The Pre-Colonial Period is the time before European settlers came to Delaware. Native American Indians called the Lenni-Lenape lived around the marsh at that time. They used the marsh and the land around it for many of the things they needed to live.
The Lenni-Lenape lived in wigwams or longhouses. These were made from small trees called saplings covered with tree bark and with a roof of woven cattails. The houses were arranged in small villages in clearings.
Men and women wore clothing made from deer skins. Women wore knee-high dresses and men wore loin cloths and leggings. Both men and women wore moccasins made of leather. They used beaver fur for warmth in the winter.
They collected food from the marsh and woods. From the marsh, they may have gathered fish, frogs, turtles, ducks, beaver and deer, along with plants like cattails and arrow arum. From the woods they collected berries, fruits and acorns. They also collected plants such as willow, cherry bark, pine needles, roots and tubers to make medicines and teas.
The Lenni-Lenape cleared woods to make farmland. Probably they cut trees down, burned them and then planted among the stumps. They grew corn, bean and squash together. These crops were known as the "Three Sisters".
