Herald & Lantern 8 August' 84 _47

Legacy and Legends Indians Left Mark on Cape

By SAM KUNCEVICH You are standing at the grassy edge of the beach near the place you know as Town Bank. A slight breeze is coming from the south and the waters of Delaware Bay are whispering across the beach sand. There on a slight rise at the grassy edge, a lone figure stands facing a colorful sky, west to the sun setting below the horizon. Slowly the lone figure raises his head and his outstretched arms. A fan-shaped row of feathers at the back of his head wavers in the breeze as the silence is broken by a melodic chant. It is the village chief pacing homage to the great spirit Manitou, and ending his chant with a prayer to the supreme spirit KE-TAN-ITO-WET. He prays for guidance, protection and good fortune, for he l&fves at sunrise to attend tm; great council fire at SHAK-A-MAXON (the place of eels). It is several days journey up river on the waters of LAY-NA-O A Y - WE-S A-POE , waters of the lenape (the Delaware). He goes to represent his people the Unalachigo (the ocean people ) of the village of KECHEMECKES. IT IS THE YEAR 1648 and the fall of the year approaches, the food supply has been MATTA-OLET. (not good) the HOS-E-QVEN ( CORN ) was only a fair crop. So the village chief goes to council to barter for a winter supply of food. Soon the eastern sky begins to glow with the rising sun, the village chief has gathered with his chosen warriors to join him

in his journey. They have loaded a supply of SECKHA (salt) into their MUSHOON (canoes) this salt will be used in barter with others at the great council. Before they depart in their canoes, they gather and join PON-ACA (hands) and bid each other good luck in the journey north. Then silently they push away from the beach and in single file they paddle north, slowly fading from, sight in the morning mist."" And so we have spent a brief time with one event of the Jersey Cape Indians. Much of the history of the Indians of this area is spotty in sequence. However enough does exist to Show us how they lived, hunted, traveled and traded. THE INDIAN WORLD of those days, — they were here from 5,000 years ago — was a happy and promising one. But the coming of the white man soon changed that to a dismal one. By the year i690 they began to migrate westward, and the Lenni Lenape and their language of the Algonkin soon integrated with the , Nantikoke and Cherokee. The jtribes of North Jersey.- the Minsi < wolf » tribes, (people of stone country) who had their council in the north, and the Unami. (turtle) tribe (people of down river) who had their council fires near Trenton, migrated to the west. Even the enemy tribes of the west, the Susquehannock and enemy tribes of the north, the Iroquois. migrated westward The white man had made the life of the Indian too unbearable to remain in what was quickly becom ing the lands of the white man. As always, there was

the exception to the rule, those who refused to leave the homeland and stayed behind as the others left They stayed to fight the odds against them, for their right to live as they have always lived even if if meant they had to follow the white man laws and public ways. Today some descendants of the tribes of days gone by still exist and struggle to survive today's world. THE DOWNFALL of the Indians' way of life began with the landing of Henry Hudson, on the third voyage of his ship the Half Moon Aug. 28. 1609. He landed at today's Cape May Point at the village of the MANU-MUSKI. Here he traded with the Indians for food and furs. Q$i Oct. 11, 1614. Captain Cornelius J. Mey on his ship the Fortune landed and traded goods with the Indians. He established a camp that became the beginning of New England Town, a name that later was changed to Cape May. Captain Mey never saw or knew of the growth of the Jersey Cape. He. had returned to Hollgn^ his home country. In 1630. another Dutch ship under Captain Peter Heyes landed at Cape May and settled at the camp established by Captain Mey. Here Captain Heyes, developed a port and engaged in whaling. Later he engaged in Indian fur trading that proved more profitable. Because of his fair dealings with the Indians, he enjoyed a great reputation among the tribes, which more than once, prevented trouble among his settlement. The increase of

Dutch and Swedish «ettlers to the Jersey Cape soon occupied most of the Bay shore area By 1641. the new settlers had purchased from the Indians virtually all of the coastal lands Like the Indian, very few settlers lived inland To the Indian the shore of the Bay offered health, convenient fishing and a ready supply of shells for wampum and trade ) WITH THE RAPID in crease of white settlers came the rapid Increase in foul play and mistreatment of the Indians Some were taken as slaves and laborers, others were traded and sold as slaves to the West Indies merchants. And with the coming of the white ma'n came the diseases of the white man. all of which took their toll of Indian lives and wellbeing The Indian friendship and welcome to the white man. having no record ot ill will or sign of ag gressiveness. soon turned to bitter resentment and so fostered the migration westward. The tribes and villages are gone now. but they left behind a legacy, legends and a mark on the Jersey Cape Many Indian trails crisscrossed the fields and woods, sgme of which are now paved roads and highways Route 47. also known as Delsea Drive, is one part of the Cohansey trail. Other trails branched from there to the south and east such as Bavshore Road. Falling Mill Road and part of Route 9 to the Cape — the trail between Fishing Creek and Anglesea. part of which today is called Indian Trail or Nummy's Trail and known as Route 147. .and part of Route 618. Some of the original trails exist just south of 618 from Fishing Creek Road. Part of this trail goes east to Burleigh, and part southward to end at Green Creek TO THE NORTH of the Cape, former Indian

; village names remain today such as Tuckahoe. Malaga and Buckshutem. Manumuskin. Fortescue. I Nantuxent The names of some ol the tribes are little more than a matter of record and other wise unknown Those are the Kechemeckes at Town Bank to Cape May Court House the Siconeese in the I Bridgeton area. Sewapooso at Malaga, the Allowev at Stowe Creek, land ol ASAM HACKING i Other tribes were the SHAL WAN NOS. Manatico and Muskee I Most of the village names were taken or given by the name of the tribe living in the village and each would have its own chief Among a group of villages and tribes would be the great I chief who would be the head or leader of the tribal council. The last n^such i chiefs in the Capc^m was Chiel NunimTf^better known as King Nummy His camp was in the area ol Fishing Creek t Nummy i Town or Green Splinter i Chief Nunimi would spend much time on an island now known as Nummy's Island just inside ol Hereford Inlet above the Anglesea area Here, ac cording to record, was his favorite place to fish and relax THERE SEEMS to be no record of Chief Nunimi having a wife or family, but there is record of a sister known as Snowflowei* Snowflower in 1696 married Benajah Thompson a British missionary who came into the area to teach

English to the Indians He changed Snowflower's name to Prudence and after having several children. Prudence Snowl lower died Ben Thompson later -married a French woman ami let! ihe area, the children were lett wilh Chiel Nunimi who raised them It. is also recorded that stake ol the decendants of Snowflower still live in the county After the death of Chiel Nunimi in 1690. fee tribal chiefs met in cflhcil It was decided they Jft longer could stay withoffa chiel to lead and guidWhem in * the land ol the white man On the followingjfriay the migration to the west began Only a few rerqain ed behind . hb Chief Nunimi laidjo_^^ rest secretly, so that hi^ re mains would not j|| disturb ed Even today, in spite ot many searches, his resting place has not been found Theories by many say he lies in a burial .grove oil Route 47 near Rio Grande Others say he lies on his favorite island at Herelord Inlet Some say his descendants know his location, and if they do. I am sure they would not reveal thai site 1 for one. should I ever discover that secret, sincerely doubt that anyone else w ill ever know * King Nummy. may you rest in peace ED NOTE Mncevich amateur histomSn. free lance writer aU profet sional illustrator, divides his time between homes in Philadelphia and Villas

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