ms. Winona Soft Waters Wortham, is the daughter of Franklin and Mary (Carney) Johnson. She was born in Cheswold, DE in October Winona attended school in Cheswold. Children are Debbie Coker, Denise (Coker) Pritchett, Donna Lynn (Coker) Calvanesa and Charles G. Coker, Jr. Winona s fondest memory as a child growing up in Cheswold was everyone getting together to roller skate around the train station. It is Winona Soft Water s wishes to let everyone know she is proud to be a member of the Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware and she also wishes that more of the community would not only become a member but be participating members as she would love to see the Tribe grow and have more functions. My Directions in Life Were Always With Full Knowledge of My Ancestors By Janice Turner, D.P.M., M.P.H Lately, I have come to realize that my entire life's journey was always headed this way - rejoining my Lenape people. I had many side roads to explore perhaps to acquire knowledge and skills that can be put to use. The interesting thing is that I have lived my entire life outside of the tribe and tribal traditions - yet I know that how I lived my life, my interests, hobbies, passions and directions in life were always with full knowledge of my ancestors and were driven by a deep connection to Earth Mother. As children, Mom told us that we were Nanticoke. I grew up in the Bronx feeling as though I had been 'placed' in the wrong location. I felt like I 'should' have been born in the country. Eventually, about a decade ago, I began to make sense of it and decided that it was fortuitous because the opportunities for a fine education, scholarships and other experiences are unparalleled in NYC compared to a small town or rural area for a poor family. We were a poor family in the South Bronx. And I happened to be a very studious child. This entire process feels as if I was sent off on a quest from birth, my quest lasted 60 years, and now I have returned. This is who I am. When I contemplate my mother's life- an orphan at age 9 born in 1918 with both parents taken by tuberculosis- I wish that she could have been embraced and supported more by this country. Completing this application caused me to give deep consideration to the fact that two uncles and an aunt died as newborns. The oldest lived 2 months. This is tragic and had to be very painful for my grandparents and the entire family. My grandmother passed on just a few months after the last baby. My mother had a childhood remembrance of witnessing her little baby brother laid out in the dining room. Aunt Lottie (Charlotte Augusta Durham Gross) told us that our grandfather died from a broken heart, essentially, from losing his wife and three children. My grandparents and many others in our Lenape community were plagued not only by disease but also by bigotry and segregation. These conditions take their toll and the struggle continues today. This story needs balance. As a result of following my native roots I met Theo Braunskill. She explained that we are third cousins from my maternal grandfather! My immediate family never knew many of the relatives on my grandfather's side. We know and have family reunions with our maternal grandmother's family because that great aunt (Aunt Lottie) raised my mother from childhood and eventually had 6 children of her own. The other rather amazing discovery is that, Theo and I realized last year that her father and my mother lived in the Bronx next door to each other for decades! My mother mentioned, "... the neighbor from Delaware". But, she never realized that they were second cousins. What kind of a coincidence was this? Now, I am reunited with a lost line of relatives. 3

4 Citizenship Committee Theo Braunskill, Chairperson Claim Your Native Identity Claiming your Native identity is simpler than you think. Our ancestors have provided us a clear lineage path. So many other tribes don t have this luxury. All you need to do is file an application, provide a few documents and claim your Native identity today. Don t wait until it s too late. Not only do your application, do your parents applications and your siblings. Just do it!!! Download your application from the website: lenapeindiantribeofdelaware.com or call the Tribal Center at Assistance is available. Our newest Citizens: Lolita Brown (Pritchett decent) Janice Turner (Pritchett decent) Mae Carter Collins Wayne Cooper (Mosley/Pritchett) Keith Cooper transfer from New Jersey Charles E Cooper Jr transfer from New Jersey Doris Cooper transfer from New Jersey Clarence Herman Lewis (Mosley/Pritchett) Beverly Cooper transfer from New Jersey Terry Sammons transfer from New Jersey James Bruce Seeney Shelby Ridgeway DANCING IN THE CIRCLE: Is For The Creator And Our Elders By Theo Braunskill In conversation with Terry Sammons, our Spiritual Leader and newly appointed Councilman, he wants us to remember that one of the ways to dedicate ourselves is through dance. He says when you step into that circle with the beat of the drum, you dance and you pray. We live in a modern times and PowWows have a display aspect for the public to learn about our heritage and culture. But Mr. Sammons said we as a people, need to remember that we are not in the circle for ourselves and as a personal showpiece. He said that it does not matter to the Creator if your regalia is the most handsomest or the prettiest. He said leave self outside of the circle. Dancing in the circle is for the Creator and we do it for our elders who have passed on. Each foot placement, each step and stomp is our connection to Mother earth. Our prayers are for giving thanks to our Creator. This should be an uplifting event giving us all the opportunity to participate and show our respect. When creating the regalia we dance in, it should be done with the creator in mind. We should ask for guidance and direction in the creativity when making or adding to our regalia because each piece and color should have significance and personal representation. Mr. Sammons encourages us to teach these things to our youth. It is very important for them to dance and to have a full understanding of its purpose. He also said our dedication, our dance and our prayers will make our grandfathers happy. As you do these things, as you go around the circle, you will feel that connection of the drum in your heart. Feel it, be happy, that is what a circle is. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Empowering Youth To Prevent Abuse By Marian Coker Our Tribal Community is in need of Prevention for our Children and to accomplish these needs we are sending out a survey asking your assistance. By working together as a community we can give our children the tools they need to prevent abuse. We as parents try very hard to steer our children in the right direction and sometimes they go in the opposite direction. We need to build a Safe Haven for them and to accomplish this we need to have statistics to go along with our needs. I attended a CADCA conference last month and to see the youth and their powers in prevention are mighty. The conference was very inspiring to me bringing back knowledge we can use to build programs for our youth. If we can get funding to begin a program that our youth are involved in I truly think that our community will benefit deeply. The survey was mailed and we would greatly appreciate your assistance by answering a few questions and returning it to us. Once we begin to collect and get a module together we can apply for grants. If you have any questions, concerns or would like to assist in building a program for our youth, please contact me at marian_coker@yahoo.com (underscore between marian and coker) or

