A very enjoyable collection of folk tales...but upon further research, I learned that this book has been called out by other Lenape historians who have found discrepancies and problems with the text. Which means I have more work to do to find better sources!
It's much too hard to find stories and history specific to the Lenape people. I have utterly no idea where I got this book, I found it in a big box of other books in my workshop, but I pulled it out of that box and didn't put it down until I had read every page (including the lengthy introduction, which is worth reading for context and history.) and only then did I pass it off to my father (a member of the Lenape tribe) to read. This book has allowed me to see more of Lenape culture and connect stories to similar folk tales from other tribes and cultures, and it's allowed me a stepping stone for learning more about my family.
These Lenape legends and myths are powerful but also entertaining. Yet the best part of he book may be its 45-page Introduction, which explains the culture, religion, and history of Lenape/Delaware/Algonquin from the native perspective, including the notorious alleged sale of Manhattan to the Dutch for $24 in beads. The author Tree Beard is a current chief of the Lenape nation.
My great-grandfather was half Lenape, a tribe almost no one knows about so I was thrilled to find this book. Opens with a detailed but condensed bit of history of the tribe and their battles with the colonizers before jumping into the folklore. This small little book, not even making it to 200 pages, holds so much weight.
Written in a relaxed style that reads as though it had been transcribed from oral storytelling, this book, through an extended introduction and brief commentaries on individual stories, imparts a wealth of information on Lenap茅 history, cosmology, and culture.
Loved to hear about the ancient stories. Very interesting to see the differences and some similarities to the stories in this book and the Bible stories that I have been taught as a Catholic.
A fantastic collection of folk tales from Lenape people.while some criticism has levelled at this volume and it's collector it is a fine introduction to Native American folklore
Had to read this for a college class. Hated it, horribly written. Wanted to jump out a window just a few pages in. Enjoyed the other books in the class.
The introduction turned out to be the most valuable portion of the book for me - it is a history of the Algonquin tribes of NE Americas, a history overshadowed by the colonial account.
Longest intro I've ever read. Loved the bit on the benefits and value of storytelling. The stories themselves felt a bit too pat, or too generic, though the writing is clean.