Native New Yorkers
The Legacy of the Algonquin People of New York
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
To be stewards of the earth, not owners: this was the way of the Lenape. Considering themselves sacred land keepers, they walked gently; they preserved the world they inhabited. Drawing on a wide range of historical sources, interviews with living Algonquin elders, and first-hand explorations of the ancient trails, burial grounds, and sacred sites, Native New Yorkers offers a rare glimpse into the civilization that served as the blueprint for modern New York. A fascinating history, supplemented with maps, timelines, and a glossary of Algonquin words, this book is an important and timely celebration of a forgotten people.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Algonquin "canoe commuters" used to dock in the same place where a local railway station now links New York City and Hoboken, N.J. Brooklyn's main thoroughfares, Flatbush Avenue and Kings Highway, were major trade routes of the Canarsie people. With nuggets like these, Pritchard (No Word for Our Time), a Marist College Native American history professor and founder of the Center for Algonquin Culture, conveys the extent to which Native American civilizations have shaped the geography of modern New York. Divided into three sections covering New York City, the Hudson Valley and Long Island, the book is a rambling tour of Indian landmarks and historical sites, with descriptions of the cultures, history, languages and lore of the Native American inhabitants. Drawing on archival material as well as interviews with present-day leaders of the Algonquin nations, Pritchard offers a wealth of information that doesn't make it into many New York City histories or guidebooks. Some readers may be frustrated by his unfocused, anecdotal approach, and not everyone will enjoy his periodic forays into quasi-inspirational-speak ("If you look around at the cement and pollution, and say, 'I wish I could help heal this land,' you are not alone"), but New York history buffs and those interested in the Native American past will welcome Pritchard's attempt to fill in the gaps.
