A few weeks ago Americans and Canadians celebrated Thanksgiving. Both countries gave thanks for living, both countries gave thanks for our loving families, and just being with our great friends. As African Americans we should also give thanks to our Native American Brothers and sisters for keeping our culture alive in the days of turbulence in the early years in American. Native Americans are considered to be the other Underground Railroad: they would spirit away slaves running to freedom much like Harriet Tubman, the female Black Moses. The biggest effort came from the Seminole tribe in Southwest Florida. This tribe became known as FREEDOM TRAIN SOUTH. American Black Slaves would travel through the states of North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama escaping to freedom in the Free State of what we now know as Florida.

Native American Indians saved numerous African American slaves by giving them shelter in the time of need. There were many other Native American tribes on the Northeast Coast that assisted in many escapes to freedom--Cherokee, Shawnee, Chickasaw, Blackfoot, (Delaware-Lenni-Lenape), Illinois, Indiana, Seminoles were involved in this humanitarian effort.

These tribes helped to save many slaves from being captured by Southern Slave Catchers, the United States Army, and local law enforcement. Many slaves lived, loved, and worked with the Seminole tribe and never returned to the American life of slavery. This also happened in the north where Native Americans worked together with Harriet Tubman's Underground Railroad to their final destination of Canada.

Many southern Blacks are descendants of the Seminole Tribe. They are the largest cross culture group of African American-Native American Indians. They intermarried freely and raised their children on the reservation. Most of them adopted the culture of the native Seminole. They adopted the Seminole Language, clothes, food and spiritual life.

This also happened in the north; my family, on my mother's side, could be a classic example of this cross culture exchange. Our family may be part of the Lenni-Lenape Indian tribe. We are still searching the New Jersey records for proof of this.

The Lenni-Lenape (pronounced lun-NAH-pay) is also known as the Delaware Tribe because the English and Dutch could not pronounce Lenape correctly. This small tribe roamed New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Most Lenape Indians lived west of the Hudson River, west of the current New York City, and spanned the south of the current city of Philadelphia. We now call that section the Northeast Corridor.

The Lenape tribe had three sub-groups in North Jersey. Most of them were called MINISI or stony country people. In the Central Jersey region were the UNAMI or down river people, and, last, you have the UNILACHIGO or people who live near the ocean. This group could be my ancestors because my grandparents lived near the ocean in southern New Jersey.

My ancestors were mainly farmers and wild game hunters. These intelligent men and woman taught the British and Dutch how to irrigate the Jersey farmlands with a water drainage system and the present day systems to prevent sediment deposits and erosion, which could cause landslides. They also happened to be the first farmers to use crop rotation, which southern plantation owners used in the 1800's. This same crop rotation is still used today in many farmlands throughout America. The Lenni-Lenape tribe would follow the ducks and geese in the fall, traveling south to the Delaware-Maryland boarders for the winter. Then in the spring, just like their fine-feathered friends, they too would return to the North and Central Jersey for the summer. On their way north, they would pick up runaway slaves and carry them to Burlington City. Burlington City is the town that I grew up in, and it is also where Harriet Tubman's Underground Railroad would take them to Philadelphia and points north. There our Native American brothers and sisters were a freedom train for us.

Maybe some African Americans should go to a pow-wow, (Native American get together) and we should enjoy the many colorful head dresses and foods. Maybe we should listen to the Native Americans drums as African Americans forefathers did. Yes, even join in what they call STOMP DANCING, a favorite of all tribes. Each person has a different way of performing this dance. I have witnessed this many times in Berkeley, California and in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Maybe we should consider joining in the Native game of PAHSAHEMAW or as we know it, soccer. In their game man and woman play together but the rules are different. The men cannot use their hands to touch the ball meanwhile, the women can touch the ball with their arms, legs, hands, and whatever they are inclined to do. However, the men cannot tackle or even touch the women. That's a great advantage to the females of the tribe. This seems to be a fun game where everybody can play.

Maybe we should all give thanks to our Native American brothers and sisters for helping to free so many of our ancestors. Maybe African Americans should also try to help our struggling Native American brothers and sisters. Maybe we should tell them that we have not forgotten them, that we love and thank them for their brave historical courage, pride, and contribution to the Black community.

THAT IS THE GRAYLINE

You can look up more information about the Lenni-Lenape tribe on the web site of LEVINS.COM