Description
The Okehocking Clan belonged to the Unamis (known as the Down River People), one of the three Lenni Lenape tribes. The Unamis Tribe’s symbol was the tortoise, who they believed represented mother earth and was a symbolic “intermediary between the visible and invisible worlds around them.” The Okehocking Tribe (also known as Ockanickon) was a small band of Unami language-speaking Delaware Indians, who occupied an area along the Ridley and Crum creeks in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. In 1701, the tribe approached William Penn for the purchase of a tract of land. Penn allotted them 500 acres. The tribe used the land as their summer fishing camp, moving north during the winter months.
Language
he Okehocking Tribe (also known as Ockanickon) was a small band of Unami language-speaking Delaware Indians
Culture
The Okehocking, like many Native American tribes, burned fields to provide more ground for agriculture, while also hunting and fishing. The women foraged fruit, nuts, seeds, and even small amphibians from the forests and streams. During the winters, their Clan would move north towards the upper Schuylkill River. This ensured that the land was never overused, and had the ability to restore itself naturally. Later, feeling surrounded by colonial settlers, the Okehocking moved west toward the Susquehanna River and later settled in the Ohio River Valley.