Delaware Nation, whose homeland included eastern Pennsylvania, pushed to have 1778 treaty honored

• Scott LaMar
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  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

Airdate: January 12, 2023

On September 17, 1778, during the American Revolution, the Continental Congress, who were in need of Indigenous allies to help fight British troops, signed a treaty with leaders of the Delaware Nation. That treaty recognized the Delaware Nation’s sovereignty and promised the Delaware Nation a delegate in Congress.

More than 240 years later, the Delaware Nation doesn’t have a delegate in Congress, but another tribe – the Cherokee Nation could be getting a delegate. The Delaware Nation is protesting.

On The Spark Thursday, Deborah Dotson, president of the Delaware Nation, described what the 1778 treaty said,” The offenses of each party would be forgiven and the parties were to have peace and that the Delaware were to give free passage through our lands to the troops and provide the troops with corn, meat, horses and whatever may be in their power to accommodate the troops. And then the Delaware, were to join the United States with their best and most experienced warriors, and for the protection of the old men, women and children, there would be a fort and that they would guard, they would put the old men, women and children in that fort, and it would be under the power of the Delaware nation. And that they would be given a state, there would be a state, and they called it an Indian state where the Delaware would head up that state and we would be given representation in Congress.”

Dotson indicated the delegate to Congress would not have a vote but would weigh in on issues that have an impact on the Delaware.

The Cherokee Nation may have a delate to Congress seated in the near future but Dotson thinks the Delaware should get their delegate since their treaty was signed before the treaty with the Cherokee,”I just feel like our delegate needs to be seated first, because if they’re going to see a delegate, they need to seat ours first, because our treaty was 57 years before. And as I said, if Congress is going to stand up for treaties, they need to start with the first one.”