Native American Explains Tribal Lore, As Many Pass ‘Western Door’ Much Is Lost

COURT HOUSE – Chief Robert Redfeather Stevenson spoke April 23 at the Museum of Cape May County to share the history of the Native American people who, more than 10,000 years ago, made their home in what we now call Cape May County.
As a tribal legend keeper, Redfeather nearing his 80th birthday, from Town Bank, grew up on Long Island, N.Y. and in Woodbury, N.Y. He served in the Korean War in the Air Force and made many forays in Europe and the Pacific. Redfeather’s mother went through the “Western Door” when she was 104 years old and her father passed away when he was 98.
The matriarch of Redfeather’s clan died when she was 102 years old so he has had the benefit of exceptional longevity in hearing and absorbing tribal lore and history.
Redfeather has spent most of his adult years sharing the oral history of his tribe and the Native American culture, which was here in Cape May County before European settlers ever arrived.
Redfeather’s tribal affiliation is through his mother with her tribe being the Montaukett and his father who was of the Lenni Lenape. Both these tribes formed part of the vast Algonquin nation that covered territory from the north in Canada to the Carolinas and as far was as the Mississippi River.
To the gathered group that assembled around an open fire, Redfeather said he would purify the site by burning sweet grass and sage in a shell and then diffusing the smoke with a feather over participants. He also lit a long pipe and then blew its smoke in the four directions of the Earth (east, south, west, and north) to begin his talk.
Redfeather explained that there are many misconceptions about Native Americans that have been perpetuated in history books and are still thought of as true. For example, the Algonquin were composed of many different small clans that were grouped under animals from the totem, such as turkey or wolf.
The clans that were considered as family units formed tribes and then larger communities of nations, which understood the same language and even had a sign language network (although each used their own dialect).
This common language formed part of the Native American’s written history that was recorded on wampum and sticks rather than on paper.
Native Americans also had extensive and complex systems of roadways and navigational paths on land and sea and were peaceful given to aggression only on rare occasions to work out a conflict.
“Our values were handed down to us from the Grandmother and Grandfather who received them from the Ancients,” explained Redfeather. “Since the men of each clan needed to hunt and gather for survival, it was decided that it was better for the women of each clan to take charge of tribal affairs, they were in essence the backbone of our nation.”
Redfeather continued his talk by noting, “Native Americans, long before the Europeans arrived, had a democratic system of organization with vote taking. No positions were hereditary; all were chosen by consensus based on the person’s abilities and contributions. We were all always of the same understanding that everything must be in unity to function, that we must be in synchronization with the understanding we receive from the Creator.”
Redfeather strongly emphasized the philosophy of all Native Americans that the Earth’s resources are not to be squandered and to remember and regret that “wanton destruction” of the Europeans when they arrived to Native American soil caused horrendous damage to “beautiful land, with mild climate and abundant resources where all could live very well.
“Everywhere nature’s waters were teeming with fish such as striped bass, drum and trout, many of these species we don’t even see anymore. The woods teemed with animals all edible and because of interest in making a profit so much has been destroyed, rather than conserving what the Creator has given to us. Over the last two months there have been many instances of the West Wind trying to restore balance through tornadoes for example and this is linked to global warming,” lamented Redfeather.
In answer to a question from a participant about how Native American history will continue to be available and shared, Redfeather said, “So many have gone through the Western Door, not many are left, and I believe much will be lost.”
And while there are still remnants of the Lenni Lenape in Cape May County even today, “most if not all have been assimilated into ‘European’ ways so that it will be very difficult in a few years to remember the contributions of the Native Americans here. That is why this program and others in the future that the County’s Museum is organizing are so important,” he said.
Redfeather has been honored for his work to preserve Native American history and was the 2013 recipient of the Native American Indian Alliance Award from Woodbury, N.Y.
Redfeather has pledged to continue his efforts to preserve his and his ancestors’ invaluable legacies for as long as he is able.
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.