SPEAKER ON NOVEMBER 22 ABOUT NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY AND FIBER TRADITIONS

ARKVILLE — Justin Wexler, noted scholar of Lenape history and culture, will give an illustrated talk as the last of Catskills Folk Connection’s activities associated with its exhibit “Indigenous Delaware County: Lenape and Mohawk Fiber Traditions.” On Saturday, November 22 at 10:00am (note time change), he will speak at the auditorium of the Catskill Watershed Corporation, 669 Co. Hwy 38, Arkville NY 12406, about the broader culture and history of pre-colonial Native Americans in the Northeast, including Lenape and Haudenosaunee fiber traditions. Not a Native American himself, Mr. Wexler has immersed himself in the study of the ecology of the forest that surrounds his Cairo home and the lifeways of its original inhabitants.  He has gained a BA in History and Anthropology from Marlboro College, and both a Master of Arts Degree in Teaching and a Professional Certificate in Environmental Policy from Bard College. He is well-known as a speaker in the Catskills and Hudson Valley, on land and on the water.  He and his wife, Anna Plattner, offer programs in Native American history, ethnoecology, forest farming and eco-camping through their educational organization Wild Hudson Valley, with a mission to “inspire learning and build connection through shared experiences in nature.”

“Justin has been invaluable in creating Catskills Folk Connection’s exhibit of Mohawk and Lenape fiber arts, with his deep knowledge not only of history but also botany and ecology that represents the context of these Native American nations’ fiber traditions,” says Catskills Folk Connection’s Executive Director, Ginny Scheer. The exhibit can be seen in the Erpf gallery of the Catskill Center, 43355 State Highway 28, Arkville NY  12406, Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 am to 4 pm. The exhibit features Lenape artist Theresa Johnson’s baskets, Mohawk artist Marilyn Isaac’s fingerwoven traditional sashes  and Mohawk artist Wilma Cook Zumpano’s elaborate raised-bead embroidery.  “Without Justin and Anna,” says Scheer, “we would not have found a Lenape artist with works to include in the exhibit, nor others whose photos of the fiber process are shown on the exhibit’s wall panels.”  With Justin’s and Anna’s input, the exhibit gives a balanced presentation of Lenape and Mohawk contributions to the history and contemporary fiber art of these nations.  

The illustrated talk is free.  No registration is required, but an RSVP would be appreciated to gscheer.mcs@gmail.com or 607-238-9162.  This program of exhibit, workshops and illustrated talk are funded by the  O’Connor Foundation, by the Delaware County Arts Grants, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered in Delaware County by the Roxbury Arts Group, and is supported by Catskills Folk Connection’s generous donors..