Meesing and Dynamic Traditional Art Practice

Painted stone by Rosemary Bushy

Necklace by Stony Acevedo

Metalwork candle holder by Chief Bob Redhawk Ruth

Alex Rodriguez-Gomez

Meesing is one of the most important cultural heroes for the Lenape, and appears as the subject of three items in the Enduring Presence 2023 exhibit (the candleholder, the painted stone, and one of the necklaces). Fearing for the destruction of the earth that humans would inevitably bring in their wake, Meesing initially asked Creator not to create man, and to spare the animals. Creator, in response, challenged Meesing to a contest, and the two agreed that whoever could move a mountain the furthest would get the final say on the matter. Meesing’s characteristic half-red, half-black disfigured face, and the look of surprise with which he is usually depicted, reveal how this contest ended: with a mountain thrown directly at the side of Meesing’s head. 

With the matter settled, Meesing offered to protect the woodlands and the deer that would become crucial for humans when they arrived. Creator gave Meesing ceremonies, which he taught the Lenape to perform before hunting season to honor the deer and all other animals. As long as the Lenape continue to perform these ceremonies and avoid hunting excessively or harmfully, Meesing continues to protect the deer. 

Items like the ones pictured here are traditionally created in preparation for the yearly Meesing ceremonies, the end result shaped by each artist’s personal preference and materials they have on hand.  Thus, the works of art created as part of this traditional practice are as individual and dynamic as the Nation members who make them, reflecting personal relationships with the cultural hero Meesing and change over time.