New seeds just added, heavy with history: Hannah Freeman (1730-1802) was a Lenni-Lenape woman who made baskets, worked seasonally in agriculture, traditional healing, and childcare, and travelled the Brandywine River Valley by foot where she lived primarily among European settlers. She was known as Indian Hannah and then after her death as the “last Delaware Indian of Chester County, Pennsylvania”. While most of her tribe fled westward, her family stayed behind, and into her old age she was a daily reminder to the Quakers who occupied her ancestral lands that the land was not truly theirs. William Penn promised that as long as Lenape people lived by the Brandywine River, he would not claim their land. Despite this, colonists divided the land and "pitied" Hannah, providing for her until her death. This seed, known more widely as Indian Hannah Bean, was grown and preserved by H. Ralph Weaver (1896-1956), who received them from the Webb family of Northbrook in Chester County. Weaver's grandson, William Woys Weaver, has preserved this variety (along with thousands of culturally important heirlooms) and he explains that the Webbs 'owned' the land on which Freeman spent the final days of her life. This bean has long pods that can be eaten young and tender as a snap bean and beautiful patterned seeds that can be cooked in the shelly or dry stages. It thrives growing next to our Sehsapsing Delaware Blue Flint Corn and climbs it as if enthusiastically greeting an old friend. If you are Lenape and would like to grow these and other Lenape varieties, please send me a message. I would be grateful to send some back to you. Otherwise, check them out at www.trueloveseeds.com #hannahfreeman #indianhannah #hannahfreemanbeans #indianhannahbeans https://www.instagram.com/p/B6Mf2rbgpC-/?igshid=190yrxda4jlsx
