Lėnape spirituality, as is nearly all Native American spirituality, is not a one hour a week Sunday morning pigeon hole in our lives that we shelve the rest of the week. Our spirituality is our way of life, it pervades and is a part of everything we do.
We Lėnape, and most all Native Americans, do not believe in more than one Creator. We are not heathens or pagans as we have often been portrayed. There is only one Creator, and although different nations have different names for him, nearly all recognize only one. That is no different than wapsini (white man's) religions wherein their God is known by Jehovah, Hosanna, Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, God, or any number of other names dependent upon the particular religion. We Lėnape call the Creator Kishelėmłkņng.
We do believe in a number of Spirit Beings, but they are not gods. They were created by Kishelėmłkņng to perform specific functions, and while they do have supernatural powers, they have only those which Kishelėmłkņng has bestowed upon them....they are not omnipotent as is Kishelėmłkņng.
Kishelėmłkņng, created all things and his spirit lives in all things, thusly all things are related and must be respected and honored. When one being, either animal or plant, sacrifices himself for our benefit we must recognize the sacrifice, and give thanks to Kishelėmłkņng, the appropriate Spirit Being(s), and the being itself for making the sacrifice.
The following is a listing of the primary Spirit Beings of the Lėnape people. Their names are followed by a brief summary of their powers and/or purpose, or what they are symbolic personifications of.
NANAPUSH (aka Nanabush, Manabuzho, or Michabo) "The Strong Pure One", Nanapush restored creation from a small patch of mud on a turtle's back after the great flood. He also taught man all he needed to know to survive and gave us the tčlėn ņk nisha lilenowņkąną. (The Twelve Laws)
MESINKHALIKAN (aka Misink, Mesingw) Mesinkhąlikąn is the guardian of the animals, the forests, and is the protector of children. He helps the people find game on the hunt as long as the people show the proper respect to him, the animals, and forests. It was Misinkhąlikąn who gave the Lėnape people the Xingwikaon (Big House Ceremony), which is our most important ceremony of the year. Misinkhąlikąn is one our most important Spirit Beings and is the only Spirit Being to whom we have a specific ceremony dedicated to. It is said that he is often seen riding on the back of a huge buck. Misink's face is half red and half black, and because of his frightful appearance he is used to correct children, in that they are told that if they don't behave Misink will get them and carry them away.
3 SISTERS (Corn - Squash - Beans) The 3 Sisters are a special gift from Kishelėmłkņng and give us those 3 vegatables which make up a basic staple of the Lėnape traditional diet They are very fond of each other, and each helps the other grow, as evidenced by the fact they are sowed and grow together in the same field.
KUKNA (Mother Earth) Kukna is the mother to all beings and from her all life grows. Kukna gives birth to all life and nutures all life. Kukna also gives us growth and healing.
NUX KISHUX (Father Sun) Nux Kishux gives us light and heat.
NIPAHUMA (Grandmother Moon) Nipahuma gave of her powers of fertility and reproduction to create the original race of mankind. Nipahuma is the mother of mankind.
MUXUMSA PET'HAKOWE (Grandfather Thunder) Muxumsa Pet'hakowe was sent by Kishelėmłkņng to keep Nipahuma company, and he along with Nipahuma, created the original mankind. Muxumsa Pet'hakowe is the father of mankind. Muxumsa Pet'hakowe, and his Thunderers, protect mankind from Matantu and the Maxa'xak.
KICHICHAX' KAL (the Great Toad) (aka Bikanaki'hat) Kichichax'kal was given the duty of ruling over the waters of the earth. He was also given the power and authority to cause rain at his will. Kichichaxkal was killed by Maxa'xak which caused the great flood and the resulting destruction of the original world.
MATANTU Matantu is the spirit of evil and destruction. He corrupted what Kishelėmłkņng created by creating evil opposites. Kishelėmłkņng, in his wisdom created Matantu, and by so doing he created balance in the world, for good cannot exist without evil, nor evil without good. Nothing can exist without its opposite also exisitng.
MAXA' XAK Maxa'xak is an evil spirit who lives in the form of a horned serpent. Maxa'xax caused the great flood and resulting destruction of the world by killing Kichichax'kal The Lėnape believe that all snakes are Maxa'xak - that they are evil.
After Kishelėmłkņng had his vision of the creation, he created four Spirit Beings to assist him in fulfilling his vision and in creating the world. He placed each of these Spirit beings at different directions and gave each different powers, and gifts to give us. These four Spirit Beings are the Spirit Beings of all creation and are held in the highest of respect and reverence.
