2 Hawk feathers logo copyrighted

Mom & dad copyrightedNative American

Heritage Programs

Native American Heritage Programs shares Lenape (Delaware Indian) culture & contributions of Native Americans.

                              Sign Up

Lowan - Winter  Woman dancer in snow

Winigischuch - Time of the falling snows
       Mechakhokque - When the cold makes the trees crack

Anixi Gischuch - Time when the ground squirrels run  

 

dugout canoeNews

 

Siquon - Spring  is here!  We have updated our website, while gardening and are eagerly awaiting the fall harvest.  Have a happy summer & fall!

Carla & children 1

 

Tree Day 2
Tree City USA
Lansdowne Tree Day April 25, 2009

 

Our news is in our web pages & in our free newsletter, so please sign up!

Book cover"The glory of white shadbush blossoms on the cover should be used as an excuse to pull it out in the spring and share it!"

 

divider

When the Shadbush Blooms

snow scene from Shadbush

A Good Book for ANY
Season -
Carla & Book by Al Zagofsky

Pooxit (Fall ) Is Coming 

Lenape children’s book teaches about the seasons 

Lehighton Times News Article by Al Zagofsky  9/21/07    Founding director of Native American Heritage Programs, Lenape descendant and cultural educator Carla Messinger is now reaching an even wider audience through a newly-published children's book, When the Shadbush Blooms.

Carla Messinger, who has spent her adult life sharing her interest in the Lenni Lenape culture, is happy that her first book, When the Shadbush Blooms, has been published—just in time for Pooxit, the time of the falling leaves. The fully-illustrated, full-color 32-page children’s book  was released to bookstores on Sept. 1, 2007 by publisher Tricycle Press.

The Lenni Lenape sometimes called the Delaware or Woodland Indians, were the native people that lived in the region of the Delaware River Watershed at the time the first Europeans explored and settled in America.  

They lived in villages throughout Eastern Pennsylvania and farmed, fished and hunted. The Lenape made friends with the Europeans and sold land to William Penn to help open Pennsylvania to settlement. Local communities still bear names given by the Lenape: Catasauqua, Mahoning, Towamensing—to name but a few.

When the Shadbush Blooms, conceived by Messinger, written in a poetic format by Susan Katz, and illustrated by David Kanietakeron Fadden, tells a story about two Lenape girls. One who lived 400 years ago when the Lenape people led a traditional life barely touched by Europeans. The other lives in contemporary America. It is a parable of how the Lenape continue to adapt to a changing world while remaining close to the land and their culture.

“Lenape life has not really changed in thousands of years,” explained Messinger. “People today still follow the cycle of the seasons. The seasons dictate what clothing we wear and the foods we eat. We are completing the season of corn and entering that of pumpkins.”

The book’s title, When the Shadbush Blooms, refers to a bush that is widespread in northeastern Pennsylvania and is more commonly called the serviceberry. The Lenape gave the name to the bush because it blooms on the shores of the Delaware River when the shad return to spawn.

In the summer, the shadbush produce up to a quart of sweet berries that are eaten fresh, assuming the birds don’t get to them first. In the fall, the shadbush berries are dried. In the winter, when the snow is on the shadbush, its dried berries are used in cooking. In the spring, they bear large white flowers. To the Lenape, the shadbush is symbol of the yearly cycle. 

“I am so glad the book is out,” said Messinger. “It was a very long birthing process.”

But with the book published, her teachings can go into the library, the classroom, the home, or wherever children are reading about multicultural heritage—places that she could never get to in person. “Teachers and parents can use this to supplement a textbook, which usually have meager information on the Lenape culture or nothing at all,” she noted.

The book is aimed at the pre-school through elementary grade schoolers. The type is large enough for a teacher to read the book upside down while showing the pictures to the children. The text is brief, colorful and at a five to seven year old child’s reading level. In the back of the book is a section that provides supplemental information for teachers and parents.

Creation of the multicultural book was faced with a multicultural challenge. Messinger is of Lenape heritage. Their illustrator recommended by the publisher, David Kanietakeron Fadden, is of Mohawk/Iroquois heritage.

This presented two challenges. First, the Lenape lost their land to the Iroquois and Proprietors in the Walking Purchase Treaty of 1837. Since then, there have been ill feelings between the tribes. Fortunately that didn’t become a problem.

But secondly, as a member of the Mohawk/Iroquois, Fadden was familiar with a different language, set of customs, clothing and type of design. It took many discussions and sketching and re-sketching before they could agree upon final illustrations.

Unlike American children, there was no centralized school for Lenape children. They learned within their community. They learned to pick berries from a sister, to make arrows from a grandfather, and gardening from a neighbor. As far as Lenape education was concerned,” said Messinger. “It takes a village.”

For more information about the book or Lenape programs, see www.lenapeprograms.info, email: palenape@enter.net, or call: 610-434-6819. Copies of the book are available at select local bookshops and Oyate. 

Signed books are available, please send us an email.

divider beads 1

Sign Up for our free newsletter.

  • Our mailing list is not sold or shared.
  • You will receive a seasonal newsletter with updates, activities for children, links, etc.
  • By filling out the Sign Up Form your input will help shape the direction of the newsletter!
  • Overseas members are welcome!
  • You can "Opt-Out" by sending us an email requesting to be removed from the mailing list.