Indian Mills, formerly known as Brotherton, is an unincorporated community located within

Shamong Township Shamong Township is a township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 6,460, a decline of 30 (-0.5%) from the 2010 census count of 6,490, which in turn reflected ...

Burlington County Burlington County is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The county is the largest by area in New Jersey. Its county seat is Mount Holly.

, New Jersey, United States. It was the site of Brotherton Indian Reservation, the only

Indian reservation An Indian reservation is an area of land held and governed by a federally recognized Native American tribal nation whose government is accountable to the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs and not to the state government in which it ...

in New Jersey and the first in America, founded for the Lenni Lenape tribe, some of whom were native to New Jersey's Washington Valley. Before becoming a

reservation __NOTOC__ Reservation may refer to: Places Types of places: * Indian reservation, in the United States * Military base, often called reservations * Nature reserve Government and law * Reservation (law), a caveat to a treaty * Reservation in India, ...

, it was an industrial town, known for gristmills and sawmills. Brotherton was the first Native American reservation in New Jersey. The town was also historically known as ''Edgepillock'' or ''Edgepelick.'' 7 November 2010

History

In 1756, the British colonial government appointed

commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...

s to resolve disputes between white settlers and the Munsee Lenape native to the Washington Valley. For 100 years prior, the groups had been on peaceful terms. In 1757, the "New Jersey Association for Helping the Indians" wrote a constitution to expel Munsee Lenape native to the Washington Valley. Led by Reverend

John Brainerd John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

colonists A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer. Settle ...

forcefully relocated 200 people to Indian Mills, then known as Brotherton. In 1777, Reverend John Brainerd abandoned the

, making circumstances increasingly difficult. In 1780, Munsee Lenape community leaders of Brotherton, native to Washington Valley, wrote a community treaty to oppose selling any more land to white settlers:

Displacement to Stockbridge, New York

In 1796, the

Oneidas The Oneida people (autonym: Onʌyoteˀa·ká·, Onyota'a:ka, ''the People of the Upright Stone, or standing stone'', ''Thwahrù·nęʼ'' in Tuscarora) are a Native American tribe and First Nations band. They are one of the five founding nat ...

of Stockbridge invited Brotherton's Lenape families to join their

. The initial Lenape response was negative; in 1798, Munsee Lenape community leaders Bartholomew Calvin, Jason Skekit, and 18 others signed a public statement of refusal to leave "our fine place in Jersey." However, in 1801, many of the Munsee Lenape families agreed to relocate to New Stockbridge, New York to join the

. A few Munsee Lenapes stayed behind and assimilated with the white colonists.

Displacement to Green Bay, Wisconsin

In 1822, the remaining families were forcefully displaced over 900 miles' travel away to

Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The county seat of Brown County, it is at the head of Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It is above sea lev ...

References

Shamong Township, New Jersey Unincorporated communities in Burlington County, New Jersey Unincorporated communities in New Jersey Former American Indian reservations Native American history of New Jersey {{BurlingtonCountyNJ-geo-stub