This is a two panel list about Lenape ribbonwork. The main purpose of this list is to present images of various ribbonwork patterns, and since many styles of ribbonwork had no special Lenape names they will not be given. The eighteenth century Delawares developed new decorative techniques using ribbons. These replaced the quillwork and possible use of paint as ornamentation, although quillwork continued to be used on moccasins until the late nineteenth century. The ribbonwork found on skirts and leggings of the Delaware is considered typical of the Woodlands as a whole although each tribe developed their own patterns. Research on the personal appearance of other Woodlands tribes is sketchy, but ribbons were mentioned by seventeenth century observers as hair ornaments. Their application in geometric designs was an eighteenth century development. The technique appears to be well developed by at least the 1770’s for the Delaware.

The silk ribbons used in native ribbonwork were used as trade items by traders in the 1700s if not earlier. When clothing decorated by ribbons went out of style in Europe the unwanted ribbons were exported to the Americas. Exactly when ribbonwork began is unknown, but by 1800 this unique style of decoration was seen among several woodland tribes Ribbonwork involves sewing strips of colored ribbon onto another base fabric and is used as a trim decoration on various clothing items. Patterns are created in the ribbonwork strip by cutting or folding the material and different levels of ribbons reveal many colors of cloth. The ribbonwork strip is created using two parts: an uncut base ribbon and a secondary cut or folded pattern ribbon. The secondary ribbon is attached to the base ribbon to reveal a pattern made from the color of the base ribbon. Highly intricate ribbonwork patterns contain more than two ribbons and create a pattern of several different colors.

Skilled ribbonworkers have used many different colors of ribbons. The original ribbons were made of brightly colored silk and then handstitched on darkly colored wool, broadcloth and sometimes leather. Due to the nature of the material, early productions of items with ribbonwork are extremely perishable and fragile. Also, some of the ribbon was weighed with lead salts to produce a heavier product but this hastened the deterioration. In more modern times ribbonworkers use a sewing machine to create more designs at a faster pace and often use less expensive taffeta, grosgrain, or satin ribbons. One of the favored types of ribbon the Delawares used was Moiré ribbon.

Early Ribbonwork

Later Examples of Delaware Ribbonwork

ABOUT THE DELAWARE TRIBE OF INDIANS

The name DELAWARE was given to the people who lived along the Delaware River, and the river in turn was named after Lord de la Warr, the governor of the Jamestown colony. The name Delaware later came to be applied to almost all Lenape people. In their language, which belongs to the Algonquian language family, the Delaware call ourselves LENAPE (len-NAH-pay) which means something like “The People.” Their ancestors were among the first Indians to come in contact with the Europeans (Dutch, English, & Swedish) in the early 1600s. The Delaware were called the “Grandfather” tribe because they were respected by other tribes as peacemakers since we often served to settle disputes among rival tribes. They were also known for their fierceness and tenacity as warriors when they had to fight, however, they preferred to choose a path of peace with the Europeans and other tribes.

Many of the early treaties and land sales signed with the Europeans were in the Delaware peoples’ minds more like leases. The early Delaware had no idea that land was something that could be sold. The land belonged to the Creator, and the Lenape people were only using it to shelter and feed their people. When the poor, bedraggled people got off their ships after the long voyage and needed a place to live, the Delaware shared the land with them. They gave them a few token gifts for our people’s kindness, but in the mind of the Europeans these gifts were actually the purchase price for the land.

The Delaware people signed the first Indian treaty with the newly formed United States Government on September 17, 1778. Nevertheless, through war and peace, their ancestors had to continue to give up their lands and move westward (first to Ohio, then to Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, and finally, Indian Territory, now Oklahoma). One small band of Delawares left the group in the late 1700s and through different migrations are today located at Anadarko, Oklahoma. Small contingents of Delawares fled to Canada during a time of extreme persecution and today occupy two reserves in Ontario (The Delaware Nation at Moraviantown and The Munsee-Delaware Nation).

Official Delaware Tribe of Indians Website