Munsee language

With or Munsee Muncie ( also Munsiiw, Minnesink, Minsi, Mansiwak ', Monsey ) is an Indian tribal group of the Lenni Lenape referred to, which was connected by a common language, the Munsee - Delaware.

The Munsee - Lenape lived in the 17th century about the area in which the present-day states of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey meet, that is, in the northern New Jersey, in southeastern New York and eastern Pennsylvania. They included, for example, the Esopus, Minisink, Canarsee and Wappinger.

Living in Wisconsin Stockbridge - Munsee are to this day the only Munsee that were federally recognized by the United States (see in Mahican ). In Ontario, in Canada, there are two other recognized groups, the Delaware Nation, Moravian of the Thames and the Munsee - Delaware First Nation (also Muncie - Delaware First Nation ).

Language

As a linguistic designation of the term Munsee includes all groups, use the dialects of the Munsee language. According to the classifications of Goddard (1996) and Mithun (1999) Munsee belongs to the Eastern Algonquian languages ​​and is referred to along with the extinct Unami language as Delaware. According to surveys by the UNESCO dominated in 2001 only 10 people in Canada the language. In the U.S. it is considered extinct.

History

From the White repressed and suppressed by the Iroquois, they were pushed from 1650 to the west and joined together. After 1690 Munsee moved westward in stages, remained for a time at the Susquehanna River and in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania, on the Muskingum River in Ohio and at the White River in Indiana. The groups from the country east of the Hudson River retreated inland and began to gather in remote venues. The Minisink largest group moved northwest to the northern branch of the Susquehanna River and united with the Munsee -speaking Lenape from the Hudson Valley. Over time, the name was changed for this new group of Minisink in or Munsee Muncie, with Munsee person from Minisink ( River) means. After 60 years of expulsion their descendants lived together with immigrants from other tribes across the Ohio River and renewed their alliance, declared their independence from the Iroquois and opposed the encroaching whites. They fought against the British General Edward Braddock in the French and Indian War (1754-1763) and initially supported the Americans in the Revolutionary War ( 1775-1783 ). In the Treaty of Greenville ( 1795) they gave up their land in Ohio. Many of the groups were scattered, but some had gathered around 1835 in Kansas, and again in 1867 in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) resettled.

The most well-known group of Munsee are the Christian Munsee. The stated goal of the Moravian Church under David Zeisberger was the conversion of the Munsee, although they also had contact with other tribes. They followed this strain of Pennsylvania Ohio and Indiana finally up to Kansas. In 1772 Zeisberger founded the place Gnadenhutten Tuscarawas River on for converted Lenape in which 10 years later, the Gnadenhutten massacre took place.

Current situation

Canada

Southern First Nations Secretariat

• Munsee - Delaware First Nation, also Muncie - Delaware First Nation: 1840 allowed the Chippewa, today Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, the hither fled Christian Munsee, also known as the Moravian Indians, to use part of their reserve, from which its present around 10, 54 km ² comprehensive reserve Munsee - Delaware nation # 1 was born. It lies about 24 km west of St. Thomas on the west bank of the Thames River. They were in 1967 recognized as a First Nation, its administrative seat is Munceytown, Ontario. You have 591 tribal members.

• Delaware Nation, Moravian of the Thames band also Moravian of the Thames First Nation or Moravian of the Thames Band / Delaware Nation: Your reserve Moravian # 47 covers about 12.8 square kilometers along the south bank of the Thames River and is situated approximately 56 km south-west of Sarnia, Ontario. The head office is located in Chatham -Kent Thames Ville, Ontario. They were also originally fleeing Christian Munsee, call today even in Munsee Lunaapeew that with the Unami Delaware word is synonymous Lenape. They identify themselves as Delaware, consider only the neighboring Munsee - Delaware of Munceytown as Munsee (or Munsiiw ). They refer to these because of their traditional, conservative attitude often as troublemakers (German troublemaker ). The tribe counts 1,228 members.

United States of America

In Wisconsin is the only Munsee community that is officially recognized by the United States at the federal level as the root ( federally Recognized tribe ). In addition to this, there are other Munsee - communities that are not recognized.

• Stockbridge - Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians, and Stockbridge - Munsee Band of Mohican Indians, consisting of Stockbridge (mostly Mahican ), immigrant Christian Munsee and Unami -speaking Brotherton Delaware from New Jersey (formerly also Cranbury - Crosswicks bands called ), which after were relocated in 1819 from the State of New York to Wisconsin. They identify today but predominantly as Mahican or Muh -he- con - neok (German People at the water always flows ) as they originally along the Hudson River - settled ( Mahicannituck ' water always flows '). The Stockbridge Munsee Indian Reservation in Shawano - County comprises about 90 km ² and the towns of Bartelme and Red Springs, county seat is bowler in Wisconsin. They successfully operate the North Star Mohican Casino Resort. The tribe has about 1,500 members.