Our second volume of "Occasional Papers" has been printed!Following dinner, VP David Johnson introduced our officers and trustees in attendance in addition to offering a few words of wisdom.
Trustee Fred Assmus then introduced several visiting dignitaries and the evening's speaker: Dr. David Oestreicher.
Dr. Oestreicher related his fascinating history as how he became involved in the study of the Lenape, who inhabited our region at the time the modern European explorers reached the East Coast.
Pictured here, dedicating a reconstructed Lenape village in Pound Ridge, NY, is "Touching Leaves Woman," among the last fluent speakers of the Umami dialect to have been raised in the traditions and practices of her ancestors. Dr. Oestreicher had the privilege of studying with her as he learned the Lenape language and traditional cultures in the 1970's.
Dr. Oestreicher closed with a very touching "Touching Leaves Woman" quote from "The Lenape-Delaware Indian Heritage" by Herb Kraft.
Many thanks to Chuck Tudor and Sharon Assmus for organizing such an excellent evening!
The 21st Annual Highlands Archaeological Conference held on Saturday, October 27, 2007 at the Lautenburg Visitor Center, Sterling Forest State Park began with a preview tour led by Ranger Doc Bayne of the “Iron Trail” that visited the ruins of the various Sterling Iron Works that operated from about 1794 through 1923.
“The Great Algonkian Flint Mines at Coxsackie, NY, A photographic visit to one of the most important Indian localities within New York State” by IOCCNYSA member, Eric X. Dratch led off the afternoon’s formal session. Since Eric was called away on business, Ray Decker assisted by Clif Patrick presented Eric’s paper.
IOCCNYSA chapter President, Kevin Storms closed the conference with his excellent: “Drawing on the Past.”
Dinner reservations sent by check to Ray Decker MUST arrive before November 5th!
Call Chuck Tudor at 845-562-9395 or Sharon Assmus at 845-343-1671 for dinner reservations, if you miss the above deadline.
Tickets for the dinner are $38.00 each and your payment should arrive before Nov. 5, 2007 to: IOCCNYSAA
C/o Harold R. Decker
60 Decker Drive, RD 4
Middletown, New York 10940
Please indicate which entree you would like:
Chicken Piccatta Prime Rib of Beef
Filet of Salmon with Fine Herbs Vegetarian Meal on Request
For more information please call: Chuck Tudor at 845-562-9395 or Sharon Assmus at 845-343-1671. Lecture is free & open to the public starting at 8:45 PM
At our October meeting Tom Lake, Archaeologist with City/Scape: Cultural Resource Consultants, gave an very interesting briefing on his prehistoric findings at the future site of the Orange Regional Medical Center Site, off East Main Street in Middletown. They investigated the areas of the site that will be disturbed by the construction. Finding no habitation sites, the artifacts recovered, which included 49 points, mostly date from the 4,800 to 3,700 year before present period. The findings suggest that the site was used mostly for hunting/gathering and apparent tool repair, with indications that the people likely visited the studied site for periods of hours but not much longer.
He also enlightened as the conflicting pressures in Cultural Resource archaeology versus academic archeology and differenting priorities of archaeology versus paleontology studies.
At 8:30 pm, following the regular monthly IOCNYSAA meeting:
Tom Lake, Archaeologist with City/Scape: Cultural Resource Consultants will reoprt on the “Preliminary Prehistoric Findings at the Orange Regional Medical Center Site” (OPRHP 06PR04643) in the Town of Wallkill, Orange County, New York
Tom Lake is an archaeologist and has been a member of the NYSAA since 1994. He teaches anthropology at SUNY Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, including the Prehistory of the Hudson Valley. He also works for the NYSDEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program as its Estuary Naturalist, where he conducts research, education, and edits the Hudson River Almanac, a natural history journal now in its 14th year. He received his B.A. at the State University of New York at New Paltz and did his graduate study at the State University of New York at Albany.
The monthly the Incorporated Orange County Chapter of the New York State Archaeological Association meeting Friday evenings at 7:30 pm in the community room of the Goshen Methodist Church, 115 Main St, Goshen, NY 10924. Please enter by the side door on Court Lane. The community room is one flight up and to your right.
Goshen United Methodist Church
(845) 291-3943
115 Main St
Goshen, NY 10924
The public is invited to attend.
Our guest speaker will be David Oestreicher speaking on In Search of the Lenape: The Delaware Indians Past and Present.
A lecture by David Oestreicher
For twelve thousand years, the region that is now lower New York, New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware was home to groups of Lenape (Delaware Indians) and their prehistoric forebears. By the late 18th and early 19th centuries, however, after a tragic series of removals that had taken them halfway across the continent, the broken remnants of these tribes had finally come to settle in parts of Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Ontario. By the early 20th century, only a handful of elders could still speak their native language, or had any knowledge of the traditional ways.
