Invites the public to attend our next annual outdoor event:
A Time of Thanksgiving
Sunday, October 13, 1996
11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Parking is a $2.00 a car donation.
Please bring your own seating.
NO PETS ALLOWED.
Please note that the Museum is NOT open during the event.
There will be drumming, dancing, food, and vendors at this event.
Additional Drummers, Dancers, and Vendors are Welcome!
For more information, call (610) 797-2121.
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HELP PRESERVE AMERICA'S CULTURAL HERITAGE!
By becoming a member of the Lenni Lenape Historical Society, you
will be helping one of the finest small cultural museums in the
country to preserve and share a local Indian culture. Your
support will directly underwrite exhibitions and a wide variety
of education programs serving pre-school, school age and special
education students of this region.
CALL (610) 797-2121 for details.
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THE LENNI LENAPE
From the beginning, the Lenni Lenape have played a part in
Pennsylvania's cultural history.
Their ancestors were the first people to hear the whisperings of
nature as they walked through the woods and swam in the streams:
their heritage touches everyone who lives in the Commonwealth
today.
They respected the land and learned to live with nature,
developing strong ties to the land, water, air, plants, animals,
and other creatures.
They were able to survive many changes brought by the settlers
because of these ties and beliefs.
Although many of the Lenape left the area, many others stayed and
today pass along the lifeways of their ancestors for others to
share.
In 1980, Carla J.S. Messinger and Dorothy S. Schiavone, local
Lenape descendants, founded the Lenni Lenape Historical Society
to provide accurate, positive information about the Lenape
people. Two years later, with the help of numerous volunteers
and members, they opened the Museum of Indian Culture on Fish
Hatchery road, along the Little Lehigh River in Allentown.
The Museum celebrates the Commonwealth's diverse population by
sharing Lenape culture from the Lenape point of view, with people
of all ages and abilities. The founders have been recognized for
their success in sharing the Lenape cultural heritage and
encouraging ecological conservation with thousands of visitors.
THE MUSEUM OF INDIAN CULTURE
The Museum of Indian Culture offers a place for everyone to learn
about the Lenni Lenape. They are most readily known as Delaware
Indians, the Native Americans who lived in harmony with nature
along the Delaware and Hudson Rivers for thousands of years
before the "Shouwunnok" (salty people) came. They were hunters
and gatherers and then, for 1,000 years before European settlers
arrived, they farmed the region of what is now New York, eastern
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. There were three
geographic divisions: the Munsee, or Minnisink, lived in the
Pennsylvania highlands and New York; the Unami, or river people,
lived in what is today the Lehigh Valley region; and the
Unilatchigo, or southern people, lived in New Jersey, Delaware,
and southern Pennsylvania.
EXPLORE the museum, participate in work projects, programs, or
festivals, and listen to the words and memories of the Lenape who
have lived in this region for thousands of years.
TOUR the Museum and grounds, participate in specialized
educational programs, and/or utilize the Resource Center.
EXPERIENCE Lenape ceremonies. To interpret the importance of
corn, the Society presents three annual festivals:
Spring Corn Festival, 1st Sunday in May
Roasting Ears of Corn Food Fest, 2nd Sunday in August
Time of Thanksgiving, 2nd Sunday in October
LEARN through the Museum's Educational Services, cultural
heritage programs taught from the Lenni Lenape point of view,
with slides, stories, artifacts, and games.
READ and utilize the materials in the Museum's Resource Center
and library.
SHOP in the newly-renovated gift shop for crafts and project
kits; books on Native American culture, history, arts and crafts,
as well as cooking; cassette tapes; posters and cards; and
education papers and booklets written by the Society, such as
"Moccasin Making," "Clothing Changes," and "The Deer and Its
Uses."
RELAX in the outdoor Pavilion and enjoy the serene surroundings.
(Advance reservations required.)
COME TO THE MUSEUM
The Lenni Lenape Historical Society is a membership organization,
begun in 1980 to provide education opportunities for learning
about Lenape lifeways. There are numerous opportunities for
volunteers to assist with programs, research, and tours.
HOURS:
General Visitors: Tuesday-Sunday, 12 noon to 3 PM,
unless group in progress.
Group Educational Programs: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 AM to 4 PM.
Call to schedule; advanced reservations required.
DIRECTIONS:
The Museum of Indian Culture is located in The Bieber House at
2825 Fish Hatchery Road in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It is leased
to the Society by the City of Allentown and is located along the
Little Lehigh River, adjacent to the Fish Hatchery.
From Interstate-78, US-22, PA-309, and RT-222 (Hamilton Blvd):
Cedar Crest Boulevard (RT-29) south to Fish Hatchery Road,
turn left.
From Emmaus:
Cedar Crest Boulevard (RT-29) north to Fish Hatchery Road,
turn right.
From 24th Street:
Turn onto Fish Hatchery Road.