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Remembrance and Continuance:
the Lenape Story in Scranton

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Remembrance and Continuance: the Lenape Story in Scranton by Ben Scott Miller, a registered citizen of the Delaware Tribe of Indians,

and Belin/Miguel Ángel Belinchón, renowned Spanish artist. Photo: Robert Vercoe.  Image subject to copyright restrictions.

Honoring the Lenape (Delaware) legacy: past, present and future

Remembrance and Continuance: the Lenape Story in Scranton, presented by Scranton Tomorrow and Lackawanna County, is an artistic collaboration between Ben Scott Miller, a registered citizen from the Delaware Tribe of Indians, and the internationally-renowned Spanish graffiti artist Miguel Angel Belinchón, known as Belin.

 

The 8,000 square-foot mural at 130 N. Washington Avenue in Scranton, Pennsylvania, is the seventh piece of public art produced through Scranton Tomorrow’s Mural Arts Program.

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A powerful collaboration in public art

The inspiration for this piece stemmed from a University of Scranton project funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), titled Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story. The project explored the forced removal of the Lenape from their ancestral lands in eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and parts of New York and Delaware to Oklahoma and Canada. This effort revealed how little recognition or education there has been about the Lenape as the Indigenous people of the land that we know today as Lackawanna County. 

Understanding the story:
cultural insight from the Lenape
To fully appreciate the elements and details featured in this mural, historical and cultural insight is important. Curtis Zunigha, an enrolled member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians in Oklahoma, and Co-Founder and Co-Director of The Lenape Center in New York City, offers both in his narration of Remembrance and Continuance: the Lenape Story in Scranton:

“The Lenape, translated as original people, lived in what is now eastern Pennsylvania, all of New Jersey and parts of New York and Delaware for 15,000 years before the first European settlers. This territory was known as Lenapehoking, the original homeland.”

About the Artists

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 Ben Scott Miller (left) and Belin collaborate in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Photo: Robert Vercoe

Artist Ben Scott Miller is a registered citizen with the federally recognized Delaware Tribe of Indians and a descendent of the Stockbridge Munsee-Mohicans. He holds a BFA in advertising and design from the Academy of Art University, California. His portfolio includes a wide range of branding campaigns for international corporations and non-profit organizations. He has also worked in radio, television and film. Miller is a registered artist with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and he is listed as an official Native American artist with the Heard Museum in Arizona.

Miguel Angel Belinchón (Belin) is a world-renowned Spanish mural artist. Blending realism with cubism, his work is inspired by Pablo Picasso. His murals are on display in cities throughout the United States, including Miami, Los Angeles, and New York, and in Europe in France, Italy, Portugal, and Belgium. His work is also found in Mexico and Argentina. Notable projects include commissions for famous brands such as Dockers and Carhartt.

Presented by

Lackawanna County

Scranton Tomorrow
 

Premier Sponsor
Lackawanna County

Visitors Bureau


Special Thanks
National Endowment

for the Arts
The University of Scranton
The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce
Scranton Area

Community Foundation
City of Scranton

Arts Committee
Arthur and Tara Russo
Zach Russo
Peoples Security

Bank & Trust
DFM Properties
Rose Randazzo-Pizzuto

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Join Us!

 

Friday, August 1, 2025

5 to 7 p.m.
@ 130 N. Washington Ave.
Scranton, Pa. 18503


 Celebrate the completion of Remembrance and Continuance: the Lenape Story in Scranton by Ben Scott Miller and Miguel Angel Belinchón (Belin) with a formal Dedication Ceremony at the mural site in downtown Scranton.


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Details of Belin's interpretation of Lenape dancers during the production of Remembrance and Continuance: the Lenape Story in Scranton.

Photos: Robert Vercoe.  Images subject to copyright restrictions.

Rich in symbolism, the artists incorporated numerous cultural references into the design of the mural.

Photo: Robert Vercoe.  Image subject to copyright restrictions.

Symbolism in the mural
There are numerous cultural references featured within the mural’s design. These images refer to the Lenape creation story, ceremony, and water. “There’s a long and brutal history of forced removal of the Lenape from their homeland, which must be acknowledged. However, this mural focuses on their reconnection to the homeland and continuance as peacemakers and environmental stewards.” 
When viewing the mural, note the image of a century-old Lenape woodland floral design on the right-hand side, and the presence of a turtle. Zunigha explains their significance:

“In the Lenape origin story, a great turtle rose from the ocean, creating Turtle Island, now known as North America. When the turtle emerged from the water, the earth and land grew from its back, creating the roots of the Lenape people represented as native flowers.”

The main focal point of this piece is a man and woman in full tribal regalia dancing in ceremony. Every detail contributes to the Lenape story, including the placement of the dancers. The woman is elevated as a reference to the matrilineal nature of Lenape culture in which women are highly valued and respected. “The dancers capture the joy of the Lenape people who still perform these dances at tribal gatherings called pow wows,” Zuniga explains.

Essential for all human life, the aquatic imagery along the base of the mural represents waterways important to our region, the Delaware, Susquehanna, and Lackawanna rivers.
Experience the story
View the mural in person at 130 N. Washington Avenue, Scranton, 18503, and visit our kiosk to listen to the story of the Lenape in Scranton as told by Curtis Zuniga.

© Scranton Tomorrow 2025

317 Linden Street

Scranton, PA 18503

Phone: 570.963.5901

© 2025 Scranton Tomorrow

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