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Haudenosaunee Portraits
and Close Ties
Art Exhibition by Karen Kucharski
Reception Saturday, December 21st
1pm - 4pm at the Waterman Center
This project presents portraits of Haudenosaunee and non-native people whose work and ways of life support positive relations between cultures.
The Haudenosaunee are indigenous peoples of this region and beyond. The Haudenosaunee people are often referred to as the Six Nations, whose independent nations formed a confederacy to end war between themselves centuries prior to the Colonial Era and the formation of the United States. They maintain an independent government and lifeway within the U.S. today. They believe in the message of the “Two Row” wampum belt, an agreement originally made for building good relations with the Dutch settlers, beginning in 1613, and which has carried through as a covenant for many governments and generations, including the present one.
The exhibition is intended to offer insights about the caring and consideration these people have to our shared world and to us. They agreed to have their portraits painted for this purpose and to offer greetings to our community.
The people portrayed have helped to shape a working understanding on cultural integrity, environmental responsibility, and governmental relations.
They include: a traditional storyteller and a contemporary poet who provide outlooks to this world in very different ways; a paddler whose efforts to renew traditional water routes has led to treks highlighting the Two Row message to the United Nations and to Washington D.C.; a
writer whose work has accentuated Haudenosaunee influence on the Suffrage Movement and Women’s Rights; a flute maker-musician who shares the beauty and soothing power that emanates from indigenous arts, and; a Mohawk Sub-Chief whose portrait presents his love for nature, tradition, and care for the Seventh Generation.
Artist, Karen Kucharski, chose to do this project because of the necessary changes to the Owego-Apalachin School District regarding its former mascot, as a result of recent directives by New York State. The artist, in turn, hopes that this endeavor opens avenues for building neighborly friendships based on mutual respect, shared interests, and sensible causes. The Owego-Apalachin School District cares about native relations and the Town of Owego reveres Sa-sa-na Loft, a young Mohawk singer who was lauded for her talent in the mid-1800s. This project builds on the past with a contemporary light.
The Waterman Center is hosting this exhibition in support of the diverse cultural outlooks integral to the environment and its preservation. The gallery will be on display at the Waterman Conservation Education Center, 403 Hilton Rd, Apalachin, NY 13732 December 16th - December 31st.​
‘Haudenosaunee Portraits and Close Ties’ is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, administered by fiscal sponsor The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes.
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