Nanticoke Indian Association
| Type | 501(c)(3) organization |
|---|---|
| 51-0261316 | |
| Headquarters | Millsboro, Delaware |
| Location |
|
| Membership | 500+ |
Official language | English |
| Website | www |
The Nanticoke Indian Association is a group of Nanticoke who have their headquarters in Millsboro, Delaware. They organized and were recognized by the state as a legal entity in 1881, known as the Independent Body. They were recognized as a Native American tribe by the state of Delaware in 1922.[1]
The Nanticoke Indian Association is one of two state-recognized Native American groups in Delaware, the other being the Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware. Neither has been recognized as a tribe by the federal government.
Formation of the Incorporated Body
In 1875, the state of Delaware passed "An Act To Tax Colored Persons For The Support Of Their Schools". At this time, Nanticoke Indian Association people were not allowed to form a school for members of their own community, and had to pay taxes for schools that their children did not attend. Because of this, members of the Nanticoke Indian Association began to form what would soon be called the Incorporated Body.[2] "This was a non tribal group of thirty-one Indian descendants who had volunteered to fight for the common cause and to pool their funds to support separate schools for their children". On March 10, 1881, the Incorporated Body was recognized as a legal entity by the state of Delaware. Surnames among their 31 members were Harmon, Wright, Norwood, Clark, Street, Johnson, Kimmey and Drain. These are still common in Sussex County today, and anyone wanting to be a member of the Nanticoke Indian Association must prove descent from one or more of them.
Through this action, Nanticoke Indian Association members were legally recognized as a third racial group in the state of Delaware. Historically, some members of the Nanticoke Indian Association and the Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware were known as the Delaware Moors and had community ties with the Moors of Bridgeton, New Jersey, descendants of whom are now part of the state-recognized Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation.[3] The Nanticoke Indian Association was allowed to erect two schools for children, aged seven through twenty one. The Corporation first built the Harmon School.
Before a local public school was completed, African-American teachers and students were also assigned to the Harmon School. Nanticoke Indian Association parents pulled their children out and opened a mission school, wanting to pass on their own culture. In 1922 the tribal descendants organized the Nanticoke Indian Association and gained state recognition as a separate people.[4] In the late 1970s, they took over the Harmon School and adapted it for use as the Nanticoke Indian Museum.
Association government:
The group elects a chief as leader. In 2002 Kenneth S. "Red Deer" Clark Sr. (1930-2015), the head chief of the association, resigned in protest because of actions by other members. He felt they were shortsighted and not beneficial to all members. One of the main issues was over how large the annual pow-wow should be and how much association members should participate in preparations for the pow-wow.[5]
Notable people
- Lydia Clark
- James Young Deer, actor
See also
References
- ^ "The backstory on the Nanticoke Indian Tribe". The News Journal. delawareonline.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2008.
- ^ https://www.nanticokeindians.org/page/nanticoke-flag
- ^ "The History of the Lenape Tribe". MilfordLive.com. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
- ^ Weslager, Clinton (1983). The Nanticoke Indians Past and Present. Associated University Presses, Inc. pp. 216–218. ISBN 0874131790.
- ^ "Chief Resigns", accessed 8 Oct 2009
Further reading
- Waldman, Carl. Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes. (New York: Checkmark Books, 2006) p. 183.
External links
- Official website, Nanticoke Indian Association