MUXUMSA LOWANEWANK (Grandfather of the North) He was placed there to control the power of the rock. He gave forth solidity and physical form to Kishelėmłkņng's thoughts He gave us winter, ice, snow, cold, rocks, trees, our bodies, and all that we see around us.
MUXUMSA WAPANEWANK (Grandfather of the East) He was placed there to control the power of the wind. He gave forth breath and mind to Kishelėmłkņng's thoughts. He gave us springtime, breath of life, birth, and new beginnings. He brings forth light, our minds, creativity, knowledge, music, and songs.
HUMA SHAWANEWANK (Grandmother of the South) She was placed there to control the power of fire. She gave forth spiritual life and growth to Kishelėmłkņng's thoughts. She gives us summer, warmth, growth and maturity, our inner fire and spirit, and gives fire to the sun.
MUXUMSA WUNCHENEWANK (Grandfather of the West) He was placed there to control the power of water. He gave forth a watery and softening influence to Kishelėmłkņng's thoughts. He gives us autumn, death, our life's blood, the waters, healing, intuition, emotions, dreams and visions, and rain, he readies us for renewel.
The following items are some miscellaneous incidentals related to Lėnape spirituality. I know there are questions about these things, and I hope these briefs will answer at least some of the questions.
TURTLE SHELL RATTLES The Lėnape consider the turtle shell rattle to be sacred and it used only in specific ceremonies. Not all ceremonies use the turtle shell rattle, and it is NEVER used in social dances or gatherings.
SWEETGRASS Sweetgrass is braided into long sheaths and burned. It has a sweet aroma and it is believed that the aroma gains Kishelėmłkņng's attention and favor. It is burned when praying or asking Kishelėmłkņng for a blessing of any kind. It also will drive evil away from the place where it is being burned.
Sage is used by the plains nations, and other western nations, in the same capacity as sweetgrass. The Lėnape, and most other northeastern peoples did not use sage. In modern times sage has become universally used by most all Native Americans, but Lėnape traditionalists do not use it in prayer or ceremony.
CEDAR When Nanapush gave the people the ceremonial pipe, he instructed that a fire of cedar be burned whenever the pipe is smoked in prayer. Also, when Nanapush created the new world after the destruction of the original world, he created mankind from a cedar tree. For these reasons cedar is held as a sacred tree and wood by the Lėnape people. It is often burned along with sweet grass, or by itself, during some ceremones, or in prayer.
TOBACCO Tobacco is the favorite of Kishelėmłkņng and the Spirit Beings, and was given to man by Nanapush. It is smoked before communicating to any Spirit Being, or to Kishelėmłkņng for it is believed that the tobacco smoke will carry your words to their ears. Tobacco is also smoked at any treaty negotiation, or other such official gathering or event, as the smoking of tobacco also signifies the sacredness of a man's word. Noone would dare violate any agreement over which tobacco was smoked at the "signing" of.
Many people have made the claim that the White Dog Ceremony is a Lėnape ceremony. This is not true. The White Dog ceremony is not, I repeat is not, I repeat is not, a Lėnape ceremony. It is a Haudenosaunee ceremony. To protect the sanctity of our ceremonies and spiritual beliefs, I will not discuss in detail our beliefs regarding the journey the soul takes upon death. I will say though, that the White Dog ceremony violates our most sacred core beliefs regarding that journey, and no true Lėnape would ever take part in that ceremony. To participate in that ceremony would prevent the individual's soul from being able to cross into "heaven", leaving it to forever remain and wander in a realm equivalent to a purgatory.
While it is possible that a small fringe fragmented group of Lėnape individuals may have converted to the Haudenosaunee spirituality, either by choice or force, and performed the ceremony, that does not make it a Lėnape ceremony.
Below are listings of our ceremonies. To protect the sanctity of our ceremonies I will not discuss them, or describe them in any way.
While we did have sweat lodges, we did not have any type of sweat ceremony.
Many so-called ceremonies that people conduct today and claim to be Lėnape ceremonies, are in fact NOT Lėnape ceremonies. Many of these fraudulent ceremonies are taken from the Pan-Indian movement, New Age creativity, or are complete fabrications
Although this dance is titled 'Cherokee", it has nothing to do with the Cherokee people.
This dance begins with the women only. When qued, the women join hands and the men each fall in behind a chosen woman. They all join hands and dance in a single line. When the song changes, they all switch hands. The dance continues until the lead woman places her hand on the drum.
