“We wish to live with you in peace”

On view through November 12

Historic Huguenot Street celebrates a remarkable recent acquisition, a letter to the New York State Legislature from Hendrick Aupaumut, a Mohican sachem (traditional leader) and diplomat. An exhibit related to the letter is on view now through November 12, 2019, at the DuBois Fort Visitor Center during regular hours. Hendrick Aupaumut was a fierce advocate for Indigenous title and land protection. In his letter, he makes clear that by their own traditions, including oral narratives and wampum, the Mohicans hold the land and their aboriginal title to their homelands.

The letter was received as a gift to the Historic Huguenot Street Archives by Mary Frances Stokes-Jensen and Richard Stokes in 2016. The exhibit is accompanied by a brochure with text by Lisa Brooks, Indigenous Studies Scholar and Professor of English and American Studies, Amherst College. The exhibit was created in cooperation with Bonney Hartley, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Mohican Nation, the Stockbridge Munsee Band.