Trinity Norwood to Speak on Indigenous People

Trinity Norwood

To the Community,

Trinity Norwood, a member of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation in New Jersey, will speak to Swarthmore Friends Meeting and the wider community on Tuesday, November 9, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., via Zoom. Please contact Lynne Piersol of Swarthmore Meeting’s Racial Justice Working Group at lhpiersol@gmail.com for the Zoom link.

If you saw Trinity Norwood walking down the street, you might not realize that she is Native American and a member of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation. Many assume that the Lenni-Lenape had been driven from this area long ago. But Trinity is here, her family, friends, and tribal community are here as well, and they have a lot to tell us about their struggles, and those of their ancestors, to survive throughout history, to be respected as holders of deep cultural traditions, and to be recognized by us and our state governments as citizens of proud indigenous nations. She will be sharing information about these issues and more on November 9.

As an advocate for indigenous peoples, Trinity works to promote understanding of indigenous issues and to teach about them through multiple mediums, including art, film, and literature. She is on the board of Indigenous People’s Day Philly, has been featured on Comcast Newsmakers, and has been interviewed by Kathy O’Connell for WXPN’s Kids Corner. 

As a writer, Trinity creates poetry and short stories that focus on her experience of being a Lenape woman. Some of her pieces have been published in the Voices poetry anthology series and used in local art projects—such as the Ghost Ship exhibit at Race Street Pier in Philadelphia. She has also appeared in documentaries about our region’s history—such as Philadelphia: The Great Experiment and The King’s Highway.

Lynn Piersol
Bryn Mawr