Nanticoke Indian Museum is an intriguing place to visit

At a recent driver's education class, I unexpectedly met a fascinating lady. We shared some stories and laughs. The class was long, and at the end we all ran out, so I didn't get her name. I knew she was from the Nanticoke Indian Tribe, so I decided to attend the Nanticoke Indian Association’s Native American Day, held Nov. 1 at the Nanticoke Indian Museum near Millsboro. Lo and behold, she was there, and she is Dr. Bonnie Hall, the tribal historian and special guest speaker for the day.

November is National Native American Heritage Month, so it seems to be an appropriate time to celebrate these interesting and colorfully dressed people. It was a beautiful autumn day, and the ride to the museum was my first real glimpse of russet-colored leaves, fields of harvested corn and rolled bales of hay.

I had missed the annual powwow, now held at Hudson Fields outside Milton, for the last few years. At the Nanticoke Indian Museum, I found easy parking on the grounds, and lots of interesting things to see and hear. I am an aficionado of ethnic dress and customs, and there was much to learn about, eat and purchase!

I had procured my husband Jeff, who doesn't completely share my enthusiasm for anthropology, to drive me there, and he did because he says he loves me! I also needed him to take photographs. For his efforts, I usually reward him with what I call the Ploughman's Lunch. It puts a smile on his face and gets him to indulge my whims.

This time, we enjoyed lunch outside on picnic tables. We had char-grilled cheeseburgers, but there were also many delicious native delights available, such as Indian fry bread, Indian tacos and Nanticoke succotash. As we dined, a beautiful vision prancing by us like a gazelle caught my attention. She was Lynne Dyer, and her Native American name is Early Morning Starlight.

She was as tall as a Vogue cover model and exuded high-cheekboned elegance, wearing a cape she fashioned herself from eight identical red foxes she had prayed and cried over! On her ears were deer dewclaw earrings, and on her feet were boots with tips displaying the Nanticoke signature pucker toe design. Her leggings were festooned with cowrie shells.

Inside the museum is a wealth of Native American artifacts accented by a beautiful wall mural. Docent June Robbins is available to guide visitors through the many exhibits. Outside, there was a lecture by Dr. Bonnie Hall, Native traditional dancing, drumming, singing, and a flute performance and storytelling by Ragghi Rain.

The vendors were really a feast for my senses. George Ulloa, a native of Ecuador, offered a souk of colorful wearable art such as caftans, jackets and shirts. Of course, there was jewelry, and I chose a beautiful and intricate necklace as a a birthday gift to myself! There were also intricately woven dream catchers and blankets, and rings to try on. Other vendors displayed furs and native artifacts and decorations.

The federal government has listed the Nanticoke Indian Museum as a National Historic Landmark, one of 13 such sites in Delaware. Capt. John Smith first encountered the Nanticoke people in 1608 while exploring the Chesapeake Bay. The Nanticoke name is Algonquian, meaning "People of the Tidewaters" of the Nantaquak Northeastern Tribes.

Early on, some 200 families lived on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. The Nanticoke Indian Museum was founded in 1984 and converted from a two-room schoolhouse. It features stone artifacts from as long ago as 9,500 BC. Many artifacts were found on local family farms.

On a related note, there is an interesting fashion show coming up at the Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Month. Living Indigenously: Through the Culture of Fashion will take place from 6 to 9 p.m., Friday, Nov. 14, featuring designs that blend tradition and innovation in fabrics and stories woven by native women.

Representatives of the Delaware Nanticoke Indian and Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nations will be on hand, along with others. Attendees can enjoy a special performance by Nataanii Means and a drum ceremony by the Red Blanket Singers.

And while you're in Wilmington, take in my exhibit, Pam Bounds is Back, on view at the Grand Opera House through Monday, Jan. 5, including during the Grand Gala in December.

The Nanticoke Indian Museum is located at 26673 John J. Williams Hwy., Millsboro. Admission for adults is $5, and children are admitted free. For details on hours and attractions, go to nanticokeindians.org/locations/nanticoke-indian-museum/.