Oratam facts for kids

Oratam (also known as Oritani or Oratamin) was a powerful leader, called a sagamore or sachem, of the Hackensack Indians. They lived in northeastern New Jersey during the 1600s, when Europeans first started settling the area. Records show that Oratam lived for a very long time, almost 90 years. He was a highly respected and important figure among both his own people and the new European settlers.

Who Were the Hackensack People?

The Hackensacks were a part of the Unami group, also known as the Turtle Clan, within the larger Lenni-Lenape nation. There were about a thousand Hackensack people. They lived in an area they called Ack-kinkas-hacky. This land is now part of Hudson and Bergen Counties in New Jersey. It includes places like Upper New York Bay, Newark Bay, and the Meadowlands.

Life of the Hackensack People

The Hackensacks were mostly farmers. They grew crops using a method called companion planting. This means they planted different crops together to help each other grow. They also hunted, trapped animals, fished, and gathered shellfish. They had a main village near a creek called Tantaqua (now Overpeck Creek). Their important council meetings were held at Gamoenpa (now Communipaw).

European Settlers Arrive

During Oratam's time, people from New Netherland began to settle the region. These settlers were a mix of different European groups. They arrived in 1633 and set up settlements like Pavonia. This included homesteads and ports in places like Paulus Hook, Communipaw, and Hoboken. Later, in 1661, the entire region was given a town charter and named Bergen.

Oratam: A Wise Leader and Peacemaker

The Unami people, including the Hackensacks, made decisions by reaching a unanimous agreement, or consensus. Their leaders, like Oratam, had to follow these agreements. The turtle was a very important symbol for them, especially for making peace. Because Oratam was so old, he was highly honored and respected.

He was known as a very skilled negotiator. Oratam helped arrange many land deals, truces, and treaties between the Native Americans and the European settlers. Sometimes, he got help from David Pietersz. de Vries, a Dutch landowner. He also worked with Sara Kiersted, a well-known woman from New Amsterdam who spoke the Unami language. Oratam even gave a large piece of land to Sara Kiersted in 1664.

Oratam During Times of Conflict

The area where Oratam lived saw some difficult times. In February 1643, the governor of New Netherland, William Kieft, allowed a terrible event to happen. Many Wecquaesgeek and Tappan people, who had sought safety near a farm in Pavonia, were attacked.

Kieft's War

After this attack, the Hackensacks, Tappans, and other Native American groups joined forces. They fought back by attacking European farms. By April, Oratam, representing several tribes, signed a treaty with the New Netherlanders. However, fighting continued in other areas, leading to what became known as Kieft's War. This war lasted for two more years. Finally, in August 1645, Oratam helped organize a major meeting in New Amsterdam. A truce was declared, and a peace treaty was signed.

The Peach Tree War

For almost ten years, the Native American and European communities lived together mostly in peace. Oratam's influence was key in preventing small problems from turning into big fights. But in 1655, a Hackensack woman was killed for taking peaches from a Dutch farmer's orchard in Manhattan. This event caused old frustrations to explode. The settlement of Pavonia was attacked again, and settlers had to leave their farms. This conflict became known as the Peach Tree War. Oratam was likely involved in helping to get some of the captured people returned.

Oratam's Lasting Influence

In 1660, Oratam's diplomatic skills were needed again. There had been a year of fighting between the Esopus Indians and the New Netherlanders. The Esopus leader asked Oratam to help. Petrus Stuyvesant, the Director-General of New Netherland, also asked for Oratam's support. Oratam traveled to the area and arranged a meeting that led to a treaty, which temporarily ended the fighting.

Oratam also played a very important part in the negotiations for selling land to Robert Treat in 1666. This land later grew into the city of Greater Newark.

Today, a picture of Chief Oratam of the Achkinhenhcky people appears on the official seal of Hackensack, New Jersey. He is believed to be buried in the Sicomac "happy hunting ground" in Wyckoff, New Jersey.