The Delaware Division of the Arts announced the Nanticoke Indian Association will join its StartUp program for arts organizations that are new to the division’s portfolio of grantees.

Designed to strengthen arts nonprofits, the program provides financial support, board development training and technical assistance to help participants operate sustainably and prepare for future eligibility in general operating support, education resource or arts stabilization grants.

Through its Nanticoke Indian Tribe Powwow, the association brings together tribal members, families and the broader community to honor and experience the rich traditions of the Nanticoke people. The gathering features traditional dancing, drumming, food, vendors and cultural demonstrations, offering an educational opportunity for attendees to learn about the history and ongoing legacy of the Nanticoke Indian Tribe. 

The Nanticoke Indians are the native people of lower Delaware. In Algonquian, the common Indian language of Northeastern tribes, the word Nanticoke is translated from the original Nantaquak, meaning the tidewater people or people of the tidewaters. First contact with the Nanticoke Tribe was recorded by Capt. John Smith in 1608 when he was exploring the Chesapeake Bay and sailed up what is known today as the Nanticoke River.

Also joining the StartUp program this year are the Imperial Dynasty Arts Program and the Resolution Steel Orchestra, both based in Wilmington.

StartUp organizations must demonstrate a clear artistic mission, a stable governing board and a track record of at least two years of public programming. By welcoming these three grantees into the program, the division is helping to ensure that the arts remain relevant and accessible, and that Delaware’s portfolio of supported arts organizations can grow, thrive and contribute meaningfully to the state’s unique cultural life.