Event – Detail

This presentation explores the enduring presence and living traditions of the Lenape people, emphasizing the deep cultural connections that have withstood centuries of displacement, disruption, and change. Highlighting stories of survival, adaptation, and revitalization, it traces the continuity of Lenape language, ceremonies, values, and community ties from ancestral homelands in the East to present-day Lenape communities across the United States and Canada. Through historical insight, contemporary initiatives, and personal narratives, Lenape: Cultural Continuity and Connection invites audiences to understand the ways in which Lenape culture remains vibrant, resilient, and rooted in connection—to land, to ancestors, and to future generations.

Q&A and refreshments to follow.

Jeremy Johnson is the Cultural Education Director of the Delaware Tribe of Indians based in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. He is Lenape, Absentee Shawnee and Peoria. Before his current role, he served as Assistant Chief of the Delaware Tribe. Jeremy is a lifelong educator who worked for over eighteen years as a middle school and high school English teacher and coach. He is committed to preserving and revitalizing Lenape culture and language for the future generations of his tribe.

This program is presented as part of Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia's 2025 Fall Speaker Series hosted at The Athenaeum of Philadelphia. Athenaeum members have been emailed a discount code for registration. To receive it again, contact us at events@PhilaAthenaeum.org.