Following conference announcement is posted by request. --Moderator, NYHIST-L > 11th Annual Algonquian Peoples Seminar > April 30, 2011 > > > New York State Museum > Cultural Education Center, Empire State Plaza > Madison Avenue , Albany, New York > > 9:00 - 9:30 Registration - > 9:30 - 10:00 Welcome & Board Introduction Mariann Mantzouris & > Kevin Fuerst > Presentation of Colors by the Mohican Veterans, (Please stand) > > 10:00 - 10:20 John Lothrop > > Archaeological Research on First Peoples of Eastern New York and the New > England-Maritimes Humans first explored New York about 13,000 years > ago, as this region was emerging from the Ice Age. With glacial retreat, > eastern New York was the physical gateway through which Paleoindians > entered the broader New England-Maritimes (NEM) region (extending east > through New England to Québec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick). This > paper reviews (1) current evidence for changing deglacial environments > of these regions, and (2) ongoing archaeological research on how Native > Americans colonized the Late Pleistocene landscapes of the Hudson Valley > and the NEM between 13,000 and 10,000 years ago. > ~Although not a New York native, Jon Lothrop did his graduate work in > anthropology at Binghamton University. While there, he collaborated on > excavations at the Potts Paleoindian site in Oswego County for his > dissertation, and received his Ph.D. in 1988. He spent the next 20 > years in cultural resource management, directing archaeological survey, > testing, and data recovery excavations on prehistoric sites from the > Ohio Valley to New England. In 2008, Dr. Lothrop joined the New York > State Museum as Curator of Archaeology. His duties include curation of > the prehistoric archaeology collections, public education, and research > on Late Pleistocene adaptations in the New York region > 10:25 - 10:40 George Hamel > Life's > Immortal Shell: Wampum as a Light and Life Metaphor > From my research into Great Lakes Native > American oral tradition during the past 40 years I have concluded that > white shell served within ritual contexts as a visible and tangible > metaphor for the concepts of LIGHT and LIFE. When consecrated to ritual > use, white shell, whether in its natural form or modified into some > other form, and regardless of whether it was freshwater shell or marine > shell, served as a metaphor for the concepts of LIGHT and LIFE: for the > biological continuity of LIFE in general, and the biological and social > continuity of HUMAN LIFE in particular. This conceptual and aesthetic > value of white shell served as the common denominator of all the > functions or so-called "values" historically-recorded for white wampum; > especially white wampum's functions as the medium and the message of > "social" relations. The ritual meaning of white wampum informed the > contrasting meanings of dark purple ["black"] wampum and of red-painted > wampum in these same contexts." > > ~George R. Hamell's professional career began as an Interpetive > Naturalist for the Monroe County Parks Department in western New York in > 1962. Seven years later he returned to college to major in anthropology > and american history at St. John Fisher College, a liberal arts college > near Rochester, N.Y. In 1974 he joined the anthropology department of > the Rochester Museum and Science Center where he served as Curator of > Anthropology through 1980. In 1981he joined the New York State Museum > where he served in several successive roles: as Senior Exhibits Planner > in Anthropology, as ad hoc curator of ethnology and archeology, and > lastly, as Senior Historian. Mr. Hamell retired from the State Museum > in October 2007 to return to Rochester to become the curator of the Rock > Foundation Collection that has been on loan to the Rochester Museum and > Science Center since 1977. This is a large and well documented > collection of Seneca and other Iroquois archeological material culture, > spanning late prehistory through the end of the 18th century. Throughout > his career, Mr. Hamell has looked to Seneca, Huron-Wyandot, and other > Northern Iroquoian oral tradition for the interpretation of > archeological and ethnological material culture. > > 10:45 - 11:00 Break > > 11:00 - 11:20 JoAnne Schedler > The > 150th Anniversay of the Mohican Stockbridge-Munsee in the Civil War > ~Ms. Schedler, BSN, MSM, RN, is a life member Reserve Officers > Association, Mohican Veteran Officer founding member, 1996-present, > American Legion post # 0117, 2004-present, Tribal Historic Preservation > committee for Stockbridge-Munsee Community, 