Tag: Munsee

EGREMONT, Mass.— Celebrating local biodiversity during a time of unprecedented global biodiversity loss, the 14th Annual Berkshire Biodiversity Day (also known as Berkshire BioBlitz) welcomes community members of all ages to join biologists, naturalists, and environmentalists to identify as many plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms as possible during a 24-hour period. 

The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place from noon on Saturday, Sept. 23, to noon on Sunday, Sept. 24, at Greenagers’ April Hill Education and Conservation Center, 62 N Undermountain Rd, South Egremont. Participants may take part at any time during this period to record a survey of their findings and experience first-hand the importance of a healthy, active ecosystem in their community. 

This year’s program will have guided walks, presentations, and demonstrations led by experts. Presentation topics include: leaf-mining insects from Charley Eiseman, fungi and mushrooms from John Wheeler, and arachnids from Joseph Warfel. Aliza Fassler will present about native bees and lead a wild bee walk. Professor Tom Tyning will lead an amphibian and reptile walk that will involve checking under cover boards—a common surveying method used by herpetologists. Rene Wendell from Hoffmann Bird Club will lead an owl prowl and early morning bird walk, and Ben Nickley of Berkshire Bird Observatory will also conduct a bird banding demo. 

This year’s event is organized by Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) and Nature Academy of the Berkshires. It’s co-sponsored by Greenagers, Hoffmann Bird Club, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Panera, Nature Academy of the Berkshires, and BEAT. 

Biological surveys and expert-led walks will be conducted in Bow Wow Woods—a 50-acre parcel of land just off Rte 41 on Bow Wow Rd—which was recently acquired by…

Continue reading

Three Virginia congresswomen are pushing for federal recognition of the Patawomeck Indian Tribe, whose presence in present-day Stafford and King George counties can be traced back to the 1300s and was noted in some of European colonists’ earliest records. 

“Our community has always been here, and we have been a strong part of the fabric of our Virginia home,” said Patawomeck Chief Charles “Bootsie” Bullock in a statement. “We are not only descendants of many centuries of our ancestors, but today we are neighbors, colleagues, friends, and proud Americans — and our heritage deserves to be recognized by the federal government like other Indigenous communities.” 

The Patawomeck Indian Tribe won state recognition from Virginia in 2010 and today has over 2,600 enrolled members, most of whom live in Stafford County. 

Legislation co-sponsored by Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Prince William, Jennifer Wexton, D-Loudoun, and Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, seeks to secure federal recognition for the tribe, which would extend sovereignty rights to the Patawomeck while also allowing them to access federal benefits, services and protections. Among those is the right to federal consultation, or the requirement that federal agencies seek input from tribal officials in developing regulations or policies that might impact Indigenous nations. The tribe announced it was seeking federal recognition through legislation in January 2022. 

As of February, 574 tribes in the U.S. had received federal recognition, including seven in Virginia: the Chickahominy Indian Tribe, Eastern Chickahominy Indian Tribe, Monacan Indian Nation, Nansemond Indian Nation, Pamunkey Indian Tribe, Rappahannock Tribe and Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe. 

But while Virginia’s tribes are among the first Indigenous nations recorded by European colonists, none were able to achieve federal recognition until 2016; six won it through federal legislation rather than the typical administrative review process overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. 

The tough road to…

Continue reading

TROY – Three-time Grammy award-winning musician Bill Miller of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans, will return to his ancestral homeland at Freedom Square as The Sanctuary for Independent Media celebrates its ninth StoryHarvest on Saturday, September 23rd. This free event will take place outdoors at Freedom Square in Troy from 2-5 PM, offering music, food, and more.

In his works, Miller focuses on spreading the message of healing through song, art, and storytelling. Miller will incorporate these themes throughout this year’s StoryHarvest, while also bringing the community closer together through food – specifically corn. Corn will be a large source of food, games, crafts, and jokes throughout the day as it is one of the few grains native to the Americas.

Activities will include corn arts & crafts, face painting, and a bicycle-powered mill, and attendees are also welcome to participate in playing corn hole, joining in on the in the CORNy joke open mic, and of course, eating corn!

StoryHarvest is also a part of the Sanctuary Eco-Art Trail project, which works to celebrate the special Mohican soils along with connecting the indigenous legacy to environmental justice. The trail embeds art, ancestral history, culture, and both local and indigenous artist presentations, and is located on a block-wide environmental campus in North Central Troy.

