Haudenosaunee: People of the Longhouse
Now Open
Haudenosaunee: People of the Longhouse has been reworked in collaboration with local experts, faithkeepers, and staff members to display the history and culture of The People of the Longhouse.
This exhibition offers visitors a walk through of a partial model of a longhouse, an opportunity to listen to how lacrosse sticks are made and watch traditional dances, weave patterns on baskets, or feel the textures of beads, furs, and hides.
It tells the story of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, their impact on this land prior to colonialism and up to their continued stewardship today through objects, art, and interactive displays.
Roberson hopes to provide further visibility to this sovereign nation and the contributions its people have made to art, science, and history.
This permanent exhibition will be on view in Roberson’s second-floor gallery starting April 30, 2021.
Watch a recording of our Zoom Webinar… Indigenous Communities at the Confluence: An Archaeological History
‘Contemplating the Past’
Peter B. Jones, Onondaga
Ceramic, Silver, abalone, 2021.
A contemporary Haudenosaunee woman rebuilds an ancient broken pottery and ponders how it was made and who made it.
What does “Haudenosaunee” mean?
Roberson recognizes it sits on the ancestral homeland of the Onondaga Nation, which is part of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, comprising six nations. We extend our respect and gratitude to them as the past, present, and future stewards of this land, and are honored to display the contributions this nation and its people have made and continue to make to art, history, and science.
Learn more about the Onondaga Nation.
Support for this exhibition provided by
Support for this exhibition is provided by the Roger Kresge Foundation, The Harriet Ford Dickenson Fund of the Community Foundation for South Central New York, and the Jill Morgan Packard Donor Advised Fund of The Community Foundation for South Central New York; as well as general operations support grants from, the United Cultural Fund, a program of the Broome County Arts Council; the Conrad and Virginia Klee Foundation; the Zoos, Botanical Gardens and Aquariums Program, administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historical Preservation; and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Exhibition Consultants:
- Tony Gonyea, Faithkeeper, Onondaga Nation
- Nina Versaggi, Senior Research Associate, Public Archaeology Facility, Binghamton University
- The Broome County Historical Society
Roberson Staff:
Michael Grasso, Executive Director
Peter Klosky, Director of Exhibitions
Shannon Lindridge, Director of Collections
Christina Mack, Director of Education
Natalie Shoemaker, Marketing
Roberta Wackett, Designer
Maryanne White, Roberson Clayworks Director
Kelly Cole, Program Director
Jessie Stone He, Grant Writer
Mike Sisto, Research
Roberson thanks for their time, talents, or materials:
- Staci Becker
- Katherine and Nat Bouman
- Frank Plunkett
- Tri-K Farms, Owego, NY
- Maria Wackett and Chris Welsh
- Clayworks students:
- Patricia Kephart-Downs
- Jane Watkins
- Heather Delorme
- Jeong Eun Shim
- Diane Pratt
- Sharon Wiater
Video Acknowledgements:
Peter Jemison, Ganondagan State Historic Site, Victor, NY Ron (Deganadus) McLester, Algonquin College, Ottawa, ON, Canada The Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne
Gaehnew Printup
Stylin Strings
