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Lenape Talking Dictionary

By English WORD or PHRASE

By Lenape WORD or PHRASE

Wèmi Kèku Ahòt

Everything Is Difficult

In October 1977 Nora Thompson Dean (Touching Leaves) was invited to do a dedication ceremony for the Delaware Indian Resource Center at the Trailside Nature Museum in Cross River, New York. In addition to artifacts the museum also housed recordings and photographs made by Nicholas Shoumatoff and others during trips to Oklahoma to visit the Delawares. The ceremony was attended by about 800 people and others who accompanied Nora to this dedication were her cousin, Lucy Blalock, Nora’s daughter Louise, and nephew Jim Rementer. This is Nora’s talk in Lenape at the beginning of the ceremony.
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English:
First of all I’d like to welcome you all here. And I’m very glad to see so many of you here. My Indian name is Touching Leaves. So I would like to address my Delaware people at this time in my native language.
Lenape:
First of all I’d like to welcome you all here. And I’m very glad to see so many of you here. My Indian name is Touching Leaves. So I would like to address my Delaware people at this time in my native language.
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English:
On this day I want to do what the deceased Lenape
Lenape:
Yukweshè ènta kishkwik nkata lësin xuwi Lënapeyunkahke
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English:
When (unclear) long ago but now we have come to this time in our lives
Lenape:
ènta (unclear) lòmwe shëk yukwe ènta pètawsienkw
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English:
Everything is difficult because we have lost everything
Lenape:
Wèmi kèku ahòt èli ntànkhitunèn wèmi kèku.
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English:
Today because I can still carry it on
Lenape:
Yukwe ènta kishkwik ntëli kàski kwiakwi pëmëxòhtun
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English:
Today what our elders of long ago
Lenape:
Yukwe ènta kishkwik lòmwe kikayuyëmënaninkahe.
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English:
Now on this day I want to pray.
Lenape:
Yukwe yushe ènta kishkwik nkata patama.