New Nanticoke chief brings energy, goals | Communities

The new chief of the Nanticoke Indian tribe is an energetic man with ambitious goals, including making sure upcoming renovations to both the Nanticoke Indian Museum and Community Center, both near Millsboro, are completed.

Chief Avery “Leaving Tracks” Johnson will be at the museum on Friday, February 3 to greet US Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) as he visits both buildings.

“We got a federal grant for the museum project. We bring something unique to the table, so hopefully the leadership will continue to feel that way and we’ll keep moving forward. There is a lot that comes with our history. It’s not just about going out and seeing the artists. We have these two facilities, the museum and the community center, that are important and we need to keep going,” Johnson told Coastal Point during a recent conversation.

“It is important that we preserve our history and revive our lost language,” he said, looking forward to the upcoming publication of a children’s book on the Nanticoke language.

“It will benefit the youth. It’s written so they can learn there, but adults can learn from it too,” she said.

The Nanticoke language is not difficult to learn, he said, “but like any other language, you have to practice pronouncing the words. And that’s hard sometimes, but the book…