Leading Authorities on Native Americans of the Region to Speak at SUNY New Paltz

NEW PALTZ — Two of the leading authorities on Native Americans of the Hudson Valley and the surrounding areas will speak at SUNY New Paltz later this month as part of a fall lecture series on the history of Native Americans in the region.

Steve Comer, the official representative of the Stockbridge-Munsee tribe of Mohican Indians and a member of the Native American Advisory Board of the New York State Museum, will speak about “Preserving and Respecting the Indian Heritage of the Hudson Valley” on Wednesday, September 22 at 4 p.m. in the Jacobson Faculty Tower (JFT) lounge.

Herbert Kraft, professor emeritus of anthropology and director of the museum at Seton Hall University, will discuss the Lenapes from this region on Monday, September 27 at 4 p.m. in the Jacobson Faculty Tower (JFT) lounge.

Comer is his tribe’s official delegate representing the original Indian occupants in the Hudson River Valley. They are now located in Bowler, Wisconsin. He is responsible for protecting religious sites and burial sites located in the mid to northern Hudson Valley. Comer has spoken to students at SUNY New Paltz on several prior occasions.

Kraft is the author of numerous books and papers on the Indians of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. His most important book, The Lenapes, was written in 1986. He is the past president of the New Jersey Archaeology Society.

Both individuals will be available throughout each day to speak to students and faculty on campus. They will also be speaking to students in Laurence Hauptman’s course titled, “Indians of New York State.” Hauptman is a professor in the history department at SUNY New Paltz.

The two programs are sponsored by the departments of history and anthropology and supported by the SUNY New Paltz Foundation. There is no admission and the programs are open to the public. There will be a reception following each of the talks.

The JFT lounge is located on the 10th floor of the Faculty Tower which is situated on the northwest side of the campus, between the Old Main (Education) and Humanities buildings.