In this lively and engaging talk, David M. Oestreicher gives a brief overview of the prehistory of the Mid-Atlantic region, describes how the Lenape and their neighbors subsisted at the time of European contact, why they ultimately left their traditional homelands, and where they are living today. Dr. Oestreicher touches upon the major historic events that took place involving the Lenape, and relates how the Lenape language, ceremonies, religious beliefs and life ways were impacted by removal. The talk includes a slide program featuring Lenape artifacts, maps, illustrations and photographs of various life activities, including portraits of some of the most important tribal traditionalists - those who were the last repositories of their culture. The talk concludes with an account of efforts today by the Lenape and their neighbors to reclaim their ancient heritage and revive long abandoned traditions.
Dr. David Oestreicher Independent Scholar
David M. Oestreicher is recognized as a leading authority on the Lenape (Delaware) and related tribes, having for years conducted research among the last tribal traditionalists. He is curator of the award-winning traveling exhibition, In Search of the Lenape: The Delaware Indians, Past and Present, which the New York Times described as "an extended reverie,” capturing "the vitality and poignancy of the Lenape saga." His writings have appeared in leading scholarly journals and books, and several years ago he completed the final portion of the late Herbert C. Kraft's The Lenape/Delaware Indian Heritage: 10,000 B. C. - 2000 A. D. a tome subsequently hailed by scholars as the seminal work on the Lenape.
Oestreicher holds a master's degree in Hebraic Studies from New York University (1985), and a master’s degree and doctorate in anthropology from Rutgers University (1991, 1995).
NOTE: Dr. Oestreicher’s lecture is open to the public without charge.
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DINNER RESERVATIONS SHOULD BE SENT BY CHECK TO RAY DECKER.
Tickets for the dinner are $38.00 each and your payment should be sent before Nov. 9,2007 to: IOCCNYSAA
C/o Harold R. Decker
60 Decker Drive, RD 4
Middletown, New York 10940
Please indicate which entree you would like:
Chicken Piccatta Prime Rib of Beef
Filet of Salmon with Fine Herbs Vegetarian Meal on Request
For more information please call: Chuck Tudor at 845-562-9395 or Sharon Assmus at 845-343-1671. Lecture is free & open to the public starting at 8:45 PM
Following the regular chapter meeting, held upstairs in the old court room of the 1841 Court House on Friday September 21st, Kevin gave a most interesting talk on how he became known as a "historical artist" and the effort that goes into getting the details right. Many artists produce works about historic subjects, but without the in depth knowledge of the subject, the period and research to verify the details, these works can promote inaccurate myths into our history. Above is a picture Kevin did when he was nine years old of Daniel Boone. He took a lot of grief because, even at the age of nine, Kevin made the effort to research his subject and paint him with a hat of the type that Boone actually used. Contrary to popular myth, Daniel Boone never wore a Coonskin cap and Kevin has the documentation to proof it!
Kevin discussed human need to communicate through images - from cave art all the way through our reactions to 9/11. Though the need to communicate has remained a constant throughout the ages, the interpretation and technologies have evolved - and Kevin exhibited many samples of this process.
Earlier this year, Orange County Historian, Ted Sly, commissioned Kevin to create works to commemorate the centennial rededication of the Civil War Orange Blossom Monument to the members of the 124th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment on September ninth. Kevin labored intently to produce paintings that portrayed these veterans accurately attired and in character. Following Kevin's talk, the audience studied this exhibit, which will be on display in the Main Hall of the 1841 Court House through November.
CALL FOR PAPERS
21th ANNUAL HIGHLANDS ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONFERENCE
THE 2007 ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONFERENCE
will be held on
Saturday, October 27, 2007
at the
Lautenburg Visitor Center, Sterling Forest State Park
115 Old Forge Road, Tuxedo, New York
The North Jersey Highlands Historical Society & The Inc. Orange County Chapter, New York State Archaeological Association are hosting this annual conference. Nestled in the heart of the forest, the beautiful Lautenburg Visitors Center overlooks Sterling Lake. The Center contains several wonderful exhibits relating to the iron history and natural history of Sterling Forest.
Researchers and enthusiasts, professional and avocational, are invited to speak at Saturday’s conference. Presentations on historic or Native American topics should be twenty-five minutes long and may be illustrated with slides or other graphic materials. Both carousel slide and PowerPoint projectors are available.
Kindly submit a title and abstract to Edward J. Lenik, Program Chair, via email at edlenik@hotmail.com or snail mail at Edward J. Lenik at 100 Deerfield Road, Wayne, NJ 97470-6414.
Questions? Call Ed Lenik at 973-835-0770 between 9AM and 4PM Monday through Friday.
REGISTRATION: The conference is free and open to the public. No registration is necessary.
BOOKROOM: Books on historical and Native American topics will be available for sale. Please let Ed know if you need a table in the bookroom.
Bill Scott discussing finds from the Cuddebackville Rockshelter.
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