Wooden Flute

A Delaware (Lenape) flute. Presented to Richard Calmit Adams, representative of the Delaware tribe, in 1900 by his people.

From card: "6 stoppered-wood-two sectioned longitudinally; Silver tag marked "No one living knows how old it is, was used when the Delawares lived in the vicinity of Fort Pitt, afterwards Pittsburgh, and presented to Richard C. Adams, representative of the tribe in 1900, by his people." See Bull. 136, U.S.N.M. g# a# c d e f# a, Loan: Political Hist. (NMAH) 3/7/60, Ret: 4/9/69."

Illustrated on p. xl of Legends of the Delaware Indians and Picture Writing, by Richard C. Adams, 1997 edition, Syracuse University Press [originally published 1905]. Noted there as having been sold to Victor Evans from the estate of Richard C. Adams.

As noted above, this artifact was formerly owned by Richard Calmit Adams, who in 1909 lent it to the Smithsonian under loan acccession no. 49797, catalogue no. 253555. Reference: "Indian Relics For Museum," The Washington Post, February 27, 1909, 5.

Flute E362062 is probably the one referenced on p. 20 of Adams, Richard C. 1921. Claims of the Delaware Indians; memorial of the Delaware tribe of Indians ... in support of Senate bill 663 and H.R. 6051. http://archive.org/details/claimsofdelaware00adam