Indigenous Native Americans and Recognition within the State: The Case of Pennsylvania
Despite the fact that indigenous Native Americans resided in all parts of the present-day United States prior to its colonization and national formation, Native American tribes are still not recognized in all States of the Union. Often this is simply because a State does not contain any known Native American groups or any reservations within its boundaries. However, there are cases where the State fails to recognize local indigenous tribal groups for some other reason, often for political or economic reasons (Here is a discussion of the sovereign status of indigenous Native American peoples).
The State of Pennsylvania is such an example. It neither contains a reservation nor officially recognizes any Native American group within its borders, despite the fact that several indigenous groups claim Native American ancestry (such as the Lenape/Delaware, Susquehannocks, Cherokee, and others). The failure of this recognition is exacerbated by the fact that Pennsylvania was one of the first places where Europeans came into contact with Native Americans. Pennsylvania culture heroes like William Penn and Conrad Weiser are known, in large part, because of their interactions with indigenous Native American peoples. In fact, for a time in the 18th century, Pennsylvania was a sanctuary for Native Americans from all over colonial North America, as Tuscaroras, Conoys, Nanticokes, and other indigenous Native American peoples migrated into the area. In time, however, the press of European settlement, coupled with the spread of smallpox and a degredation of resources both severely reduced the number of Native Americans while at the same time driving others westward.
However, not all indigenous Native Americans left Pennsylvania and some have maintained their culture within the State for the past 200 plus years. According to the US Census (2004) 18,348 people in Pennsylvania indicated they were Native Americans in 2000, an increase of 20% since 1990. Barely a weekend goes by without a scheduled powwow or a gathering somewhere in the State, and there are often newspaper stories about school programs or patriotic celebrations featuring local Native Americans.
Sadly, despite thousands of years of continuous occupation, indigenous Native Americans are still largely an invisible population in many States, such as Pennsylvania. State officials steadfastly assert that there are no Native Americans in the State and their concerns are often ignored in management and policy decisions. One reason frequently cited is that claims to Native American heritage are difficult to verify, given the history of Pennsylvania, leading to disagreements over authenticity of identity. As a result, bills to grant recognition to the local Native American tribes have failed in the State legislature for nearly 20 years.
No matter how native identity is to be defined, asserting it in Pennsylvania is especially difficult. The first contacts between Pennsylvania’s indigenous peoples and Europeans occurred in the 1630s. William Penn began purchasing land from the Lenape in the 1680s and the fraudulent Walking Purchase of 1737 disinherited the Lenape of much of their ancestral territory in Pennsylvania. By the 1740s many of Pennsylvania’s indigenous people were either dead from European diseases or displaced; many of the Lenape, for instance, moved to Canada, Wisconsin, Kansas, or Oklahoma. Those who remained behind intermarried with Europeans, became Christians, took European names and assimilated into the dominant culture.
However, that does not deny the fact that there are indigenous Native Americans living in Pennsylvania. These groups have struggled to maintain their identity and cultural heritage in the face of great challenges. Today there is renewed hope for a stronger recognition as not only States, but other entities are coming to realize that it is financially, economically, and politically behooving to recognize indigenous Native Americans and other minority populations. Although Pennsylvania is one of the few States that continues to not recognize its local indigenous Native American populations, hopefully this limiting position will soon change.
Further Reading
Josephy, Alvin M., Jr. 2002. 500 Nations: An Illustrated History of North American Indians. Gramercy Press.
Minderhout, David J. 2008. Invisible Indians: Native Americans in Pennsylvania. Cambria Press.
Myers, Albert. 1981. William Penn's Own Account of the Lenni Lenape or Delaware Indians. Middle Atlantic Press.
Richter, Daniel K. 2003. Facing East from Indian Country: A Native History of Early America. Harvard University Press.
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Last Updated on Friday, 16 May 2008 21:03 |
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On This Day in Indigenous History
Wednesday, 01 September 1858
The Battle of Four Lakes
On This Day: In 1858 over 500 Coeur d'Alene people fought Colonel George H. Wright and 600 soldiers at the Battle of Four Lakes near present-day Spokane, Washington. Wright attacked and drove off the Indians inflicting heavy losses while reportedly not losing a single soldier due to the long range (500+ yards) of the new Springfield Model 1855 Rifle-Musket vs. the short range (50-100 yards) of the Indian's smoothbores. Over 60 Coeur d'Alene warriors lost their life protecting their people and land.
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