This Land is My Land

In the 1600s, indigenous tribes in America were persecuted and forcefully removed from their homelands. The complexities of history now provide awareness regarding the cultural heritage of these tribes. In 1626, Dutch colonialists "acquired” land from the local Lenape tribe, but it seems that the latter only intended to share, not sell the land. A wall (today's Wall Street) was built to keep the natives out of the territory, now known as Manhattan Island. This quilt portrays the New York City skyline opposing the indigenous Lenape settlements. A deep canyon of misinterpretation divides these peoples, as reported in the New Amsterdam Council memorandum embossed in the sky above.