16 May - 10 Nov 2024
Manahahtáanung or New Amsterdam?
The Indigenous Story Behind New York
16 May - 10 Nov 2024
Amsterdam Museum at the AmstelAmsterdam Museum and Museum of the City of New York present
400 years ago the first Dutch colonists arrived in the area known today as New York. Their mission given by the Dutch West India Company was to establish the colony of New Netherlands, with New Amsterdam as its capital, at the southern tip of what is today the island of Manhattan. The Amsterdam Museum has joined with the Museum of the City of New York and representatives of the Lenape —original inhabitants of this area of the United States— in creating an exhibition about this shared history. Looking from an Indigenous perspective, the exhibition examines the decades-long period of Dutch colonization in the area, as well as its consequences for the Indigenous residents and their struggles.
The exhibition Manahahtáanung or New Amsterdam? The Indigenous Story Behind New York will be on view at the Amsterdam Museum on the Amstel from May 16 through November 10, 2024.
Tip: On May 15th, visit the symposium '400 Years of Native American Resistance', where representatives of the Lenape, artists and curators will reflect on the shared history between Amsterdam and New York. More information.
From an Indigenous perspective
The impetus for this collaboration and the exhibition is that 2024 marks 400 years since the Dutch arrived in America to establish a colony at the mouth of the Hudson River. After the colony was conquered by the English in 1664, the following centuries saw the settlement grow into the city of New York. The Dutch invasion and decades-long colonization of the area in the 17th century had tremendous consequences for the Indigenous people who lived in the region, and on the island which they called Manahahtáanung. Not only did they lose their land, they were victims of disease, war, and the disappearance of their own livelihoods. The colonists deliberately made it impossible for Indigenous peoples to maintain their way of life and culture. Despite this, Indigenous communities have consistently resisted these changes, even up until the present moment.
Colonialism in Suriname, the Caribbean, and Asia is getting an increasing amount of attention in the Netherlands and at the Amsterdam Museum. Yet, due to colonial activities in North America, Amsterdam has also left indelible traces.”
Imara Limon
Conservator Amsterdam Museum
About the collaboration
For this exhibition, the Amsterdam Museum is partnering with the Museum of the City of New York and representatives of the Lenape, the original inhabitants of the area that is now Manhattan. Cooperating with the Lenape, represented by people from various nations, makes this exhibition unique and requires flexibility from all parties as they engage in new approaches to work together. The leadership of the four Lenape nations—the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation, the Ramapough Lenape Indian Nation, the Munsee-Delaware Nation and Eelunaapeewi-Lahkeewiit (Delaware Nation)—selected a number of individuals to formulate the exhibition jointly with the two museums.
These representatives of the Lenape
These representatives are Chief Urie Ridgeway, leader of the Nanticoke Lenape Nation, Cory Ridgeway of the Nanticoke Nation, Brent Stonefish of the Delaware Nation, George Stonefish of the Delaware Nation, Lesley Snake of the Delaware Nation, Sherry Huff of the Delaware Nation, Denise Dunkley of the Nanticoke Lenape Nation, and Steven D. Smith, representative of the
Ramapough Nation. The Lenape rely on an Indigenous system of governance, which involves mutual decision-making
and hierarchy. Crucial in this respect is alignment within the community and consultations with ancestors and community leaders.
This exhibition was made possible by
The exhibition Manahahtáanung or New Amsterdam? The Indigenous Story Behind New York will be held at the Amsterdam Museum from May 16 through November 10, 2024. The exhibition is made possible by the Mondriaan Fund, DutchCultureUSA, and the Netherlands Consulate General in New York. The exhibition will be on view in New York in 2025. The Amsterdam Museum is generously supported by the Municipality of Amsterdam, VriendenLoterij, and the ELJA Foundation.