Professor Scott Manning Stevens, a citizen of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation, is currently working on a book-length project dealing with these issues between Native American nations and museums. While his focus is largely on Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) communities, he hopes this work will serve as a template for broader application amongst other Indigenous cultures and the museums in which they are represented by collections and exhibits. Stevens considers the many challenges for museums in overcoming the legacy of misappropriation and misrepresentation of Indigenous cultures. [Read more…] about Bringing Indigenous Perspectives into Museums
History
Warren Co Historical Seeks Submissions for Memoirs Project
The Warren County Historical Society (WCHS) is seeking submissions for Warren County Voices, a historical memoirs writing project that will culminate in a book to be published in early 2023. [Read more…] about Warren Co Historical Seeks Submissions for Memoirs Project
Finger Lakes Museum Hosting Winter Sports Programs, Revamps Wetland Property
The Finger Lakes Museum has finalized their program calendar for the 2022 season, with three programs taking place in February. Cross country skiing at Cumming Nature Center takes place on February 5th, snowshoeing at Keuka Lake State Park occurs the following weekend on February 12th and ice fishing on February 19th rounds out the month’s events. [Read more…] about Finger Lakes Museum Hosting Winter Sports Programs, Revamps Wetland Property
Jonathan Swift’s Oyster Test: Oysters, Sex and Culture
At least since Roman times oysters were associated with sex. The most obvious reason for this association is the oyster’s resemblance to the pudendum. Raw oyster was praised as an aphrodisiac. Giacomo Casanova boasted to have eaten fifty at breakfast together with a lady of his fancy.
European painters used oyster as a symbol of fertility and sexual pleasure. Aphrodite (Venus), the Goddess of love and lust, was blown over sea on an oyster shell landing at either Cythera of Cyprus (both islands were regarded by the Greeks as territories of Venus). In “The Birth of Venus” Botticelli painted her approaching the shore on a giant oyster (clam) shell. By then, the associations with female beauty and physical love were well established. [Read more…] about Jonathan Swift’s Oyster Test: Oysters, Sex and Culture
The Saratoga Electric Railway’s Battle With The D&H
Many are aware that one of the first steam railroads in the country was the Saratoga and Schenectady Railroad, which began regular service in 1832. The coming of the railroad provided a great boost to the growth of the resort town of Saratoga Springs.
Fewer may realize that sixty years later the resort and the surrounding communities benefited greatly by another transportation revolution, the electric railway. However, the beginning of the trolley age was not without its birth pains. [Read more…] about The Saratoga Electric Railway’s Battle With The D&H
Amsterdam’s Arts: Visual Artists, Actors & Singers
This week on The Historians Podcast, Jerry Snyder of Historic Amsterdam League has stories from a new booklet called Amsterdam’s Arts, focusing on visual artists, actors, singers and more with ties to Amsterdam, New York. [Read more…] about Amsterdam’s Arts: Visual Artists, Actors & Singers
Stories from the People of the Longhouse (Virtual Program)
Perry Ground has been a storyteller and educator for more than 25 years and uses vivid descriptions, his rhythmic voice, audience interaction, and an active stage presence to bring stories to life. In this webinar, Perry will recount traditional Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) legends that have been told for hundreds of years and showcase the birds, beliefs, customs, and history of the Haudenosaunee people. [Read more…] about Stories from the People of the Longhouse (Virtual Program)
NYS Canal System Hand-Launch Facility Design Guide Available
In response to a dramatic increase in canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards on the NYS Canal System, Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor has published the New York State Canal System Hand-Launch Facility Design Guide.
The free guide shares best practices for communities, businesses, and organizations looking to install or improve hand-launch facilities for paddlers. [Read more…] about NYS Canal System Hand-Launch Facility Design Guide Available
Central NY’s Berry Hill Fire Tower is Now Open to Visitors
The New York State Department of Conservation has announced that the Berry Hill fire tower in the town of McDonough, Chenango County, is open for recreation after the completion of interior and exterior upgrades to enhance safety and accessibility.
Berry Hill is the only fire tower open for recreation on public lands in Central New York and is one of the highest points in Chenango County. [Read more…] about Central NY’s Berry Hill Fire Tower is Now Open to Visitors
A History of Snowmobile Racing in New York State
In the motor toboggan era – the time before the advent of the modern snowmobiles we know today – motor sleds had been too slow for racing excitement. As a result they remained strictly utilitarian vehicles racing only occasionally for promotional purposes. Motor toboggan and later snowmobile maker Polaris traveled each year at the end of the 1950s to trapper festivals at The Pas, Manitoba where they helped organize ad hoc races.
“We tried to rig them a little bit so we had a zig-zag effect,” David Johnson said, remembering one of the first informal races, “one guy ahead, and then the other, and so on, at a terrific speed of about 20 miles per hour.” In February 1959, Johnson won the first organized men’s race on an oval at The Pas and in 1960, the first cross-country race was held there. [Read more…] about A History of Snowmobile Racing in New York State