"A Land Acknowledgment Statement is an opportunity to respect, understand and acknowledge the history of the land and its original inhabitants. 

Since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples, both past and present, have known Long Island as Sewanhacky, the Island of Shells. Long Island Children’s Museum (LICM) honors these Indigenous people and the Meroke (Merrick) Nation in particular, who inhabited the land on which the Museum sits, previously the Hempstead Plains. LICM acknowledges the past and continued impact from the forcible removal of many of the Indigenous people of Long Island through colonization.

We are grateful to these original inhabitants and their contemporary descendents for their cultivation of this land. LICM pledges to listen and learn from their example and wise guidance, and serve as an educational resource to elevate their voices, experiences and expertise to the families we serve."

Developed and written by LICM Staff and Board with guidance and input from Denise Silva Dennis and Allison McGovern. 

Approved and adopted by LICM’s Board of Trustees on 3-27-23

The development of this Land Acknowledgment was made possible through funding by

How Our Land Acknowledgement Came to Be 

2021: LICM began a collaboration with artist Jeremy Dennis and artist and tradition bearer Denise Silva-Dennis, both of the Shinnecock Nation, to explore the concepts of place, story and identity with the support of a grant from Humanities NY. Through our work together, LICM began to develop a relationship with members of the indigenous communities throughout Long Island. 

Spring and Summer 2022: National Endowment for the Arts funded a grant project at LICM to utilize storytelling to bridge the work of four artists from the Shinnecock Nation, including Jeremy Dennis and Denise Silva-Dennis, with one another, bridge traditions of the past with the present, and bridge the Shinnecock community with LICM visitors and staff. In residence throughout summer 2022, Toyuskanash: Bridges was a dynamic exhibition and creative making space that brought LICM visitors together with four artists from the Shinnecock Nation: 

  • Bead, applique and ribbon artist Tohanash Tarrant 
  • Painter David Bunn Martine 
  • Painter and tradition bearer Denise Silva-Dennis 
  • Fine art photographer Jeremy Dennis  
Photograph of person wearing a shell necklace next to a photograph of a shell necklace in a museum display case.

On display in Toyuskanash: Bridges, summer 2022: Chenae Bullock (from Shinnecock Portrait Project) 2018, Jeremy Dennis and Wampum Necklace, Denise Silva-Dennis "WeeTahMoe"

Through displays within the Kaleidozone and Comings & Goings galleries, daily workshops, and a celebration of indigenous cultures and traditions, LICM hosted a summer of making, viewing and talking about indigenous art and stories with artists from the Shinnecock Nation. As part of this grant, LICM staff participated in professional development about the work and culture of the artists.

As these projects developed, all involved in the project felt it was time for the museum to work on a land acknowledgement statement and to deepen and broaden LICM’s relationships with local indigenous communities.  

Fall 2022: Thanks to a second grant from Humanities NY, LICM convened public conversations about Land Acknowledgements and conducted research regarding the history of the land on which the museum sits to inform the creation of a statement for LICM. Humanities NY consultants, Shinnecock community members, LICM staff and Board, museum professionals and LICM visitors joined in these conversations about what Land Acknowledgement means, how we can recognize the experiences of the Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time, why it is important, and how to continue beyond writing a statement. One of these conversations was held at Ma's House, an art space for BIPOC artists located on the Shinnecock Reservation and run by Jeremy Dennis.

This research, self-reflection, and set of ongoing discussions culminated in LICM’s written Land Acknowledgement above.   

Continuing Conversations 

2023: Through a third Humanities New York grant, the project “Understanding Place, Next Step: Interpretive Land Acknowledgement Experience for Families” commenced. This project kicked off with the “Stories from the Land Festival” in summer of 2023 in LICM’s Our Backyard exhibit. During this festival, visitors enjoyed opportunities to share their understanding of Land Acknowledgements, their connection to the land and their understanding of their impact on the land. 

A group of children and adults with an LICM volunteer watering native plants in LICM's backyard.

Doug Schmid from the Friends of the Hempstead Plains worked with families to plant a native bed in the Our Backyard exhibit and seeds to create a native garden at home, broadening the impact of the interactions and lessons learned at the Festival.

Artist standing at a table with children creating natural dye from palnts.

Ella Mahoney facilitated an activity dying fabrics with natural dyes using plants sourced directly from LICM gardens. Through this process, visitors learned the connections, both past and present, between the earth and Indigenous cultures.

Artist Silva Dennis reading children a book about indigenous people while dressed in traditional indigenous attire.

Storyteller and artist Denise Silva-Dennis from the Shinnecock Nation shared Indigenous origin stories that illustrate the deep history and connection of the Indigenous people and the land.

Four pieces of paper with prompts featuring responses from visitors, an image of a turtle, a map and a tree.

Through our Story Sharing Walls, visitors noted what they learned during the Festival, and what they want to continue to explore. This feedback gives information to the project team for the development of interpretive pieces.

2024: The third Humanities New York grant extended beyond the Festival, providing the opportunity for LICM to work with Indigenous artist Ella Mahoney to create an interpretive visual representation of LICM’s written Land Acknowledgment Statement. The work was unveiled Summer 2024 during our Stories from the Land Celebration, and will intentionally change with the natural elements of wind, rain, and sunshine over time. 

Four lage paintings on silks featuring nature landscapes hanging in LICM's outter lobby windows.

Beautiful silk paintings in our lobby by artist Ella Mahoney from the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head reflect the land acknowledgement statement. The banners portray the rich history and evolution of the Hempstead Plains in four seasons.

Five blue paintings featruing nature on silks hanging in LICM backyard.

Accompanying banners in Our Backyard by artist Ella Mahoney from the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head are a visual interpretation of the land acknowledgement statement displayed both at the entrance for Our Backyard and in LICM’s lobby.

Resources

  • https://nativelongisland.com/ Specific to Long Island, find your home and other sites along with their history from Native American perspectives. Created by Jeremy Dennis.
  • https://native-land.ca/ Click around on the map all around the globe to find your home and other sites to find the relevant territories in a location. Different nation names will appear throughout the map, leading you to information about that nation, language, or treaty, where you can learn more.
  • https://www.mashouse.studio/ Ma's House opened June 2020, and it serves as a communal art space on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation in Southampton, New York. 

Our Future Together

This collaborative process between LICM and local indigenous communities strengthens the Museum as a whole, and this work provides a foundation of learning for our staff and visitors. The indigenous way of living aligns with our approach towards environmental advocacy and stewardship. Land acknowledgment isn't an end result; it is a step in an ever-evolving process that LICM is committed to exploring.