Haudenosaunee Program at the Battlefield

The Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site will host a program on Haudenosaunee culture on Saturday, Aug 2, from 10 to 11:30 am, at the Battlefield’s picnic pavilion off Hill Street.

Haudenosaunee Music and Dance: Sharing Cultural Traditions will share stories and information on Haudenosaunee culture, costuming, and traditions and engage guests in conversation about the past, present, and future of their people. This event is free, and the public is welcome to attend.

Acclaimed Presenters Jordan Smith, of the Mohawk Bear Clan, and Kehala Smith, of the Tuscarora Nation Turtle Clan, will lead this presentation. They travel the world to educate others on Native American culture, history, song, and dance from pre-contact to modern contemporary Indigenous culture, with an emphasis on historical material culture in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

Jordan Smith teaches culture to students in the Niagara Wheatfield school district (K-12) and is currently the head of Native education at Old Fort Niagara historic site in Youngstown, NY.

Kehala Smith, a fifth-generation beadworker, is the creator and designer of Kreations by Kehala, which features Native American beadwork, jewelry, clothing, and statement pieces. She also serves as the assistant social dance teacher to the youth on the Tuscarora Reservation and is a Native American dance presentation coordinator and dancer.

For more information on the Haudenosaunee program, please contact the Sackets Harbor Battlefield by phone at 315-646-3634 or visit their website.