2004-present, Constitution > committee for the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, 2005-present, > Peacemaker, Stockbridge-Munsee Tribal Court 2005- present Nursing > Instructor for Associate Degree Program at College of the Menominee > Nation 2008/ 2009, Officer in the US Army Nurse Corps Reserves 1984, > served over twenty years with the 452 Combat Support Hospital (CSH), > retired as a Major from the Army Reserve in July 2004, Sigma Theta Tau > International Honor Society of Nurses since 1992, National Alaska Native > American Indian Nurses Association # 10179, > 11:25 - 11:45 Kevin White > > Speck on Penobscot and Iroquois Worldviews in the > Cosmological Narratives > Frank Speck was one of the few anthropologists in the early twentieth > century examining ways in which the ceremonials of the Native Americans > connected directly or indirectly to the cosmological narratives. In > examining tales, religious beliefs, and ceremonies, Speck highlights the > interwoven tendencies and practices that have continued to endure > through the generations and ages. By examination of these variations > one can examine indigenous cultures in the midst of transition, > struggling to balance ancient traditions and sacred beliefs as told in > the first instructions of the cosmological narratives against the > assimilationist pressures and policies of the larger American culture > and government. These ceremonials and narratives shed light on a unique > worldviews specific to each individual indigenous nation. Speck saw > these connections, during a time when it was thought the Indigenous > peoples had very little, if anything, to offer Western Civilization > other than a mild, passing curiosity. I seek to energize a dialogue by > which contemporary Haudenosaunee communities can benefit from hundreds > of years of research and scholarship in ways that are useful to those > who continue to be affected by what has been written about them, and > what will be written by them. > ~Kevin J. White (Akwesasne Mohawk) holds a Ph.D. in American Studies > (SUNY Buffalo, June 2007). He is an Assistant Professor of Native > American and American Studies Programs at SUNY Oswego. He teaches an > Introduction to Native American Studies, History and Culture of the > Iroquois, and American Indian Sovereignty along with other courses. > Currently, his work focuses on various points of analysis with which to > explore the cosmological narratives in two parts of noted Tuscarora > scholar John Napoleon Briton Hewitt, along with the work of the late > John Mohawk on Iroquois creation. His dissertation was an exploration of > the published texts of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Creation > narratives. > > > > > > 11:50 - 12:10 Ed Curtin > Investigation of the Vosburg Archaeological District, 2005-2010 > The Vosburg > Archaeological District refers to a group of pre-contact period > archaeological sites and landscapes near Normanskill Creek in > Guilderland, New York. The Vosburg site is well-known as one of the > largest pre-contact sites in Albany County. It also is considered to be > one of the most important Archaic period (1,000-8,000 B.C.) sites in New > York State. Recent field investigations and collections research > illustrate the rich material culture of this archaeological district, > while providing important new information on the origin and growth of > the Archaic community once located at the Vosburg site. The new > information includes detailed inventories of several archaeological > collections; radiocarbon dating of small, outlying campsites; evidence > that several local botanical resources were used; and diverse traces of > continued visits to the area long after the period of Late Archaic > florescence about 3,800-4,000 years ago. Through consultation and > careful consideration, the recognition of the archaeological importance > of the Vosburg site has led to plans for its preservation and long term > protection. > ~Edward V. Curtin is the President of Curtin Archaeological Consulting, > Inc., located in Ballston Spa, Saratoga County, New York. He is an > archaeologist with a Ph.D. in anthropology from the State University of > New York at Binghamton. He is best known for his interest in the > Archaic period (1,000-8,000 B.C.) of the Northeastern United States, but > he also is intensely interested in all things related to the archaeology > of the Hudson valley. His writing on these subjects includes “The > Ancient Mohicans in Time, Space and Prehistory” (New York State Museum > Bulletin 501, pp. 5-18), “Recent Investigation of Archaic Sites