Abducted, renamed, but still here – the art of the first Native New Yorkers and their fight for their land
Summary
In the 19th century, the U.S. government created Indian boarding schools to force Native American children to adopt Western culture by separating them from their families and forbidding their traditions. Recently, the Museum of the City of New York opened an exhibit called Halumii Ktapihna: Lenape Legacies and Futures, which features a hymnal once used to erase Lenape language and culture but now helps revive it.Key Facts
- Over 500 Indian boarding schools were set up by the U.S. government in the 19th century.
- Native American children were taken from their families, forced to cut their hair, wear uniforms, and punished severely.
- The schools aimed to erase Native identity with the slogan “kill the Indian, save the man.”
- Many children suffered physical and sexual abuse; at least 1,000 died.
- The U.S. government apologized in 2024 for these boarding schools.
- The Lenape people lived on the northeast U.S. coast and had their language and culture suppressed.
- A 1874 hymnal translated into the Lenape language was used to force Christian worship but now helps revive the language.
- The museum exhibit shows Lenape art, dress, music, and language efforts, highlighting survival despite past oppression.
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