AGENCY TESTIMONY
Examples of indigenous programming at NYC cultural institutions
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4 min
Commissioner Cumbo provides numerous examples of indigenous programming, exhibitions, and events from various cultural institutions supported by DCLA.
- Historic Richmond Town's native encampment site and special programs
- New York Botanical Garden's Native American Heritage Month programming
- The Met Museum's tours and commissioned artwork by indigenous artists
- American Museum of Natural History's renovated Northwest Coast Hall
- Whitney Museum's exhibition of indigenous artist John Quick to See Smith
- Governors Island's partnership with American Indian Community House
- La MaMa's Indigenous Initiative and Lotus Music and Dance's annual celebration
Laurie Cumbo
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To share just a few examples of indigenous programming, exhibitions, and events from organizations we're proud to support.
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At historic Richmond Town on Staten Island, their native encampment site features a wigwam and several other structures that depict the life of native people in Staten Island during post European contact.
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The encampment includes special programs throughout the year, including Old Home Day and hearth and harvest weekend, another phenomenal event that I've been able to attend.
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For Native American Heritage Month, the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx offered programming and digital highlights of the plant based traditions of Native Americans from the Northeast and throughout the Americas.
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These included lessons on the Lenape's use of plants for food, medicine, tools, building materials, alongside native led programs exploring contemporary indigenous perspectives.
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The Met Museum offers a great example of how cultural organizations can both examine native history and tradition and uplift contemporary indigenous artists.
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For Native American Heritage Month, they offered a tour exploring subjects, voices, and narratives found across 5,000 plus years of artwork in their collection.
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From 2019 to 2021, The Met also featured a site specific commission in their great hall by Kent Machman, a Cree artist known for his playful and provocative reimaginings of Western European and American art history.
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This past Saturday, Flushing Town Hall in Queens hosted a Native American market and social featuring artwork, dancing, drumming, singing, and storytelling in an event created in collaboration with indigenous led organizations, artists, and small businesses.
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Many of you may be familiar with the American Museum of Natural History reopening their Northwest Coast Hall in 2022 following a 5 year $19,000,000 renovation.
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This was done in close consultation with First Nations people of Canada's Vancouver Island, where many of the artifacts originated.
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The new hall thoughtfully incorporates the perspectives of the 10 nations whose cultures are displayed, giving greater care and context to the meeting meaning of the items for the people who created them.
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Space is also provided for first person community testimony and for examining the government backed oppression of their people.
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The process of presenting these sacred objects in a way that is respectful and gives their creators their due is part of an ongoing conversation that's happening in institutions around the world.
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It is truly a must see.
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Last year, the Whitney Museum of American Art held an exhibition of the work of indigenous artist John Quick to see Smith, the first New York retrospective of her extraordinary work.
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The museum hosted several open studios for families with kids of all ages and collaborated with Rachel Martin, an indigenous artist based in Brooklyn, to lead a family program inspired by the groundbreaking exhibition.
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On Governors Island, American Indian Community House has been an organization in residence since 2019, receiving free indoor space on the island exchange for offering free public programming.
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In September of this year, the public programming that grew from this partnership included a panel featuring a retrospective of Thunderbird American Indian Dancers, which explored the links between land based dances and well-being.
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The La MaMa Indigenous Initiative aims to provide a platform for indigenous art and culture, both nationally and worldwide.
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The initiative curates original indigenous programming, including workshops, markets, and theatrical productions to elevate the voices and artistic works of native communities.
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This year marked Lotus Music and Dance's 22nd annual drums along the Hudson, a Native American and multicultural celebration, which happened this past June in Inwood Park Inwood Hill Park.
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I've been every year.
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It's phenomenal.
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That's where I got this wrap.
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Wonderful shopping, incredible culture.
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The drumming is so spiritually inspiring.
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It's an incredible event.
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I encourage everyone to attend.
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The event was conceived as a powwow in 2002 and has evolved into a showcase of cultures that share the drum as the heartbeat of artistic expression.
