Honoring Indian Hannah: Native American Heritage Month
November marks Native American Heritage Month!
Sometimes called "Indian Hannah" or "Freedom Hannah," she was born in Kennett Township in March 1730/31, and is widely regarded as the last of the Lenni Lenape Tribe in Chester County which had occupied our land for 300 generations and 10,000 years. She had some other name as a child, and it could possibly have been "Hanna" which means "river" in the Lenape language. She may have chosen the English version herself. In her lifetime the Indians were not allowed to plant their gardens, and their hunting and fishing were hampered by the fences, dams, and livestock that the European settlers introduced into the region. In 1763, when vigilantes in central Pennsylvania massacred peaceful Indians and threatened to come east for others, Hannah and her female relatives fled to New Jersey where the remained for seven years. Upon their return, Hannah became skilled in herbal medicine and was sought after by settlers as a healing woman.
Kennett Township has a brief write up on Indian Hannah in our Public Meeting Room. Those who are looking to do a deeper dive into her life can reach out to The Kennett Township Historical Commission or the Kennett Heritage Center.
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