5 Ways and Means Committee Carla Coker, Chairperson 2012 was a very productive year for the Ways and Means Committee. Thanks to a push by Marian Coker, our Tribal apparel has been flying off the shelves. We have sold t-shirts, tote bags, cornhusk dolls and ornaments, key chain, power band, beaded scarf and feather pins/barrettes. Word is getting out about our inventory. We are working on getting a catalog of all the things we have for sale and getting it posted on our website. A big thank you goes out to all our citizens who helped in making the crafts. Looking Back on 2012 We started the year out by having a yard sale at the Cheswold Fire House parking lot in April. Many citizens of the Tribe as well as the community donated an assortment of articles to sell as well as flowers and their time to make this a successful event. We will continue to do this every year. In October, we had a great Gathering. It was held at the home of Tony and Jan Durham. Mother Nature provided us with a beautiful day for our celebration. It included our Circle Ceremony, Naming Ceremony and lots of great food prepared by our citizens to enjoy along with celebrating friendships. We had a successful Pampered Chef Party/Open House at the Tribal Center in November. From this event we earned two nice pieces of cookware that will enable us to have a Mother s Day raffle in November was Native American month and we celebrated at Sam s Club on November 14 th. After a great morning of dancing, they served everyone breakfast and this enabled us another venue for selling our crafts. One of the biggest things on our agenda was the fruit baskets for our elderly and shut-ins. We have compiled an updated list of eligible recipients. If you know of someone that would benefit from one of our boxes of goodies, please let me know or someone on the Ways and Means Committee know and we will add them to our list. This year we continued to offer for adoption the family named Christmas ornaments, handmade Native American ornaments and other Native ornaments for $5 a piece. In the past the ornaments have remained on the tree, so we have decided to allow our citizens to adopt the ornaments and they can stay on the tree for years to come. We will be making the ornaments all year long, so give us a call so you too can adopt that special ornament for future trees. We had a Christmas Party at our December Citizenship Meeting on Thursday, December 20 th. Everyone brought a covered dish and enjoyed the camaraderie of other citizens. We do this every year, so please sign for citizenship and join in the many activities that will be coming up. Any ideas for fundraisers will be gladly accepted and appreciated. Please submit to the Ways and Means Committee. A big thank you to everyone who made it possible to have such a successful year. Upcoming Events for Spring Yard Sale Saturday, April 27 th, parking lot across from the Cheswold Volunteer Fire Company, from 7 am to 3 pm. Rental tables will be available for $15. Donated items can be dropped off that morning. Please note we do not take clothing of any kind. 2. Highway Clean-Up has been scheduled for Saturday, May 18 th. We meet at the Immanuel Union Methodist Church parking lot to get supplies at 9 am. Hoping our Youth Group will participate this year. 3. Mother s Day Raffle two pieces of Pampered Chef Cookware and a cookbook will be raffled off for Mother s Day. Tickets will be 1 for $1 or 6 for $5. Tickets will be available for purchase starting March 13 th and the drawing will be on May 8, Pampered Chef Open House is scheduled for May 19 th at Tribal Center from 1 3 p.m. CONGRATUATIONS Tom Judge of Woodlyn, PA who won our Raffle. Thanks to everyone who supported our Tribe in this event. For more information contact Carla Coker, Chairperson at the Lenape Tribal Center at or to carlaco53@gmail.com. 5

6 Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware P.O. Box 79 Cheswold, DE IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO WE HAVE LOST IN OUR COMMUNITY IN 2012 Prayer by Dr. Julia Davis Great Spirit, we pray for all our people who have gone from us to be with you. Grant thou who have died the joy of your presence. Please accept this humble prayer we send to you and may the memory of all our ancestors live on. Carolyn L. Mosley Carney ~ Garland Carney ~ Dorothy Moss Coker ~ Monica Coker ~ Myrtle Coker ~ Walter Coker ~ Albert Durham Sr. ~ Susan Ann Durham ~ Thelma C Durham ~ Walter Durham ~ James Driggus ~ Harriett Morgan Everett ~ Irving F Fisher ~ Yvonne Lynette Gourley ~ Gertrude M Grinnage ~ Oader Lee Hanzer ~ John Homer Hughes Jr ~ Willis Return Johnson ~ Grace Robeda Mosley Kemp ~ Dale Mark King ~ Philip A Kosek ~ Mary Virginia Johnson Morgan ~ Charles N Mosley Sr ~ George Porky Mosley ~ Alan Pleasanton ~ Floyd D Dawes Pritchett ~ Roland Roosevelt Ridgeway ~ Elizabeth B Sammons ~ James Arthur Sammons ~ Doris Geraldine Seeney ~ Emma R Cuff Seeney ~ Walter Walt Seeney CITIZENSHIP MEETINGS Everyone is encouraged to attend our monthly Citizenship meetings!! If you want to voice your opinion on various issues regarding our Community, this is the place to do it. Meetings are held the 3 rd Thursday of each month starting at 7:00 PM at the Tribal Center located at 4164 N. DuPont Hwy, Suite 6, Dover, DE