Some tribal leaders are opposing a federal plan to move a statue of a Lenape chief two blocks in Philadelphia, with one official saying the tribe is “tired of moving it.”
A statue of Chief Tamanendo, who made peace with William Penn in 1682, now adorns the Interstate 95 on-ramp leading to the Old Town area.
The National Park Service now wants to move the statue to a more prominent location. The newly planned Tamanend Square is part of the renovation of historic Market Street, just two blocks away from the current less-than-ideal Statue House. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Despite the seemingly good intentions of federal officials, the plan is supported by Native American leaders.
“After more than 300 years of forced removal, this is just a metaphorical coercion from an area of our land,” said Jeremy Johnson, director of culture and education for the federally recognized Delaware Indian Tribe in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. It seems like migration,” he said. outlet.
Tribal leaders said Tamanendo was used by settlers to contract land sales because Native Americans did not believe or understand that land could be a salable asset, as it was in Europe. It claims to be the body.
Eventually, the Lenape were stripped of their land in the area and forced to move to Oklahoma.
A place where pedestrians cannot pass. associationforpublicart.org
“We’re tired of moving,” Johnson told the paper. “We have been told many times throughout history that we stand in the way of progress.”
The 1995 statue depicts Tamanend standing on a turtle with an eagle near his shoulder, symbolizing his clan’s connection to Earth and being a messenger of the Great Spirit.
Officials hope to have Market Street remodeled by 2026, in time for the U.S. 250th anniversary.
According to the plan, Tamanend Square will be anchored by a bronze statue at Second and Market Streets and connected to the existing park and redesigned corridor.
Those involved in the initiative claim that moving the statue will make it “more accessible”.
“We would like to move the statue from its current location,” said the president of the Independence Historical Trust, which is raising money for the project, and a leader at Philadelphia’s public radio station. Bill Marazzo said.
Marazzo reportedly hoped the statue “would be a monumental piece to educate people about Chief Tamenendo’s role in the founding of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
He told the newspaper that tribal groups considered interested parties, including the Delaware Indian Tribe, Delaware Nation and Nanticoke Lenni Lenape, have not yet reached an agreement.
News of the rift comes as New York’s Museum of Natural History removes famous Native American exhibits in accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, which mandates that stolen Native American artifacts and remains be returned to ancestors. It was reported when it was done.
