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The First People of the Hudson Valley: a Program at Mount Gulian
Mount Gulian Historic Site, Fishkill, presents a new program about the Hudson Valley's Native American People on Sunday, May 18 between 2 and 4pm. Guest speakers are Ray Decker, a member of the New York State Archaeological Association and Peggy Osborne of The Nimham Mountain Singers.
Mr. Decker will give a narrated visual presentation of the region's early inhabitants, and will showcase early artifacts and fossils found at excavated sites in the region. Ms. Osborne will tell the cultural history of the Wappinger Indians and of the Native American activities that occurred at Mount Gulian.
Mount Gulian is the homestead of the Verplanck family who arrived from Holland and settled in New York in the mid 1600's. Gulian Verplanck, along with his partners Francis Rombout and Stephanus Van Cortlandt, signed an "Indian Deed of Sale" in 1683 which allowed them to purchase 85,000 acres of property from the Wappinger Indians. Twenty Wappinger Indians made their marks on the Deed. The Wappingers, in return for the land received perhaps one thousand two hundred dollars worth of items, including wampum, guns, gunpowder, cloth, shirts, rum, tobacco and beer. In Mount Gulian's collection is the peace pipe and pouch presented to Verplanck by the Native chief. Archaeology done at Mount Gulian indicates that Native Americans lived intermittently on the property since 6,000 b.c., right into the "period of contact" with the Dutch and English.
Adults and children will be fascinated with the stories and artifacts of The First People of the Hudson Valley. Program admission is $8 adults; $4 children. Mount Gulian members are free. Complimentary refreshments will be served.
For directions see www.mountgulian.org; for more information call 845-831- 8172.
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