A Native American interested in organizing a powwow in New Paltz spoke to village trustees about the idea at their November 16 meeting. Along with two supporters, Elmira resident Douglas Rhedrick touted the economic and cultural benefits of such an event in the village.
Rhedrick claims ancestry from the Eagles Nest band of Esopus Munsee, a group that lived on Hurley Mountain and is described in Olive Clearwater’s History of Ulster County With Emphasis on the Last 100 Years as actually being something of an amalgam: “They were a combination of Dutch, English, Indian and black. It is believed that some among their ancestors were freed slaves, some were former D & H Canal workers, and some were former workers in the bluestone quarries. Any settlers who were dissatisfied with life in the settlements, Indians who stayed in the area when their tribes left, and runaway slaves formed this community.”
Supporting Rhedrick’s efforts were two individuals who attended virtually: Cornelia Dimalanta, a member of the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina, and Peter Brooks of the Piscataway Choptico band in Maryland. The pair explained to trustees that powwows, which were once events that celebrated success in hunting or war, draw participants from a wide geographic area, as well as tourists who observe, participate and buy souvenirs.
“I am here present today as a spokesperson for the people,” Rhedrick told the trustees. “I am only speaking for the community,” which Rhedrick characterized as a “displaced people.” The Munsee are part of the Lenape tribe that were native to this region, and were largely driven out in the 18th century as a result of fraudulent treaties such as the “Walking Purchase” and the earlier Esopus Wars. Many of the Munsee in those days ended up in living on the Ohio River.
The presentation by Rhedrick and the others was largely about the historical and modern context of the powwow, with some discussion about the importance of formally acknowledging those who were displaced by European colonization. No specific details about the proposed powwow in the village were touched upon, but presumably Rhedrick will return with a more detailed proposal another time.
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