StoryHarvest is also co-sponsored by The People’s Health Sanctuary along with The Honest Weight Food Co-op, with further support from an “Our Town” Creative Placemaking grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, which partners with The Stockbridge-Munsee Community (Tribe).

Join in on the community-centered fun and come experience the diverse activities that StoryHarvest has to offer.

IMPORTANT DETAILS:
What: StoryHarvest ft. music by Bill Miller.
When: Saturday, September 23, 2023, 2:00-5:00 pm
Where: Freedom Square, 35 5th Ave, Troy, NY 12180 (corner of 101st Street and…

Continue reading

The Stockbridge Library, Museum & Archives opens Homeland: Stockbridge-Munsee Artists’ exhibit featuring artists Rebecca Burr, Reva Fuhrman, and Terri O’Connor

Stockbridge— On Friday, September 8th, the Stockbridge Library, Museum & Archives opens “Homeland: Stockbridge-Munsee Artists” exhibit featuring artists Rebecca Burr, Reva Fuhrman, and Terri O’Connor.

Rebecca Burr is exhibiting her oil on canvas paintings. Burr’s work covers a variety of styles and subject matter. Commissions for home and office have included landscapes, abstracts, modern art, and Native American art. Burr is a member of the Mohican tribe and a self-taught artist since age 12. Growing up on the Red River in Wisconsin, which is where she lives today, she developed a personal connection with Mother Earth that resonates throughout her work. Inspiration for her mountain themes comes from the time when she lived in the Sierra Nevada Mountains where her son was born.

By Rebecca Burr. Image courtesy of Stockbridge Library, Museum & Archives.

Reva Fuhrman, is an enrolled member of the Stockbridge Munsee Tribe, retired, and living on the Stockbridge Munsee reservation. Reva has been seriously beading for 23 years, first starting at age16. She is also part Iroquois and does the raised Iroquois beadwork as well as flat beadwork which was customary for the Mohican/Lenape people. She has studied beadwork from many tribes over the years. She creates her own base patterns and looks at images of historical beadwork and then creates her own rendition which is pleasing to her eye. Fuhman has several items in collections in the New York State Museum and also in Phillipse Manor Hall State Historic Site in Yonkers, N.Y. She was chosen by the Wisconsin Arts Board to teach apprentices how to bead from 2016 – 2019.

By Reva Fuhrman. Image courtesy of…

Continue reading

‘Rise Together for Safety & Justice’, Elizabeth Freeman Center’s (EFC) annual fall fundraiser

Berkshire— Starting on Monday, September 11th, Elizabeth Freeman Center’s (EFC) annual fall fundraiser, “Rise Together for Safety & Justice”, will take place across the county.

EFC is the county’s frontline agency providing free, confidential services to almost 4,500 survivors (and their children) of domestic violence and sexual assault annually. Violence prevention programs are offered to another 600 youth and staff in schools across the county.  EFC services are accessible 24 hours a day every day via the toll-free hotline, 866-401-2425. Other services include: shelter, emergency transportation, counseling, court advocacy, Safe Pet, supervised visitation, and specialized services for immigrants, LGBQT+ persons, disabled people, and rural survivors. Offices are located in North Adams, Pittsfield, and Great Barrington.

To support the work of the center, six walks are scheduled across the county as follows: 

In Pittsfield on Monday, September 11th, meet at Persip Park at the corner of Columbus Avenue and North Street. In Lenox on Thursday, September 14th, meet at Roche Reading Park next to Lenox Library on Main Street. In North Adams on Tuesday, September 19th, meet at City Hall on Main Street. In Great Barrington on Wednesday, September 20th, meet in front of Town Hall on Main Street. In Lee on Thursday, September 21st at 5:30 p.m., meet on the green next to Town Hall on Main Street. In Williamstown on Wednesday, September 27th meet in front of Tunnel Street Café on Spring Street. All walks start at 5:30 p.m, except for the walk in Great Barrington which starts at 4:30 p.m.

