ALLENTOWN, PA — Tribal Citizen Patricia & her husband, Rod Schoenmaker, venture away from their cozy community in Anadarko, Oklahoma, to visit Pennsylvania. Patricia & Rod brought a copy of the Anadarko Daily Newspaper with them to present to the Museum of Indian Culture located in Allentown. They were able to explore the Lenape culture and heritage. The Schoenmakers saw Lenape artifacts with their eyes on the land where Patty’s ancestors once thrived. Witnessing the Historic Preservation extension office of the Museum and discovering rich heritage made this trip for the Schoenmakers one for the books!

By Wesley Boone Public Relations 10/7/2022 | Photos provided by Patty S.

On May 13th, 2022, the Delaware Nation flag was raised at City Hall in Allentown Pennsylvania for the first time in the city’s history. The Mayor of Allentown, Matt Tuerk, also declared May 13th to be Delaware Nation Day in the city. On May 14th, 2022, the Mayor of Allentown came to the Museum of Indian Culture to dedicate the Lenape Trail Project. The Lenape Trail Project was an educational signage project originally designed to engage visitors of the scenic Parkway surrounding the Little Lehigh Creek near the museum in learning more about the origins of the Lenape people whose homelands they’re standing on; where the Lenape Tribal Nations are today; what traditional Lenape fishing, hunting, and trade practices looked like; and how to identify plants and wildlife Native to Lenape homelands, which still thrive in this region today. Delaware Nation, the Museum of Indian Culture, and Allentown Parks and Recreation collaborated to create and install the educational signage for the Lenape Trail last spring thanks to a Lehigh County grant. The dedication of the trail was postponed due to COVID, but this year we were finally able to celebrate this achievement, and unveil a new digital “Tour and Explore” experience added to the trail through the museum’s partnership with PBS. This new interactive component of the trail features 10-year-old Molly Mabray, an Alaska Native from the PBS KIDS program MOLLY OF DENALI ®. Speakers at the dedication included Delaware Nation President Deborah Dotson, Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk, Delaware Nation citizens Jack Johnson and Bart Cartwright, Delaware Nation’s historic preservation assistant Katelyn Lucas, Museum of Indian Culture Director Pat Rivera, and PBS representative Amber Emory. The event closed with a tree planting ceremony led by Bart Cartwright.

– By Katelyn Lucas Historic Preservation Office Assistant 5/17/2022 | Photos by City of Allentown Facebook page