“Land, Liberty, and Loss: Echoes of the American Revolution” is our third annual Reading and Discussion Group. We will consider the history of the Haudenosaunee and other indigenous peoples during the period of our nation’s founding, and its relevance today. There will be six discussion sessions on the assigned reading, one field trip to the Ganondagan State Historic Site, and one educational program session led by an educator from the Ganondagan Site.
The mission of the Howland Stone Store Museum is to tell “the story of the Sherwood Equal Rights Historic District, a crucible for reform in the century following 1830.” Historically, the Sherwood community was strongly Quaker, thus ardent believers in equal rights for all, including Native Americans. The Howland family and other Sherwood residents were leaders in the abolition of slavery, the Underground Railroad, women’s suffrage, temperance, and education for all. The struggle for equal rights is an essential part of the mission of the Museum.
Native American and Colonial settlement history is still alive in this section of the State. Historical markers remind us that we are located on the historic lands of the Haudenosaunee. The Cayuga reservation was established just a mile or so to the west. The Clinton – Sullivan Campaign destroyed “Peachtown” where Aurora now stands. Present-day Cayuga, Seneca, Oneida, and Onondaga nations are close by, and arouse strong feelings among the non-indigenous population regarding issues of sovereignty, land claims, and reservation rights.
The program is designed to open a dialog on these issues, first educating members and friends of the Museum, then building relationships with local Native groups. Our goal is to understand the history of the conflict from differing perspectives, come to an appreciation of the “other,” and discover ways to address historic injustices.
We have planned six discussion sessions on the assigned reading, one field trip to the Ganondagan State Historic Site, and one educational program session led by an educator from the Ganondagan Site.
Books available at Opendore Friday, Jan 19 (9-4) and Saturday, Jan 20 (1-4) or by contacting Marilyn Post at madeline4394@gmail.com or 315-478-1800.
Opendore will open at 3pm on the days of the programs.
January 28, 2024.
Susan Sleeper-Smith, et al., Why You Can’t Teach United States History without American Indians. Chapters 1-3, pp 1 - 56
Lisa Brooks, Our Beloved Kin: A New History of King Philip’s War. Parts 1 & 2, pp 1 - 200
Website: https://ourbelovedkin.com/awikhigan/index
February 18, 2024.
Why You Can’t... Chapters 4-6, pp 57 - 100
Our Beloved Kin Parts 3 & 4, pp 203 - 346
Website: https://ourbelovedkin.com/awikhigan/index
March 10, 2024.
Alan Taylor, The Divided Ground: Indians, Settlers, and the Northern Borderland of the American Revolution, Parts 1 & 2, pp 3 - 202
March 23, 2024 at 2PM Hodinöhsö:ni Governance & Matriarchy
Join us for a lecture on Hodinöhsö:ni’ governance and the evolving roles of women through time in this comprehensive lecture program. We will explore the unique principles of consensus-building, matrilineal lineage, and collective decision-making within the Hodinöhsö:ni’ Confederacy, while delving into the pivotal roles of women as custodians of tradition, peacemaking, and community stewardship. Zoom link available by email request prior to the program: hssmsherwood@gmail.com
Presenter: Kristin Asche - Onöndowa’ga (Seneca), Wolf Clan
Kristin Asche was raised in Buffalo, New York, with a family lineage from the Cattaraugus Territory of the Seneca Nation of Indians. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography with a minor in Museum Studies from Rochester Institute of Technology. She is one of the acting historic site assistants of Ganondagan State Historic Site and curatorial assistant of the Seneca Art & Culture Center, where she shares her knowledge of history and culture as a Hodinöhsö:ni’ woman.
April 7, 2024.
The Divided Ground. Parts 3 & 4, pp 203 - 407
Why You Can’t… Chapters 17 & 18, pp 259 - 286
April 28, 2024.
Alan Taylor, William Cooper’s Town: Power and Persuasion on the Frontier of the Early American Republic, pp 3 - 427
May 12, 2024 (Mother’s Day. 5pm)
Laurence Hauptman, Conspiracy of Interests: Iroquois Dispossession and the Rise of New York State, pp 1 - 220
June 2, 2024.
Closing Discussions and things we have had no time to discuss.
To be scheduled:
May – June: Guided tour of Ganondagan State Historic Site, including the Long House
Ganondagan program: “Life of the Seneca” or “Onondowa’ga: People of the Great Hill”