Kechemeche
Encyclopedia
Kechemeche is the name of a Lenape
tribe of Native American
s that lived in the area generally known today as the southern portion of Cape May County
, New Jersey
, an area bounded on one side by the Atlantic Ocean
, and the Delaware River
Bay on another.
The Kechemeche were first encountered in approximately the year 1600 by European colonists who found the natives to be generally friendly and cooperative. By 1735 the Kechemeche were no longer a viable population, through losses from illness and disease, from being absorbed into the occupying colonial population, and by settling elsewhere, including joining other tribes.
Eventually, remaining Kechemeche were relocated to Oklahoma
by the U.S. government, along with other Lenape
tribes, where they remain to this day.
, squash, and beans. In Kechemeche society, women did the growing of crops, the cooking and other household and child-rearing chores, while the men were generally responsible for maintaining security and for providing meat for their families through hunting. Since the tribe was located so close to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean
and the Delaware Bay
, the netting and trapping of fish and clamming formed part of their occupation.
Deer and small game were plentiful in the local pine forests, and the Kechemeche hunters would trap and kill the deer
by setting fires to the underbrush to drive the deer into pre-arranged traps, where they would be killed and used as fresh meat or preserved through smoking or salting. Also, the deer carcass provided other products such as leather
, horn
s, etc.
The Kechemeche lived in villages consisting of wigwams, as opposed to teepees. If the village was large enough it could contain a wooden longhouse and even defensive palisades
. During leisure hours, tribe members performed beading and weaving
, creating products which could be used in trade with other tribes. They also created wampum
out of white and purple shell beads, and used the wampum
for trading. Since the Kechemeche had access to the Delaware River
, they often traveled the river in their bark and dugout canoes in order to trade and communicate with other tribes. Trails led throughout the area, and in the northern part of what is now a county the Kechemeche gathered tuckahoe
, a type of root, which they converted into a substance that served as flour
.
Visiting other tribes, some distant, was important for the Kechemeche, since story telling was an important element of entertainment in the Kechemeche lifestyle. Because of the tribe's isolation and lack of a written historical or contemporary record, news or gossip of happenings in other tribes, as well as tales of their own ancestors, was always welcomed by all members of the tribe.
Kechemeche men wore minimal headdress, with perhaps some beads and only a feather or two. The women wore their hair in braids and wore knee-length skirts. Men wore deerskin breechcloth
and leggings, but did not generally cover their chests, which, in many cases, were adorned with tattoos. In cold weather, men would cover their chests with deerskin capes. Both sexes wore deerskin moccasins. Warriors shaved their head or wore what would now be considered a "mohawk
" haircut. In times of conflict, a warrior employued bow and arrow, war club, and often a shield.
Since the Kechemeche lived close to the shores of Delaware Bay
, they collected what are now known as "Cape May diamonds
," or tumbled quartz
, along the beaches. These they considered to have supernatural
powers and used them for trading with other tribes, as well as with European settlers.
Colonial settlers were eager to trade with the Kechemeche, who provided valuable pelts
of beaver, deer, bear and otter in exchange for common European products such as beads, bottles, cook ware, guns, and knives.
The Kechemeche, like other members of the Lenni-Lenape, believed that land was to be used, not owned, which created a philosophical conflict, as well as misunderstandings, between the Kechemeche and the settlers. In addition, the Kechemeche generally required approximately one square mile for hunting and for providing meat for a family unit. As a result, growth of colonial area eventually caused sufficient conflict that various treaties were found necessary in order to come to final agreement on land use.
group, later named the Delaware by some historians. The Lenape nation consisted of three major divisions, or clans:
The Kechemeche were part of the Pullaook (Turkey) clan, which reported to the Lenape
subchief, termed "sakima
," who resided in the Trenton
area.
of Lenape.
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
tribe of Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
s that lived in the area generally known today as the southern portion of Cape May County
Cape May County, New Jersey
-Climate:Being the southernmost point in New Jersey, Cape May has fairly mild wintertime temperatures. Contrary to that, the summertime has lower temperatures than most places in the state, making the county a popular place to escape the heat. It is in zone 7a/7b, which is the same as parts of...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, an area bounded on one side by the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, and the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
Bay on another.
The Kechemeche were first encountered in approximately the year 1600 by European colonists who found the natives to be generally friendly and cooperative. By 1735 the Kechemeche were no longer a viable population, through losses from illness and disease, from being absorbed into the occupying colonial population, and by settling elsewhere, including joining other tribes.
Eventually, remaining Kechemeche were relocated to Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
by the U.S. government, along with other Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
tribes, where they remain to this day.
Life
The colonial settlers described the Kechemeche as a robust, healthy people, who hunted and grew crops, such as cornMaize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, squash, and beans. In Kechemeche society, women did the growing of crops, the cooking and other household and child-rearing chores, while the men were generally responsible for maintaining security and for providing meat for their families through hunting. Since the tribe was located so close to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and the Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay is a major estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the Northeast seaboard of the United States whose fresh water mixes for many miles with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is in area. The bay is bordered by the State of New Jersey and the State of Delaware...
, the netting and trapping of fish and clamming formed part of their occupation.
Deer and small game were plentiful in the local pine forests, and the Kechemeche hunters would trap and kill the deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
by setting fires to the underbrush to drive the deer into pre-arranged traps, where they would be killed and used as fresh meat or preserved through smoking or salting. Also, the deer carcass provided other products such as leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
, horn
Horn (anatomy)
A horn is a pointed projection of the skin on the head of various animals, consisting of a covering of horn surrounding a core of living bone. True horns are found mainly among the ruminant artiodactyls, in the families Antilocapridae and Bovidae...
s, etc.
