Recognizing the Lenape Nation: Justice for Pennsylvania’s First People

strongly support the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania, whose members are direct descendants of Lenape ancestors who remained in our Commonwealth. Pennsylvania has long delayed formally recognizing them, despite their unique history, culture, and traditions. Unlike New Jersey and Delaware, Pennsylvania has yet to acknowledge its Lenape descendants. For decades, the Lenape Nation has been dedicated stewards of the Delaware River, the land, and its people. They protect the environment, provide Lenape language and cultural education, and partner with over 130 organizations to advance these goals. For more than 30 years, the Lenape Nation has sought recognition—from Chief William Thompson in the 1990s to the 2023 Tamanend Day rally at the Capitol. Despite promises of legislative support, formal acknowledgment has not yet been granted. As a basic act of justice for centuries of persecution, displacement, and forced assimilation, Pennsylvania must affirm the existence and rights of these stewards of the land. They deserve recognition and the self-determination outlined in the 2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Lenape Nation’s work preserving Lenapehokink (Lenape Homeland) history and fostering harmony with the land benefits all Pennsylvanians. Pennsylvania legislators have a moral duty to act now: honor the Lenape Nation and the enduring legacy of the first people of this land.