To be stewards of the earth, not owners: this was the way of the Lenape. Considering themselves sacred land keepers, they walked gently; they preserved the world they inhabited. Drawing on a wide range of historical sources, interviews with living Algonquin elders, and first-hand explorations of the ancient trails, burial grounds, and sacred sites, Native New Yorkers offers a rare glimpse into the civilization that served as the blueprint for modern New York. A fascinating history, supplemented with maps, timelines, and a glossary of Algonquin words, this book is an important and timely celebration of a forgotten people. "Incredibly detailed and imaginatively presented survey of life in New York City before the Europeans arrived." Evan T. Pritchard is a descendant of the Micmac people (part of the Algonquin nations) is the founder of the Center for Algonquin Culture. He is currently professor of Native American history at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he also teaches ethics and philosophy. He is the author of Henry Hudson and the Algonquins of New York and No Word for Time: The Way of the Algonquin People, among others.