
Mission:
To remember and honor the first residents of Wysquaqua,
now known as Dobbs Ferry: the Lenape people.
The Bronx Borough President explains.


Buttonhook Forest is a 20.3-acre hilltop woodland forest located in Chappaqua, NY—just 40 miles north of New York City — home to a newly discovered ancient Indigenous ceremonial site, endangered species, and a critical NYC Reservoir watershed. Friends of Buttonhook Forest (FoBF), a nonprofit formed in 2022, is partnering with the Brothertown Indian Nation (BIN) to purchase and preserve this irreplaceable site. The shared goal: return this land to Indigenous stewardship and protect it for generations to come.

The National Hall of Fame has bronze busts mounted outdoors. The Hall of Fame, which has free admission and is staffed by volunteers, features busts of 41 Native Americans from various tribes to honor their contributions and place in American history.
Those honored include three from the Lenape Nation: Roberta Campbell Lawson, Chief Tamanend, and Black Beaver.
Explore the fascinating history of Wickers Creek, an untouched midden that whispers the stories of the Munsee people. This video takes you back 7,000 years to a time when the Hudson River transformed, becoming a haven for life and innovation. Discover how the Munsee adapted to their environment, crafting tools and sharing meals that left behind silent signatures of their existence. Through rich storytelling and atmospheric music, we delve into legends of creation, resilience, and the ongoing connection to the land. Join us for a reflective journey into the past and the enduring legacy of a remarkable people.
Plans proceed for a proposed 550-mile byway which will run from New York City to Niagara Falls. It will include Route 9 in Westchester County. We are reminded of the role that the indigenous people of North America played. They assisted and provided sanctuary to runaway enslaved people. They often risked their own lives to help freedom seekers cross into Canada safely. FOWCAS urges more scholarly research, particularly in regards to events in New York State, so that the full story can be celebrated along the byway.
The indigenous people who inhabited the land that became Philadelphia were the Lenape (also Lenni Lenape; their English moniker was “Delaware”); they were displaced by Quakers and other religious minorities that settled the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the late 17th and 18th centuries.
An investigation into the sophisticated civilization established by the Lenape, long before the first colonists ever arrived. Also, life in the 1770s as Americans confronted winter and the Revolutionary War.
We thank The Rivertowns Enterprise editor for permission to reprint this story which originally appeared in the December 2, 2022 edition.
Lenape tribe member delivers history lesson.net (pdf)
DownloadPhilipse Manor Hall State Historic Site provides visitors with a balanced approach to interpreting the lives of Indigenous, European, and African people at PMH to understand the complex relationships that took place at the Manor from the earliest days of the Dutch Colony of New Netherland to the American Revolution and beyond.
FOWCAS is pleased to provide a treasure trove of resource materials regarding the indigenous people of this area. We are grateful to Frederick Charles for sharing this.
Sue Galloway's Letter to the Editor
Download PDFA special message from the descendants of the first inhabitants of Wysquaqua (Dobbs Ferry).
We thank The Rivertowns Enterprise and editor Tim Lamorte for their permission to reprint the first two articles. The third article first appeared in The Ferryman, the newsletter of the Dobbs Ferry Historical Society.
New York Times article from October 19, 2017
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