at > Hemstreet Park on the Upper Hudson River” (New York State > Archaeological Association Newsletter, Fall 2009, pp. 1-3) and the > forthcoming “A Small Site in Coxsackie, Circa A. D. 1200: Some > Ecological Issues Concerning Its Age and Location” (submitted to New > York State Museum Record). He also contributes to Fieldnotes, Curtin > Archaeological Consulting’s blog at www.curtinarchaeology.com/blog. > > 12:15 -1:15 Seminar Luncheon: Pumpkin Soup, Buffalo Loaf (thunder > Rumble) , Maple Roasted Turkey, Wild Rice with Nuts and Berries, > Succotash, Corn Bread and Strawberry Desert- Fresh Brewed Coffee, > Decaf, Hot Tea and Water > > 1:15 - 1:35 Charles D.Burgess > New York State's woodland period archaeological record can be a > bewildering topic to grasp. The periods, cultures and phases > articulated most completely by William Ritchie in his Archaeology of New > York State, and elaborated upon by Funk, Snow, and others, have become > the language for discussing New York State archaeology. Although this > language is practical and useful, it can also be extremely confusing. > This language of “periods” (Early, Middle, and Late Woodland), > “cultures” (Adena, Point Peninsula, Owasco) and “phases” > (Middlesex, Meadowood, Fox Creek) potentially obscures some > relationships that aren't there. In this presentation I will interpret > the past 3,000 years of New York State's archaeological record through > the lens of the Mohican origin history, as related by Hendrick Ampaumut, > John Heckewelder, and John Quinney. The striking relationships between > the origin history and the archaeological record will be discussed as > the archaeological record is clarified by that history. The effects of > climate change will also be brought to bear in a discussion of the > Little Ice Age. I suggest that regional environmental and cultural > responses to climate change are responsible for many of the noted > differences between Mohican and Haudenosaunee material cultures, > including settlement form, house form and projectile point form. > > > ~My research focuses on the relationships between indigenous peoples > and their landscapes, and how interdisciplinary research and mapping can > be used to bring those relationships to life. Most recently I have > studied the Mohican River and its people, whose homeland I have been > blessed to inhabit all my life. I recently received my MA in > Archaeology from Cornell University, and I also hold a BA in > Anthropology from SUNY Albany, and an AS in Wilderness Recreation > Leadership from North Country Community College. > 1:40 - 2:00 Judy Hartley > Growing up on the Reservation: Changing Perspectives > I am a member of the Stockbridge-Munsee/Band of Mohicans tribe. Our > tribal native lands are in the area of Albany, NY; however, as is well > known, our tribe like many others was pushed out of our native lands. > Our particular band ended up on a reservation in north central > Wisconsin. This is where I was born and spent the first 18 years of my > life. I would like to reflect on that experience in my talk. > ~I am a tribal elder. I am involved in a long-term project to reclaim > our language. To that end, we are first learning Delaware (Lenape) > because that is the language closest to our native Mohican. > Professionally, I have a B.S. degree in biology and worked for years as > a biologist. I later obtained an M.B.A. and have worked for the past 21 > years for a very large, global medical diagnostics firm, Roche > Diagnostics. > 2:05 - 2:25 Daniel Mazau & Sean P. Higgins > Lithic reduction & resource use in southern New York State: the Naima > and Paul J. Higgins site > > Recent excavations by > the Cultural Resource Survey Program (CRSP) at the New York State Museum > (NYSM) have identified two multi-component prehistoric sites in southern > New York State: the Paul J. Higgins site in northwestern Westchester > County, and the Naima site in central Suffolk County. Archaeological > data from these sites indicate both were occupied during the Late > Archaic and Late Woodland period and that they primarily served as late > stage lithic production sites. This paper will examine the total lithic > assemblages of both sites, including formal tools and production > debitage, as well as present a discussion of raw materials used at the > sites. The resulting data will be used to understand the stone tool > industry, site organization, and raw material exploitation of the two > sites, and the derivative interpretations will draw from the > contextualizing of the sites’ data at, first, the local scale. > Assessment of the local lithic