The origins of the Honor Journey has its roots in a very inspirational Native American dance troupe, DEER CHASER, comprised of Lakota youth from Pine Ridge Reservation. DEER CHASER and Honor Journey Staff have collaborated in the past organizing and directing three Native American Earthfests in Pennsylvania as well as numerous Indigenous Awareness Programs at schools, universities, and with radio and TV interviews from 1998-2002. The children of the DEER CHASER Dance Troupe have been a great influence in the staff's desire to educate people regarding the issues that Native Americans face today.

The formation of the Honor Journey model has been shaped after a successful project called "The Rising Nation Journey," in which the Honor Journey staff had served as key organizers. The Rising Nation Journey was a 330-mile canoe journey in August 2002 that took place from the top of the Delaware River in Hancock, NY to Cape May NJ. The goal of the Rising Nation Journey was to help unite the Lena'pe clans (Wolf, Turkey, and Turtle), the original inhabitants within the Delaware River corridor, with regional residents and representatives from various organizations. The Lena'pe People have a deep connection with the Delaware River that goes back long before the river derived its name from the colonial governor of Virginia, Lord De la Warr. Their history became deeply woven into the history of the region. The journey marked a new beginning of brotherhood between the Lena'pe Tribe and the people that neighbor the Delaware River.

Throughout the 2002 journey, respected Lena'pe individuals had carried wampum as a traditional symbolic treaty from the Lena'pe Tribe to the people of Pennsylvania. A Treaty of Brotherhood, signed between "The People" and the Lena'pe Tribe, took place to celebrate this time of historical significance. Representatives of the tribe and various environmental organizations, historical societies, churches, schools, and universities signed the first documentation. Those parties signing made a commitment to actively preserve, protect, and honor the Lena'pe Tribe. Major outcomes included were the donation of 100 acres of land, including a farmhouse to the Lena'pe for cultural and agricultural programs, the gift of 40 acres on Burlington Island (Mantinicunk), NJ and a permanent exhibit at the University of Pennsylvania and documentary on the Lena'pe and the 4th Crow prophecy.

The treaty is to be renewed every four years, with those groups and organizations wishing to recommit or to commit for the first time to the Lena'pe Tribe, thus the Treaty of Brotherhood is a living treaty. In 2006, the Lena'pe Tribe and its supporters again made an extensive journey down the Delaware River. Twenty-one organizations and individuals signed the 2006 Treaty.

"A society that cannot remember its past and honor it is in peril of losing its soul."
--Vine Deloria, Jr., Member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of Fort Yates, North Dakota.