History of Fairfield, NJ

Written by: Patrick W. Conahey Sr., RN, is a Fairfield Township committeeman. His blog appears each Tuesday here at Cumberland County Voices. You may write to him at TheCommitteeman@aol.com.

The Lenni Lenape Indians are known by the Algonkian Tribes as the Original People, Grandfather, or Men of Men, while the Nanticoke Indians are known as Tidewater People.

The descendants of these two tribes are still in existence and living in New Jersey, Delaware and throughout the United States. Native Americans live in the rural and suburban areas, and in all counties of Southern New Jersey.

The peace-loving Lenni-Lenape are considered the most ancient nation of the Algonquian Language Family. The Lenape are still called the Ancient Ones by many tribes, and are considered to be among the most ancient of the Northeastern Nations, spawning many of the tribes along the Northeastern seaboard. The Lenape were often called to settle disputes among neighboring tribal groups, and were admired by European colonists for their hospitality and diplomatic skills.

Because of continuing conflict with European settlers encroaching upon Tribal lands, many of the Tribes members were killed or removed from their homelands. Many either moved to Canada, Kansas, Oklahoma and other areas, or faced elimination. Some were able to continue to live in the homeland; however, they lived in constant fear. Those who remained survived through attempting to adapt to the dominant culture, becoming farmers and tradesmen.

Many Nanticoke-Lenape Indians embraced Christianity while not forgetting or devaluing many ancient tribal ways. In fact, it has been through several tribal congregations that Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape have been able to preserve their culture, maintain ties with nearby related tribal communities, and continue a form of tribal governance.

One of the historical tribal congregations, Saint John United Methodist Church of Fordville, New Jersey, has the distinction of being the only designated Native American Church in New Jersey by the United Methodist Church. By the 1900s, most of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribes population resided in and around Cumberland and Salem counties in New Jersey, remaining closely related to the isolated Nanticoke and Lenape tribal communities in Sussex and Kent counties in Delaware.

Since Native Americans were non-white, they were classified as colored. Native Americans were not allowed to own property of any kind, because they were not considered citizens of this land. It was not until Aug. 13, 1978, that Congress signed into law the American Indian Religious Freedom Act.

The Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribe, the largest American Indian Tribe in New Jersey, is governed by a nine-member elected Tribal Council. All council members must also be enrolled citizens of the tribe, which includes the requirement of having met the mandatory tribal Indian blood quantum and documenting core family ancestry.

In the fall of 1982, the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Indians of New Jersey received state recognition. On June 21, 1995, the tribe purchased 28 acres of ground on Wescott Station Road that they use for religious ceremonies and gatherings of the people.

Today, the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribe consists of over 3,000 enrolled citizens in over 1,500 households, with many more non-enrolled Nanticoke-Lenape descendants and extended family still living in Southern New Jersey and the surrounding area, who participate in tribal activities. According to the 2000 United States Census, an additional 9,000 non-enrolled tribal descendants also live in the Cumberland County area, which is a declared State Designated American Indian Statistical Area (SDAISA).

This is just a brief history of our tribal neighbors. I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I did researching it and discovering what a rich history is behind them. When you see a public event advertised for the tribe, where everyone is welcome to come, you should consider coming out. I have been to their colorful and richly entertaining Pow-Wows; where you would be in awe at their beautifully ornate costumes and dancing.

If I have over-looked anything important, please leave a comment below. On the 27th, my blog will be on Voting – You Civic Responsibility. It will be a non-partisan article aimed only at trying to get people to be pro-active in determining the future of our township.