On the Turtle's Back: Stories the Lenape Told Their Grandchildren

by Camilla Townsend, Nicky Kay Michael

The Lenape tribe, also known as the Delaware Nation, lived for centuries on the land that English colonists later called New Jersey. But once America gained its independence, they were forced to move further to Indiana, then Missouri, and finally to the territory that became Oklahoma. These reluctant migrants were not able to carry much from their ancestral homeland, but they managed to preserve the stories that had been passed down for generations. 
 
On the Turtle’s Back  is the first collection of Lenape folklore, originally compiled by anthropologist M. R. Harrington over a century ago but never published until now. In it, the Delaware share their cherished tales about the world’s creation, epic heroes, and ordinary human foibles. It features stories told to Harrington by two Lenape couples, Julius and Minnie Fouts and Charles and Susan Elkhair, who sought to officially record their legends before their language and cultural traditions died out. More recent interviews with Lenape elders are also included, as their reflections on hearing these stories as children speak to the status of the tribe and its culture today. Together, they welcome you into their rich and wondrous imaginative world. 

 

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Short Stories, Indigenous

250 pages, Paperback

Published September 15, 2023

About the author

Camilla Townsend (Ph.D., Rutgers University) is professor of history at Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ). Her special interest is in the relations between indigenous peoples and Europeans throughout the Americas.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was provided a free advanced copy of this book from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I am actually a registered member of the Lenape tribe! But have never been an active member and only visited the headquarters once. So when I came across this book on NetGalley, I requested it to learn more.
The stories are interesting, but sometimes hard to understand at times. I appreciated the author's attempt to tell the history of the tribe and keep the authenticity of the stories (kept some spelling mistakes and crossed our text).
If you are interested in the history of a native American tribe and their stories, definitely check this one out! It was published on Friday, so you can go ahead and get a copy!
#NetGalley #OnTheTurtlesBack

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the Turtle’s Back is an educational read that tells stories from the Lenape tribe, also know as the Delaware Nation. This isn’t just a read that passes down their tales. It also talks about their history. How they were moved from their homeland and then had to keep moving before they finally settled in Oklahoma. It dives into the history those those who were sharing these stories which I thought was an excellent way to really help connect with the stories more.

There was a strong will to have these stories be as authentic as possible. Nothing was cleaned up. There were grammar mistakes and words crossed out as they really transcribed what was written. I loved that aspect, but it also made it very difficult to read at times. There were some I really struggled with understanding what they were trying to get across.

Before each story, there is a little section that describes more about the story. The commentary gives more background that really helps the reader feel like they are gaining as much knowledge as possible about the Lenape.

If you are interested in the history of the Delaware Nation, I highly recommend that you check this one out.

[Jifu · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley)

This was an educational privilege to read. Not only does it share a large collection of Lenape stories as literally told by several members of the tribe, but the book also give background on the Lenape nations and includes sizable background and commentary for each individually story, making the book feel as historically and culturally comprehensive as it can be.

I'll be honest - my main quibble with it is that it makes me wish that similar works existed containing the stories of other tribes, not in the least the ones who inhabited and who continue to live in my own corner of the United States in Connecticut (Quinnipac, amongst others). But here's to hoping that others will follow similarly in the footsteps of On the Turtle's Back, and that we'll be seeing the collections of other tribes' tales published in the near future!

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a great deal about the Lenape nation by reading their stories. The authors' research was impressive but the unedited oral storytelling interrupted the flow.