industries will then be followed by the > comparison of the two sites in order to discuss broader patterns in > lithic reduction and resource exploitation during the Late Archaic and > Late Woodland periods in New York. > > ~Daniel Mazeau and Sean Higgins are archaeologists (Principal > Investigators) for the New York State Museum’s Cultural Resource > Survey Program (CRSP) in Albany, New York. Daniel has worked with CRSP > since 2003 and, in addition to conducting archaeological projects > throughout New York State with the Museum, has worked in Mexico and > Belize. His graduate research focused on settlement patterns around the > Classic Period Maya city of Chunchucmil, while his recent interests > center on the settlement patterns and lithic industries of prehistoric > Long Island, NY. > ~Sean P. Higgins began working at CRSP in 2004. His research interests > focus on faunal analysis and the ways in which such data are used in > assessing the diet, subsistence systems, and socioeconomic organization > of prehistoric and historic populations. Sean’s Masters’ thesis, > completed at the University at Albany in 2009, examined the faunal > remains recovered from San Estevan, a Maya site located in northern > Belize, seeking to identify the emergence of social complexity during > the end of the Mesoamerican Formative period. > 2:25 - 2:40 Break > > 2:40 - 3:00 Warren F. Broderick > > The Stephentown Mounds > > > Do earthen mounds created by Native peoples exist in Mohican > country in eastern New York and western New England? Long-held beliefs > of historians and ethnologists infer that Algonquian peoples did not > construct them. A number of earthen mounds are found in Iroquois > country in western New York State. Two known and one reported raised > earthen “mounds” are found in Mohican country. I will speak about > the Stephentown mounds. > ~Warren F. Broderick is Archivist Emeritus for the New York State > Archives, Albany, NY. He is actively involved in promoting the use of > original documentary sources in American history research and writing. > Mr. Broderick received his B.A. and M.A. degrees in American Studies > from Union College.Mr. Broderick is active in land preservation in > Rensselaer County. With a background as a historian, he has authored > five books, edited or contributed to ten others, and written a number of > journal articles on natural history, American ceramics, and American > literary and local historical subjects, in particular New York State’s > Native Americans in literature. > > 3:05 - 4:20 Closing Remarks and Retreat of the Colors” by Mohican > Veterans to end the conference (Please stand) > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > The distribution of any events, sales or promotional literature at an > NAI event must be pre-approved by the NAI Board. > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Please > visit our crafts people, authors, and venders. They are here to share > their crafts, knowledge, and experiences with you. > My thanks go to each of you for making this event a success!! Mariann > ~ Seminar Chair > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~2011 > Algonquians Peoples Seminar Registration Form New York State > Museum > PLEASE PRINT , cut and mail or email: [log in to unmask] > Name________________________________________________________________________ > Address_______________________________________________________________________ > Phone ( )__________- > _____________E-Mail______________________________________ > Seminar & Buffet Seminar > & Buffet $40.00 Number Attending____ > NAIHRV Members Seminar & > Buffet $30.00 Number Attending____ > Student with School ID Seminar > Only $20.00 Number Attending____ > Student with School ID Seminar & > Buffet $35.00 Number Attending____ > Please make payment out to NAIHRV Mail completed form and payment > to: > NAIHRV Mariann Mantzouris PO Box 327 Sand Lake, NY > 12153 > Menu: Pumpkin Soup, Thunder Rumble- Buffalo Loaf , Maple Roasted > Turkey, Wild Rice with Nuts and Berries, Succotash, Corn Bread and > Strawberry Desert- Fresh Brewed Coffee, Decaf, Hot Tea and > For questions email Mariann Mantzouris, Seminar Chairwoman at > [log in to unmask] or call 518-369-8116 > > The New York State Museum is housed in the Cultural Education Center in Albany, > New York. The Cultural Education Center (CEC) is at the south end of the > Empire State Plaza, across Madison Avenue (Route 20) from the Plaza (at > the opposite end from the Capitol). Phone (518) 474-5877 > > > Parking is available, free on weekends, in the two lots adjacent to > the Museum, on Madison Ave. >