The Kechemeche lived in villages consisting of wigwams, as opposed to teepees. If the village was large enough it could contain a wooden longhouse and even defensive palisades
Palisades
A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure.Palisade or Palisades also may refer to:-Geology:United States...
. During leisure hours, tribe members performed beading and weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
, creating products which could be used in trade with other tribes. They also created wampum
Wampum
Wampum are traditional, sacred shell beads of the Eastern Woodlands tribes of the indigenous people of North America. Wampum include the white shell beads fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell; and the white and purple beads made from the quahog, or Western North Atlantic...
out of white and purple shell beads, and used the wampum
Wampum
Wampum are traditional, sacred shell beads of the Eastern Woodlands tribes of the indigenous people of North America. Wampum include the white shell beads fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell; and the white and purple beads made from the quahog, or Western North Atlantic...
for trading. Since the Kechemeche had access to the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
, they often traveled the river in their bark and dugout canoes in order to trade and communicate with other tribes. Trails led throughout the area, and in the northern part of what is now a county the Kechemeche gathered tuckahoe
Wolfiporia extensa
Wolfiporia extensa Ginns is a fungus in the Polyporaceae family. It is a wood-decay fungus but has a terrestrial growth habit. It is notable in the development of a large, long-lasting underground sclerotium that resembles a small coconut...
, a type of root, which they converted into a substance that served as flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
.
Visiting other tribes, some distant, was important for the Kechemeche, since story telling was an important element of entertainment in the Kechemeche lifestyle. Because of the tribe's isolation and lack of a written historical or contemporary record, news or gossip of happenings in other tribes, as well as tales of their own ancestors, was always welcomed by all members of the tribe.
Kechemeche men wore minimal headdress, with perhaps some beads and only a feather or two. The women wore their hair in braids and wore knee-length skirts. Men wore deerskin breechcloth
Breechcloth
A breechcloth, or breechclout, is a form of loincloth consisting in a strip of material – usually a narrow rectangle – passed between the thighs and held up in front and behind by a belt or string. Often, the flaps hang down in front and back.- Native Americans :In most Native American...
and leggings, but did not generally cover their chests, which, in many cases, were adorned with tattoos. In cold weather, men would cover their chests with deerskin capes. Both sexes wore deerskin moccasins. Warriors shaved their head or wore what would now be considered a "mohawk
Mohawk hairstyle
The mohawk is a hairstyle in which, in the most common variety, both sides of the head are shaven, leaving a strip of noticeably longer hair...
" haircut. In times of conflict, a warrior employued bow and arrow, war club, and often a shield.
Since the Kechemeche lived close to the shores of Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay is a major estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the Northeast seaboard of the United States whose fresh water mixes for many miles with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is in area. The bay is bordered by the State of New Jersey and the State of Delaware...
, they collected what are now known as "Cape May diamonds
Cape May diamonds
Cape May diamonds are quartz pebbles found on the beaches of Cape May Point, New Jersey. The pebbles are sometimes collected, cut and polished to resemble diamonds, then sold locally as souvenirs. Cape May diamonds are usually collected by beach combing and are most abundant at Higbee and Sunset...
," or tumbled quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
, along the beaches. These they considered to have supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
powers and used them for trading with other tribes, as well as with European settlers.
Colonial settlers were eager to trade with the Kechemeche, who provided valuable pelts
Fur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
of beaver, deer, bear and otter in exchange for common European products such as beads, bottles, cook ware, guns, and knives.
The Kechemeche, like other members of the Lenni-Lenape, believed that land was to be used, not owned, which created a philosophical conflict, as well as misunderstandings, between the Kechemeche and the settlers. In addition, the Kechemeche generally required approximately one square mile for hunting and for providing meat for a family unit. As a result, growth of colonial area eventually caused sufficient conflict that various treaties were found necessary in order to come to final agreement on land use.
Lineage
The Kechemeche were a tribe in the LenapeLenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
group, later named the Delaware by some historians. The Lenape nation consisted of three major divisions, or clans:
- the Took-seat, which meant Wolf, or Round Paw, also known as the Munsee, and which settled in North New Jersey and Southern New York.
- the Pokekooungo, which meant Turtle, or Crawling, also known as the northern UnamiUnamiUnami may refer to:*the Lenape language, or its sublanguage the Unami language*Unami Creek*the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq *the Unami Lodge...
, and populated Central New Jersey and parts of Pennsylvania. - the Pullaook, which meant Turkey, or Non-Chewing, also known as the southern UnamiUnamiUnami may refer to:*the Lenape language, or its sublanguage the Unami language*Unami Creek*the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq *the Unami Lodge...
, which settled in South New Jersey. - A fourth clan evolved, but broke up and was absorbed by the other three.
The Kechemeche were part of the Pullaook (Turkey) clan, which reported to the Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
subchief, termed "sakima
Sakima
Sakima may refer to:*Allowat Sakima, the chief of the Lenni Lenape* Sakima, the Japanese saboteur who fights the actor David Bacon in the movie series The Masked Marvel* An African American name meaning "king"....
," who resided in the Trenton
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
area.
Language
The Kechemeche spoke the Unami dialectUnami language
Unami is an extinct Algonquian language formerly spoken by Lenape people in what is now the lower Hudson Valley area and New York Harbor area, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware, but later in Ontario and Oklahoma. It is one of the two Delaware languages, the other being Munsee...
of Lenape.