DELAWARE STATE - Delaware's history is deeply intertwined with the Lenape (Delaware) and Nanticoke peoples. Because the state is geographically compact and centered around the Delaware River and Bay, its indigenous history is concentrated and profoundly maritime. Like its neighbors, "Delaware" is a colonial name—honoring Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr—but the land itself was known by names that reflected its position as the "cradle" of the Algonquian civilization.
Lenapehoking: The Birthplace of the People
The northern and central parts of Delaware were the heart of Lenapehoking, which translates to "Land of the Lenape" or "Land of the Original People." In the eyes of other Algonquian-speaking nations, the Lenape were considered the "Grandfathers," the root from which many other tribes originated.
- Lenape Sipu: This was the name for the Delaware River. Sipu means river, and the Lenape viewed this waterway as the lifeblood of their nation, connecting their northern mountain territories to the Atlantic.
- Poutaxat: This was the Lenape name for the Delaware Bay. It roughly translates to "At the Near-Water" or refers to the expansive, calming nature of the bay as it meets the ocean.
- Hockessin: Derived from the Lenape word hòkès, meaning "Pieces of Bark" or "Place of Many Hides," likely referring to a site used for curing skins or gathering resources.
The Nanticoke: People of the Tidewater
The southern part of Delaware, particularly around the Indian River and the Sussex County coastline, was the domain of the Nanticoke.
- Nentego: The Nanticoke called themselves the Nentego, which translates to "Tidewater People" or "People of the Tidewater." Their name perfectly encapsulates their lifestyle, which was almost entirely dictated by the ebb and flow of the Atlantic tides.
- Kuskarawaok: An early name recorded by explorers for the Nanticoke region, likely meaning "A Place of Making Shell Beads" (Wampum). Southern Delaware was a major manufacturing hub for the shell beads that served as currency and ceremonial records across the Eastern Seaboard.
- Mispillion: Derived from an indigenous term meaning "Great Waters" or "A Stream of Great Water," referring to the river that flows through Milford.
The Minquas: The "Treacherous" Neighbors
While not their primary home, the Minquas (the Dutch name for the Susquehannocks) frequently traveled through northern Delaware to trade with Europeans.
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Minquas Kill: This was the name for the Christina River. The Lenape and Europeans used this term to denote the "River of the Minquas," as it was a primary route for the powerful Susquehannocks to bring furs from the interior of Pennsylvania down to the coast.
Living Etymology: Delaware’s Indigenous Landmarks
The map of the "First State" is dotted with descriptive markers that tell us how the first inhabitants used the land:
- Appoquinimink: An Algonquian word meaning "Wounded Stream" or "Place of the Small River," referring to the creek near Odessa.
- Choptank: Though the river is in Maryland, the name (meaning "A Stream that Separates") originates from the groups that also inhabited the Delaware borderlands.
- Iron Hill: Known to the indigenous people as a source of jasper and quartz, used for making tools and arrowheads long before European iron mining began.
- Lums Pond: While the name is modern, the area was historically called "The Whale's Back" by local groups due to the unique shape of the ridge line.
Delaware’s indigenous legacy is one of maritime mastery. The names they left behind aren't just labels; they are a record of where to find "pieces of bark," where the "waters blend," and where the "original people" first established their home by the sea.
