Old City in Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Tamanend
Photographed by J. J. Prats, May 14, 2010
1. Tamanend Marker
Inscription.
Tamanend. . In honor of the contributions of Native American Indians, the ancestors, the elders, this generation, and the generations to come, this sculpture commemorates Tamanend, a Sakima, of the Lenni-Lenape nation who resided in the Delaware Valley when Philadelphia, or “Coaquannock” was established. , Tamanend stands on a turtle, which represents Mother Earth. The eagle, a revered messenger of the Great Spirit has a wampum belt in its grasp. This belt recognizes the friendship treaty under the Shackamaxon Elm between William Penn (“Mikwon”), Tamanend (“the Affable One”) and other leaders of the Lenni-Lenape nation. It reads, “to live in peace as long as the waters run in the rivers and creeks and as long as the stars and moon endure.” , Penn dealt with the Lenni-Lenape people when he came to the land given him by the King of England. He bought the land from the Lenni-Lenape through a number of treaties. Tamanend was one of the Sakimas who played a prominent role as a welcoming delegate on Penns arrival in 1682, and in the early treaties of 1683 and 1692. , Tamanend was considered the patron saint of America by the colonists prior to American Independence. Tamarend Day was celebrated annually on May 1st in Philadelphia and bells were rung in his honor.
In honor of the contributions of Native American Indians—the ancestors, the elders, this generation, and the generations to come—this sculpture commemorates Tamanend, a Sakima, of the Lenni-Lenape nation who resided in the Delaware Valley when Philadelphia, or “Coaquannock” was established.
Tamanend stands on a turtle, which represents Mother Earth. The eagle, a revered messenger of the Great Spirit has a wampum belt in its grasp. This belt recognizes the friendship treaty under the Shackamaxon Elm between William Penn (“Mikwon”), Tamanend (“the Affable One”) and other leaders of the Lenni-Lenape nation. It reads—“to live in peace as long as the waters run in the rivers and creeks and as long as the stars and moon endure.”
Penn dealt with the Lenni-Lenape people when he came to the land given him by the King of England. He bought the land from the Lenni-Lenape through a number of treaties. Tamanend was one of the Sakimas who played a prominent role as a welcoming delegate on Penns arrival in 1682, and in the early treaties of 1683 and 1692.
Tamanend was considered the patron saint of America by the colonists prior to American Independence. Tamarend Day was celebrated annually on May 1st in Philadelphia and bells were rung in his honor.
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Erected 1996 by City of Philadelphia Department of Streets, Delta Group Landscape Architects, Enginners, Architects, United American Indians of Delaware Valley, Historic East Market Street. Raymond Sandoval, Artist.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Indigenous Peoples and Communities. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1978.
Location. 39° 56.982′ N, 75° 8.52′ W. Marker is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County. It is in Old City. It is at the intersection of North Front Street and Market Street, on the right when traveling north on North Front Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2 N Front St, Philadelphia PA 19106, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Pennsylvania. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
sectionhead>More about this marker. The Tamanend Statue was one of the first sculptures of a Native American in the United States. There is talk of moving it to Philadelphia's Penn Treaty Park.
Also see . . . Wikipedia Entry for Tamanend. “It is believed that Tamanend died in 1698. Over the next century, many folk legends surrounded Tamanend and his fame assumed mythical proportions among the people of Philadelphia, who began to call him King Tammany, Saint Tammany, and the Patron Saint of America. The people of Philadelphia also organized a Tammany society and an annual Tammany festival. These traditions soon spread across America. The reason for Tammanys popular status can be attributed to the need that patriotic colonists had to express a distinct American identity, in place of their former European nationalities. Tammany, an American Indian, provided an apt symbol for patriotic Americans to identify with.
Because of Philadelphias political significance during the founding of the United States of America, Tammany soon became a national symbol throughout much of the newly-formed country.” (Submitted on May 15, 2010.)
Additional keywords. Tammany, Tammamend
Photographed by J. J. Prats, May 14, 2010
3. Tamanend Sculpture
1996 bronze by Raymond Sandoval
Photographed by J. J. Prats, May 14, 2010
4. Tamanend
Photographed by J. J. Prats, May 14, 2010
5. Tamanend
Photographed by J. J. Prats, May 14, 2010
6. Tamanend Monument
Photographed by Raymond Sandoval, circa April 95
7. Tamanend
Photographed by Raymond Sandoval, April 95
8. Tamanend
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 15, 2010, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 4,698 times since then and 90 times this year. Last updated on December 20, 2012, by Keith S Smith of West Chester, Pennsylvania. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on May 15, 2010, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 7, 8. submitted on March 15, 2011, by Raymond Sandoval of Jemez Springs, New Mexico. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.
