While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
According to Morgan (Anc.
Soc., 171, 1877) the Delawares have 3 clans (called by hirer gentes), or
phratries, divided into 34 subclans, not including 2 subclans now extinct.
These clans, which are the same among the Munsee and
Mahican, are:
(1) Took-seat ('round paw,' 'wolf' ).
(2) Pokekooungo ('crawling,' 'turtle').
(3) Pullaook ('non-chewing,' 'turkey').
These clans-Wolf, Turtle, and Turkey-are commonly given
as synonymous with Munsee, Unami, and Unalachtigo, the 3 divisions of the
Delawares, exclusive of the New Jersey branch. According to Brinton they
are not clans, but mere totemic emblems of the 3 geographic divisions
above named. Of these the Unami held the hereditary chieftainship. The New
Jersey branch probably formed a fourth division, but those bands broke up
at an early period and became incorporated with the others. Many of them
had originally removed from the west bank of Delaware river to escape the
inroads of the Conestoga. The 3 clans as given by Morgan are treated under
the better known geographic names.
The Took-seat, or Wolf clan, has the following 12
subdivisions:
(l) Maangreet (big feet) ;
(2) Weesowhetko (yellow tree);
(3) Pasakunamon (pulling corn);
(4) Weyarnihkato (care enterer, i. e. cave enterer?);
(5) Tooshwarkana (across the river);
(6) Olumane (vermilion);
The divisions of the Munsee,
according to Ruttenber, were the
Minisink
Waoranec
Waranawonkong
Mamekoting
Wawarsink
Catskill
He names among the Unami divisions the Navasink,
Raritan, Hackensack, Aquackanonk, Tappan, and Haverstraw, all in north New
Jersey, but there were others in Pennsylvania. Among the Unalachtigo
divisions in Pennsylvania and Delaware were probably the Neshamini,
Shackamaxon, Passayonk, Okahoki, Hickory Indians (?), and Nantuxets. The
Gachwechnagechga, or Lehigh Indians, were probably of tile Unami division.
Among the New Jersey bands not classified are the Yacomanshaghking,
Kahansuk, Konekotay, Meletecunk, Matanakons, Eriwonec, Asomoche, Pompton
(probably a Munsee division), Rancocas, Tirans, Siconesses (Chiconessex),
Sewapoo (perhaps in Delaware), Kechemeche, Mosilian, Axion, Calcefar,
Assunpink, Naraticon, and Manta (perhaps a Munsee division). The Nyack
band, or village, in Rockland co., N. Y., may have belonged to the Unami.
The Papagonk band and the Wysox probably belonged to the Munsee. See also
Munsee, Unami, Unalachtigo.
