New Jersey, from the discovery of Scheyichbi to recent times . of the old histories, a womanappeared in the double character ofpeacemaker and guardian angel. Among the Lenni-Lenape, as wellas the other tribes of North America,women often had a peculiar part toplay in national and social affairs. Ifever the services of a peacemaker weredesired, that position was always givento a woman. It was considered deroga-tory to the dignity of a male Indian that he should atany time, of his own accord, desire peace. He and hisenemy might both be thoroughly tired of fighting; butneither of them would lower
New Jersey, from the discovery of Scheyichbi to recent times . of the old histories, a womanappeared in the double character ofpeacemaker and guardian angel. Among the Lenni-Lenape, as wellas the other tribes of North America,women often had a peculiar part toplay in national and social affairs. Ifever the services of a peacemaker weredesired, that position was always givento a woman. It was considered deroga-tory to the dignity of a male Indian that he should atany time, of his own accord, desire peace. He and hisenemy might both be thoroughly tired of fighting; butneither of them would lower himself in his own esti-mation, and in the estimation of his countrymen, byallowing any man to know the state of his mind. But he did not in the least object to tell his wife thathe wanted to stop fighting; and she, very gladly inmost cases, would confer with the wife of the otherbrave; and when they had concluded peace, the twomen would immediately sit down together, smoke thecalumet, and be good friends; and all this without theslightest loss of Indian Tam-tam 21 This method of making peace was pursued not only byindividuals, but by nations. Very often women had thisimportant political duty thrust upon them, — a duty forwhich they were probably very well qualified, for it isseldom that the women of a nation desire war. This national disposition in regard to peacemakingwas once the occasion of a serious misfortune to thetribe of Lenni-Lenape. The tribes to the north, whohad formed themselves into a powerful body called theFive Nations, had long been jealous of their neighborsthe Lenni-Lenape, and contrived a plan to humiliatethem, and render them less important in the eyes of theIndian world. Being at war with some other tribes,these Five Nations came to the Lenni-Lenape and pre-tended to desire peace, but stated that this was tooimportant a case to be managed by women. Theydeclared that this was a great work, which should begiven only into the hands of a quiet, d
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1896
