EAST GREENBUSH – The 156-acre Papscanee Island Nature Preserve on the Hudson River’s eastern shore is the most apparent sign that the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of the Mohican Indians is back in its homeland.
Acquiring the riverfront site river is part of the Mohicans ongoing effort to establish their presence in the heart of what they have always considered part of the homelands that cover parts of six Northeastern states.
Archaeological digs getting underway in Stockbridge, Mass., regaining ownership of historical artifacts, protecting sites, using the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act to repatriate remains and cultural items, renaming offensive modern place names or fighting to get murals installed on Northway Exit 3’s overpass to reflect Native American heritage are among other ways the Mohicans have promoted and fought to get governments, organizations and area residents to understand the importance of the area to them.
“Just because we’re not there anymore doesn’t make it any less a part of our history. It makes it more of a part of our history,” said Heather Bruegl, cultural affairs director for the Mohican nation, about the original Mohican lands.
“And we need to work to make sure that people understand that just because we might not be there anymore doesn’t make that area less of a home for us,” Bruegl said. “Our long-term goal is to have a cultural center or a library in our homeland.”
The Capital Region’s four core counties have an estimated 6,758 Native Americans, according to the 2019 American Community Survey five-year estimates. The numbers include 3,318 in Albany County, 1,504 in Rensselaer County, 1,318 in Saratoga County and 1,598 in Schenectady County. The ACS, a demographic survey prepared by the U.S. Census, doesn’t breakout the Mohicans.
The Mohicans are headquartered in Wisconsin…
