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We collectively acknowledge that Tompkins County is located on the traditional, ancestral, and contemporary lands of the Gayogo̱hó:nǫ' Nation (generally known as the Cayuga Nation) one of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (formerly referred to as the Iroquois Confederacy). Tompkins County was also home to the native nations adopted by the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ’; the Saponinis and the Tutelos, who fled to this region in the mid 1700's, escaping colonization by European immigrants farther South. The History Center and all our programs occur on land that was cared for and called home by the Haudenosaunee for over 1,000 years, and the Indigenous cultures ancestral to the Confederacy for time immemorial. We recognize and continually support the sovereignty of the Native nations in this territory and beyond. By offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm tribal sovereignty and will work to hold the The History Center in Tompkins County accountable to American Indian peoples and nations. We recognize this to be a living agreement, and much like the George Washington Covenant Belt that was agreed to by representatives of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the United States government in Canandaigua NY in 1794, the "chain" of our friendship needs to be polished regularly to reinforce this community bond.
We are grateful to our community partners in the Gayogo̱hó:nǫ' and other Haudenosaunee Nations for their support of The History Center in Tompkins County, and their ongoing collaborations with us as we strive to offer authentic programs encompassing the full and true history of this region.
The History Center in Tompkins County has submitted this land acknowledgement to traditional Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' leaders for their consideration and approval. We will post a final version as soon as it is available.
Perry Ground (Turtle Clan, Onondaga) presents to children and families at The History Center in Tompkins County. January 2020. | Learn About the Gayogo̱hó:nǫ'
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