May 29, 2026 —At Kendal on Hudson, true community extends beyond the campus and reaches deep into the roots of the land residents call home.
The Kendal on Hudson campus is situated on the beautiful ancestral homelands of the Lenape people. To honor this rich history and foster a lasting friendship, residents have come together to establish the Lenape Circle.
Lenape Ancestral Homelands
Long before Kendal on Hudson opened, the vibrant communities of the Lenape (or Lenni Lenape) people nurtured the lands of the Hudson River Valley, Manhattan, and the surrounding regions. With deep respect for the natural world, they beautifully named the river Mahicantuck—”the river that flows both ways.” They built their communities centered on fishing, hunting, and growing shared harvests of corn, beans, and squash in seasonal villages.
Lenape Circle
As a senior living community rooted in Kendal’s Quaker values, residents were inspired by the historic treaty of friendship between Quaker William Penn and Lenape Sachem Tamanend. This resident-led initiative reflects our shared values of equality, peace, simplicity, and community. Kendal on Hudson is committed to building a continual, meaningful engagement with the culture, history, and well-being of the Lenape diaspora.
Through the Lenape Circle, the community is also honoring Kendal’s dedication to lifelong learning and purposeful action. Here are a few ways our residents are bringing this inclusive vision to life:
- Championing the Buttonhook Forest: Residents have actively supported the campaign to save a 20-acre sacred pre-colonial Algonquin site in nearby Chappaqua. Through dedicated advocacy, this site is now on the path to being rematriated (restoring the sacred, matrilineal relationship with the land) back to indigenous
- Cultivating knowledge: Kendal on Hudson residents have curated a dedicated library of Lenape history and culture to ensure these important stories and voices are accessible to everyone on campus.
- Restoring the land: Kendal on Hudson is working to restore native plants across the grounds by embracing traditional ecological knowledge and exploring the indigenous roots of the local landscape.
- Celebrating culture: From hosting traditional heritage meals that honor ancient harvesting practices, to inviting indigenous musicians and poets to share their art, Kendal on Hudson is keeping Lenape traditions vibrant in our daily lives.
By nurturing these meaningful connections, Kendal on Hudson is not simply acknowledging the past. They are writing a new story of friendship, respect, and unity for the future.