The Lenape

The city today known as Paterson is part of the ancestral homeland of the Lenape people, known as Lenapehoking. Archaeological evidence indicates that the first peoples to come to our area of New Jersey arrived around 10,000 years ago. They lived here for centuries prior to European contact in the early 1500s. In this exhibit, you will learn more about how the Lenape used the resources available to them in the Passaic River Valley to support a thriving culture. See many original stone tool artifacts from the Museum’s archaeological collection, as well as many replicas, which help to transport our visitor back to Lenapehoking.