Churchville Nature Center
The Lenape Village at CNC
What is The Lenape Village?
Of all the educational offerings provided by Churchville Nature Center, perhaps the most unique is our Lenape Village: a hands-on, outdoor history exhibit that gives students and members of the community the opportunity to experience some of the life history and skills utilized by pre-European contact Native Americans.
We provide programming for schools, scouts, and private groups to learn about the pre-contact daily lives of the Lenape People. Topics include: hunting, fire making, horticulture, food & cooking, cordage, and family life. Each topic is presented as stations that are navigated around throughout the program which is led by one of our dedicated Lenape Educators.
Book a Program
Are you looking to schedule your class, camp, or group for a program? Please contact us using the information below and a staff member will assist you.
215-357-4005 ext. 5035
*Please Note: School Reservations begin May 1 for the following school year. Book early to reserve your fun, educational experience!*
Learn More About the Program
If you are interested in learning more about the Lenape Village Program, please look through the brochure below. In it you will find pricing and descriptions of the different stations our educators demonstrate.
Village History
Founding
Since inception, the Churchville Nature Center has kept educating the public about indigenous peoples as one of our core tenets.
Bill Burford and Chief Bill Thompson, both of Native American descent with Thompson being the local Lenape Chief, began CNC's long history of educational programming for pre-contact indigenous cultures.
Their advocacy on the importance of teaching about the Lenape people and other indigenous tribes led to the 1986 dedication of the Native American Grove, now Lenape Village, in their honor.
The Native American Grove was founded with two goals in mind:
1. To provide a factual, outdoor museum representing Lenape life at contact period time.
2. To provide an educational/hands-on experience for the public and local school systems, focusing on Lenape life and primitive skills.
Today
We continue to provide a balanced curriculum that is educational, fun, and respectful to the Lenape people. Our program was developed over many years, with input from Native Americans, researchers, and historical experts to ensure educational accuracy.
We hope that we can continue to teach about the Lenape people long into the future. As stewards of the Churchville Preserve, and as educators who advocate for the preservation of the natural world, we believe that there are many lessons we can take from the Lenape and other native peoples. We should all strive to be a bit more in balance and in-tune with nature and all its splendor!
If you would like to be a part of preserving our program for future generations to learn from and enjoy, please consider making a tax-deductible donation for the Lenape Village at the link below.
Marge Custer
Marge was our beloved, longtime Lenape Village Director who was instrumental in developing the renowned educational program we have today. Starting in 1995 until her passing in 2021, she oversaw the growth and development of the village for 26 years. Her passion and wisdom inspired generations of students and all those who knew her.
The Lenape People
The Lenape
For thousands of years prior to European colonization, the Lenni Lenape, or Delaware, were the original inhabitants of the Delaware River Valley and its surrounding area.
They possessed a robust culture that spread across the Northeastern woodlands where they had established many independent, matrilineal clans. While loosely connected politically, clans shared a common culture that emphasized respect for, and close bonds with their lands. Sustainable agriculture, hunting, and fishing practices allowed them to thrive in the Lenapehoking for almost 10,000 years until the arrival of European colonists.
While some groups remained in the east, such as Bill Thompson's family, most were forced a thousand miles away from their home to western reservations and into Canada for over 250 years after European colonization.

Today many of the names of waterways, towns, and other places in our region are derived from the two Lenape language dialects: Unami and Munsee. Examples include Conshohocken, Manayunk, Neshaminy, Unami Ridge, Wissahickon, Pennypack, Tohickon, and the Susquehanna. The name Lenni Lenape itself translates to "the real people," in their native languages, which today have very few speakers left.
We encourage all to research deeper into the rich histories, cultures, and modern legacies of the Lenape and other indigenous peoples of North and South America.
The Lenape people once inhabited a territory, known as the Lenapehoking, from what is now New York to Delaware. Today, Lenape communities reside in Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Nikater, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons