News from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
February 20, 2008
Volume 38, Number 69
Contact: Jennifer Holmes, Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, phone: (302) 739-3436 or Melanie Rapp, Public Affairs, phone: (302) 739-9902
American Indian Perspective Featured at Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve Exhibit – Native Waters: Sharing the Source; Local Tribes Mark Opening Ceremony
DOVER, Del. - Local American Indian communities – the Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware, the Nanticoke Indian Association and the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Indian Tribe of New Jersey – today joined with DNREC Secretary John A. Hughes and Delaware Coastal Programs Administrator Sarah Cooksey to celebrate the opening of a unique exhibit at the St. Jones Reserve near Dover.
Native Waters: Sharing the Source highlights the story of water resources from the perspective of American Indian history, culture and traditions.
“Our local American Indian communities have been stewards of the environment for generations,” said Secretary Hughes. “They bring valuable insight so important to our understanding of the many issues facing our water resources.”
According to Sarah Cooksey, administrator of the Delaware Coastal Programs, the exhibit includes American Indian art forms and artifacts to tell the story of the significance of water in our daily lives. “The exhibit blends contemporary science with traditional American Indian knowledge,” said Cooksey. “We hope visitors will gain a new awareness of the value and functions of our estuarine ecosystems and a renewed interest in environmental stewardship.”
The 500 square foot traveling exhibit was developed by the Native Waters project of the Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) International Foundation, in cooperation with the Science Museum of Minnesota. The exhibit explores water resources, the interconnection between groundwater and surface water, and the challenges that affect our watersheds. Delaware Coastal Programs worked with local American Indian tribes and DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation’s Cultural Conservation Program to add additional displays and materials that highlight the local American Indian viewpoint and encourage people to protect Delaware’s water resources.
At today’s opening, tribal leaders performed a traditional “smudging” ceremony – a spiritual cleansing – to honor our native waters and acknowledge the importance of the exhibit. “Without water all life ceases to exist. Without clean water the quality of all life is diminished. Our Native Waters are sacred, let us honor this precious resource,” Chief Dennis “White Otter” Coker, Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware.
Native Waters: Sharing the Source is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday - Friday through April 11. The exhibit is also open Saturday, Feb. 23, March 8 and 22, and April 5 from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. Admission is free. The St. Jones Reserve, a component of the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, is located at 818 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover, just east of the John Dickinson Plantation.
Native Waters is an outreach program of the Project WET International Foundation, an international water science and education program dedicated to teaching children about the various aspects of water. Established in 1984, Project WET provides a complete curriculum of water education teaching materials, books and training opportunities, as well as a network of coordinators in every state of the continental U.S. and numerous countries around the world.
The Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR) is a cooperative program between the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Soil and Water Conservation, Delaware Coastal Programs and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The goal of the program is to establish, protect and manage natural estuarine habitats for research and education. DNERR consists of two main components, the Blackbird Creek and St. Jones Reserves. These sites include both brackish and freshwater estuaries and represent the diverse estuarine ecosystems found throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. For more information on DNERR, visit DNREC’s web site, www.dnrec.delaware.gov and click on “Division of Soil and Water Conservation” and click on “Estuary Research.”
For more information on this exhibit or to explore the many educational opportunities and workshops offered at DNREC’s Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, contact Jennifer Holmes at 302-739-3436 or visit www.dnrec.delaware.gov and click on “Division of Soil and Water Conservation. For information about the Native Waters project or the traveling exhibit contact Native Waters, Project WET International Foundation, 1001 West Oak Street, Suite 210, Bozeman Montana, 59715.
