Shè Yu Wëski Kèku
Here Is Something New . . . Told by Lucy Parks Blalock
Alahòtuwàk
They All Hunted . . . Told by Nora Thompson Dean in 1968
Mikwëna Tëlekhikàn Pwètanehëmaok Lënapeyunkahke
William Penn's Letter to the Pennsylvania Indians . . . Sent from London on October 18, 1681 . . . Translated by Nora Thompson Dean in 1981.
Moni Ta Nëni
That Is Money . . . Told by Willie Longbone (1867 - 1946) to linguist Carl Voegelin in 1939. Original title was First Money, and it is copied from an old phonograph record. This anecdote was transcribed by Jim Rementer, and re-edited by linguist Ives Goddard.
Wàni Lënape Elixsit
The Language of the Delawares . . . Told by James C. Webber (1877 - 1950) to anthropologist Frank Speck in 1928. It is copied from an old phonograph record which is in the Library of the American Philosophical Society. It is probably the earliest recording of the Lenape language. This talk was re-edited by linguist Ives Goddard. Where there are skips on the record we use *** to indicate that a word or part of a word is missing.
Na Lënu Òk Nèl Mwekaneyëma
The Man and His Dog . . . Told by Nora Thompson Dean in 1967
Na Elais Kahta Alai
The Hunter Wanted to Go Hunting . . . Told by Lucy Parks Blalock
Mësinkw . . . Told by Ollie Beaver Anderson to Bruce Pearson in 1969, and edited by Ives Goddard
The Mesinkw
Enta Kahta Wëlahëlat Awèni
When One Wants to Marry Someone . . . Told by Bessie Snake (1896 - 1999) to Nora Thompson Dean, Bruce Pearson and Jim Rementer in 1978. Bessie was a member of the Delaware Tribe of Western Oklahoma (now The Delaware Nation).
Tànkitìch Ktahaki Kmilihëna
Give Us a Little Piece of Your Land . . . Told by Bessie Snake (1896 - 1999) to Nora Thompson Dean, Bruce Pearson and Jim Rementer in 1978. Bessie was a member of the Delaware Tribe of Western Oklahoma (now the Delaware Nation). This is sometimes called the Cutting The Hide story.
Jesus Eluwèt
The Lord's Prayer . . . Told by Nora Thompson Dean in 1967. A similar version was given by Nora when she was invited to do so by the Delawares on the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario at the re-dedication of the Chapel of the Delaware in 1970.
Lënapei Kwëtëlëtuwakàna
Delaware Corrections and Sayings . . . . Told by Nora Thompson Dean. There are a number of corrections, taboos, and sayings in Lenape. As some are a bit lengthy they are numbered as 1a, 1b, etc. to show that they continue the correction.
Alëmskakw!
You People Leave! . . . Told by Nora Thompson Dean in 1984. A group from American Playhouse contacted Nora because they were doing a docudrama called Roanoak and wanted some lines of dialogue in Lenape which they were told was the closest related Indian language still spoken and they wanted something authentic. Nora received the script with the lines to be translated. She completed the work and made an audiotape of the Lenape for the film.
Kuxëna Kishelëmienk
Our Father Who Created Us . . . Prayer by Nora Dean It was on University Forum Television at the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma in October 1980. Anthropologist Terry Prewitt also took part in the videotaped interviews which were two one-half hour shows discussing many things about the Lenape people. The hostess was Francine Ringold and she asked Nora to close with a Lenape prayer.
Kukwèthakèxtun Eluwèt
What WhiteEyes Said . . . Translated by Nora Thompson Dean for linguist Bruce Pearson in 1968. Bruce asked Nora to translate a speech supposedly by Capt. WhiteEyes in retort to comments by Capt. Pipe. The speech was found in a book titled Charles Killbuck which was published in 1902.
Osële ènta Tekëna
Light in the Forest . . . Told by Nora Thompson Dean in 1963. In this recording she is reading to her father, James Thompson, who was 95 years old and had poor vision. She was reading from the novel The Light in the Forest written by Conrad Richter in 1953. In 1958 Walt Disney produced a movie based on the book and with the same title. Nora translated the story into Lenape as she read it in English. This is not a line by line translation but rather more in the form of a synopsis of the story. Recorded by Jim Rementer.
Nsùkwis Nshinkalùkw
My Mother-in-Law Hates Me . . . Told by Martha Ellis to Nora Thompson Dean, Bruce Pearson, and Jim Rementer in 1977. Martha was a member of the Delaware Tribe of Western Oklahoma (now the Delaware Nation).
Patamaok Xinkwikaonink
They Prayed in the Big House Church . . . Told by Nora Thompson Dean to Bruce Pearson and Jim Rementer in 1968. The story says the Delawares had stopped their annual meeting but some events that happened, probably in Indiana, caused them to revive it.
Nati Knuchihëweokàn!
Go Get Your Witch Medicine . . .
Told by Nora Thompson Dean to Bruce Pearson and Jim Rementer in 1968. This story tells of one of the lowest points in Lenape history when they had been forced to move to Indiana. People were trying to find who should be blamed and some were accused of using witchcraft. The woman in the story named Kaltas was a Lenape also know as Caritas or Ann Charity (1736 - 1806)