Now Open

Halumii Ktapihna: Lenape Legacies and Futures

Sep 25 – Apr 17, 2027

Museum of the City of New York
Museum

Museum of the City of New York

1220 5th Ave, New York, NY 10029

Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-6pm

Admission

🎁

Free Admission

About

Bringing together the work of more than 30 artists alongside objects, archival materials, videos, and interactive listening stations, _Halumii Ktapihna: Lenape Legacies and Futures_ invites visitors to encounter the enduring presence and living cultures of the Lenape/Lunáapeew—the original people of Lenapehoking/Lunaapeewáhkiing, the land now known as New York City and its surrounding region. For over 12,000 years, Lenape/Lunáapeew communities shaped this place through complex governance, vibrant trade, and enduring relationships with the land and waters—connections that continue to inform Lenape/Lunáapeew identity and cultural life, even as most have been displaced from their ancestral homelands. Despite centuries of dispossession, forced migration, and erasure, Lenape/Lunáapeew people have persisted, adapting and sustaining their traditions across generations and geographies. This exhibition centers Lenape/Lunáapeew voices, stories, and creativity, foregrounding the perspectives of artists and community members from across the Lenape/Lunáapeew diaspora. _Halumii Ktapihna_ moves through three sections—The Lunáapeew Today, Homelands, and Creating the Future—illuminating the living culture of the Lunáapeew people through rarely seen objects, contemporary artworks, personal testimonies, and interactive installations. Developed in partnership with the Éenda-Lŭnaapeewáhkiing (Land of the Lenape) Collective and Lenape/Lunáapeew community advisors, _Halumii Ktapihna_ challenges visitors to reconsider the city's history and future through the lens of its first people. The exhibition explores themes of land stewardship, language revitalization, and the resilience of Lenape/Lunáapeew communities, while also confronting the legacies of removal and the realities of contemporary Lenape/Lunáapeew life. As New York City marks 400 years since the founding of New Amsterdam, this exhibition asks: What does it mean to acknowledge the original stewards of this place, and how can we imagine a more just and connected future together? We invite you to listen, learn, and reflect on the ongoing story of the Lenape/Lunáapeew—past, present, and future. _Íiyach ktapihna_, we are still here. _Halumii ktapihna_, we are here forever.

Tags

LenapeIndigenousContemporary ArtHistorical ObjectsArchival MaterialsInteractive InstallationCommunity Voices
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