Visit EFC online to make a donation or register as an individual or as a team. Invite your friends, families, and colleagues to support you as you walk to ensure safety and justice for all Berkshire residents. For more…

Continue reading

STOCKBRIDGE — The Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans, whose original homelands stretch through the Berkshires and beyond, is reclaiming several hundred acres of sacred land that Massachusetts is now giving back.

Quote

“We are trying to reclaim our ways of being, which was never based on money,” Shannon Holsey, president, Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans. 

With a $2.26 million state grant, the tribe is poised to purchase 351 acres at the northern tip of Monument Mountain — a move that will restore tribal ties to this land once again after nearly 200 years of separation from it.

Tribal leaders say they are grateful to again hold the land within their culture and spirituality. It is a stewardship they say will fortify and heal the landscape amid a changing climate.

“It’s sacred to us, and we’re so grateful for the opportunity to be able to return home and have a place to call our own,” said Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans President Shannon Holsey.

Nearly 100 town and city officials, residents and members of the Stockbridge-Munsee attended Wednesday’s official announcement of the purchase in the gym at Stockbridge Town Offices.

The grant is part of a total $31.5 million in Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Action Grants to 84 different towns and cities. The awards include about $3 million to 28 municipalities for pilot programs directed at struggling communities. The rest — $28.5 million — is for various projects in 56 cities in towns.

Shannon Holsey, president of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians, speaks at Stockbridge Town Hall on Wednesday after the announcement of the acquisition of land in the reclamation of Fenn Farm, 351 acres of pristine land at the northern end of Monument Mountain. 

BEN GARVER — THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE

The Stockbridge Munsee grants fall into…

Continue reading

There was a crowd at Wednesday morning’s announcement of MVP grants at Stockbridge Town Hall. State Rep. John Barrett III and state Sen. Paul Mark were at the announcement with Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, who afterward toured Berkshire Community College.

Shannon Holsey, president of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans, says the purchase of former indigenous lands will allow the tribe to reclaim a kinship with the land that will benefit future generations. 

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — The Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans is one of the first tribes to receive state Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness funding, a historical feat that will go toward the reclamation of indigenous homeland.

On Wednesday, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced the $31.5 million in grants for climate resilience implementation and planning throughout the state.  

The band was awarded a $2.26 million MVP Action Grant to reclaim 351 acres of their indigenous homelands and establish tribally driven conservation and forest management strategies. It is one of two tribes to receive the funding.

“We firmly believe that when we empower our communities to do good work and take collective action that our commonwealth is better for it. We’re stronger, we’re healthier, ready to move forward, ready to meet the moment that we need to,” Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said at Town Hall on Wednesday morning.

“So Governor Healey and I really are committed to continue to grow this popular grant program and the partnership it fosters. This is a profoundly meaningful relationship between the state and communities embracing a challenge together, just like we’re seeing here with the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans. We know we can only tackle the impacts of the climate change crisis that we’re seeing together and we feel like we have much to learn from grantees that are not…

Continue reading

Following today’s historic Stockbridge announcement by Massachusetts Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll, Monument Mountain will once again belong to the Indigenous people that settled the area centuries ago.

“The North slope of the land now known as Fenn Farm on Monument Mountain will once again be stewarded by the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of the Mohican Nation,” Driscoll said to a packed Stockbridge Town Hall, part of the ancestral homeland of the Mohican tribe that’s now based in Wisconsin. “That’s not only a meaningful step forward in relation to our history, but [it] also means that Indigenous land management practices and traditional ecological knowledge are going to help us fight and adapt to an ever-growing and present-changing climate future.”

She acknowledged the work done by Stockbridge officials to affect the return of this land.

The change is promulgated by a $31.5 million grant program—the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program (MVP)—that provides local communities with funding and technical assistance to implement climate resilience projects. Along with 56 different individual municipal grantees, the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans was awarded a $2.26 million grant to reclaim 351 acres of their Indigenous homelands, while implementing tribal conservation and forest management strategies to combat climate change.

“We are celebrating the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans reclaiming land in their ancestral homeland,” Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper said. “We are also celebrating the concept to have Indigenous land management as a key way to further climate resiliency in our state.”

Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans President Shannon Holsey described the day as “very joyful and emotional” for her community. “We believe that it is our responsibility to be land stewards and to advocate for future generations,” she said. “We are grateful to be home today, and we are grateful to be partners with all of you who made…

Continue reading