18. Lenape (Delaware)
The Lenape, also known as the Delaware, were the original inhabitants of the mid-Atlantic region, including present-day New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Forced westward by colonial expansion, the Lenape maintained their language, traditions, and spiritual practices. Renowned as skilled diplomats and traders, they played a central role in intertribal relations and continue to preserve their heritage in communities across Oklahoma and Canada.
