American Minute with Bill Federer

June 23

Indians along the Delaware River called themselves "Lenape," meaning
in Algonquin "the people," and were in three clans: Turtle, Wolf and
Turkey.

William Penn, called "Miquon" meaning quill, and Turtle chief
Tamanend made a peace treaty JUNE 23, 1683, under an elm tree in what
was to be Philadelphia.

The Peace Treaty with the peaceful Quakers lasted 70 years.

In 1697, Tamanend's last message before he died was:

"We and Christians of this river have always had a free roadway to
one another, and though sometimes a tree has fallen cross the road,
yet we have removed it again and kept the path clear."

During the French & Indian War, the Turkey clan attacked English
settlers.

In 1778, Turtle clan chief Gelelemend signed the first Indian treaty
with the U.S. Government and later was converted to Christianity by
German Moravian missionaries.

The Wolf clan converted, being called Christian Munsee, but were
mistakenly confused with hostile Indians and tragically many were
killed.

The Lenape Indians fled to Canada, Kansas and Oklahoma, where in
1861, John Henry Killbuck, great-grandson of Chief Gelelemend, was
born.

John attended the Moravian Seminary and in 1884 was one of the first
Christian missionaries to the Yupik Indians in Alaska.