MULLICA HILL—On Sunday, Nov. 23 at 3 p.m. the Harrison Township Historical Society welcomes Lia “Watching Sparrow” Gould and Ty “Dancing Wolf” Ellis to Richwood Academy Cultural Center, continuing its celebration of Native American Heritage Month. Gould and Ellis are citizens of the Lenni-Lenape Nanticoke Nation and are actively involved in the preservation and revitalization of traditional practices.
“The Lenape people are highly engaged in preserving our cultural heritage and reestablishing our connection with Lenapehoking, our ancestral lands,” said Ellis. “This involves showcasing traditional and contemporary art forms, navigating modern life while maintaining our identity, and actively reclaiming traditional practices.”
The presentation will explore these projects, as well as touch on efforts toward regaining food and water sovereignty and the importance of women’s roles within Eastern Woodlands indigenous communities.
Both presenters are knowledgeable and accomplished tradition bearers.
Lia “Watching Sparrow” Gould is the youngest daughter of Chief Mark “Quiet Hawk” Gould and has been in the public eye since childhood. At a very young age she was ordained by the Tribal Spiritual Leader as a Jingle Dress Dancer. This dance style is what’s known to Indigenous People as a healing dance.
Since her youth, Lia knew that she would be destined to be a healer and became a nurse. Within her community, she continues to focus on what is most important to her; the wellbeing of her people and her culture. She walks the line between ceremonial/traditional medicines and modern/Western medical practices.
Ty “Dancing Wolf” Ellis is a Wolf Clan member of the Lenni-Lenape Nanticoke Nation. His culture plays a dominant role in his daily life and he has dedicated himself to learning traditional arts and practices and teaching them to others. He was recipient of a New Jersey State Council on the Arts Apprenticeship Grant to learn how to make Pow-Wow and Water drums and now teaches the art to others. He also has learned other traditional arts, such as rattle making, singing and drumming, regalia making, and beadwork from elders and knowledge bearers. For a decade he served as the Program Coordinator for the tribe’s annual Pow-Wow at Salem County Fairgrounds.
Sunday’s program, “Indigenous Ways: Matriarchy, Food Sovereignty, and Feet Planted in Both Worlds” promises to be a fascinating exploration of the cultural life and challenges facing South Jersey’s Original People. Admission is free.
The Richwood Academy Cultural Center is located at 836 Lambs Road, Richwood, NJ.
Information is available at harrisonhistorical.com and the Society’s public Facebook page where the lecture will be livestreamed and archived.
The Harrison Township Historical Society’s arts and history programs are made possible in part by funding from the Gloucester County Cultural and Heritage Commission at Rowan College of South Jersey in partnership with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State
and the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey Historical Commission/Department of State.
