Editing Lenape People (section)

== Diaspora and Legacy ==

By the mid-18th century, most Lenape had been displaced from the Philadelphia region, pushed westward into the Ohio Valley and beyond. Subsequent forced migrations during the 18th and 19th centuries scattered the Lenape across North America. Today, the largest Lenape communities are the Delaware Nation and Delaware Tribe of Indians, both based in Oklahoma, and the Stockbridge-Munsee Community in Wisconsin. The Ramapough Lenape Nation maintains a presence in New Jersey and New York.<ref name="kraft"/>

Despite their physical displacement, the Lenape left an indelible mark on Philadelphia and the surrounding region. Numerous place names derive from the Lenape language, including [[Manayunk]] (meaning "place to drink"), [[Wissahickon]] (meaning "catfish creek"), Passyunk, and Schuylkill. The diagonal streets that cut across Philadelphia's grid—including Ridge Avenue and Germantown Avenue—follow the paths of ancient Lenape trails. Archaeological sites throughout the city continue to yield evidence of Lenape occupation, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and other institutions preserve artifacts and records related to Lenape history.<ref name="encyclopedia"/>

In recent decades, there has been growing recognition of and interest in Lenape heritage in Philadelphia. The Lenape Center, based in New York, works to educate the public about Lenape history and culture. Land acknowledgments recognizing the Lenape as the original inhabitants of the region have become common at public events and institutions throughout Philadelphia. These efforts represent a small but meaningful step toward honoring the people who called this land home for millennia before the founding of Philadelphia.<ref name="lenapcenter">{{cite web |url=https://thelenapecenter.com/ |title=The Lenape Center |access-date=December 29, 2025}}</ref>