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- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Real Estate
A historic chapel and cemetery in Kansas City, Kan., have been transferred to a Native-led nonprofit representing descendants of Lenape (Delaware) families, concluding a three-year process with the Great Plains Conference of the United Methodist Church.
The Kansas Delaware Tribe of Indians Inc., a Kansas-based nonprofit, finalized the transfer during a March 12 ceremony inside the chapel’s basement. The deed includes Grinter Chapel, built in 1868 and an adjacent cemetery. The property had been closed for about five years before the group approached the church about returning it.
The United Methodist conference is contributing $325,000 for repairs to stabilize the structure and prepare it for public use, including safety improvements and restoration planning, according to the Kansas City Star.
Chief David Lynn said the site will serve as a location for ceremonies and community gatherings. “This will make us what is called a land-based tribe,” David told KSHB 41, a local television station.
The tribe’s news site, Lënape nàn, has published updates documenting title review, insurance preparation and renovation planning. Those updates describe early work on roof replacement, exterior lighting and safety assessments.
The Kansas Delaware Tribe of Indians is not federally recognized, but represents descendants of Lenape families who remained in Kansas after the tribe’s 19th-century removal to present-day Oklahoma.
