In Penn’s Woods: Intersections between the Moravians, Indigenous Americans, and Nature, 1741-1760

The Moravian presence among Native American communities during the early colonial period (1741-1760) provides a valuable glimpse into the intermingling of European and indigenous cultures along with an environmental epistemology. Cross-cultural and knowledge exchanges were not uni-directional by any means. Moravians negotiated with indigenous Americans and their natural landscapes to construct syncretic space not only in their missionary efforts, but also the establishment of settlements. Integral in this shared space was the role of Moravian women, who played a crucial role in fostering intimate bonds with their indigenous Sisters. In this study, I examine Moravian hymns, architectural plans, and diaries to portray a more complex, richer “middle ground” (based on Richard White’s classic work) that moves away from the dichotomous relationship of colonizer and colonized.