TAMANEND

Tamanend was chief of the Unami (Turtle) clan of the Lenni Lenape in the 1680s. His name means affable (i.e., pleasant, courteous, and easy to talk to). In 1683, he signed treaties with William Penn to sell him four large pieces of land which eventually comprised Penn's Woods (Pennsylvania). Later that year, before a large meeting of various Native American chiefs and William Penn, Tamanand declared, “We will live in love with William Penn and his children, as long as the creeks and rivers run, and while the sun, moon, and stars endure.”

Friends of Tamanend Park, committed to preserving the park's natural beauty, have placed a cluster of weathered Delaware River boulders in the park to honor the Lenape Indians. The date, 1683, marks the year of Tamanend's partnership with Penn for a lasting peace. Five Indian names appear on the boulder: Tamanend, Wheeland (brother), Yaqueekhon and Quenameckquid (sons), and Weheequeckhon (sister's eldest son to be Tamanend's successor). Yaqueekhon signed a treaty document in 1692 and he is named in a council of the provincial government with Indians who well remebered Penn's first message to them: I desire to enjoy (this land) with you in Love and consent that we may always live together as Neighbours and friends.

When the land for a new park in Southampton was purchased in 1975, a contest was held to name the park. Prize winning entry was "Tamanend," a reminder of our historical heritage in this Indian.

An interesting history of Tamanend can be found on the Upper Southampton Township website.