“The Stephen Gaynor School honors the Indigenous People of the Lenape Tribe who lived on these lands before us. We recognize the forced displacement of the Indigenous People of Manhattan during colonization.”
Students in the Blue Cluster learned about the Lenape Tribe, whose people inhabited the island of Manhattan prior to their forced displacement during colonization. During a Town Hall in October 2021, Blue Cluster students discussed what Manhattan looked like in the year 1609, as well as the people who inhabited the land. Students learned about the Lenape Tribe, who lived on the land that Stephen Gaynor School now sits upon.
The cluster then decided to craft a land acknowledgement statement, which recognizes indigenous peoples’ presence and their connection with the land. This tied in to the Blue Cluster curriculum, because they spend the month of October learning about Indigenous Peoples around the world.
Land acknowledgements are important in understanding the history behind the lands we reside on, and understanding our place in that history.
After the Town Hall discussion, students worked individually, in small groups, or in their advisory class to make an acknowledgement statement and poster. The cluster then had a museum walk of all the posters to pick what they liked from each. From there, they took all the great ideas and curated them into one poster and statement.
The statement honors the Lenape tribe, and has action steps we can all take to continue to further their legacy. The students’ work is now shown prominently on the school’s website for all visitors to see.
