As part of our commitment to celebrating our region, this monthly series aims to amplify the stories of communities of color and historically marginalized communities in the Hudson Highlands region.
-
Nature’s Fleeting Yet Vital Beauty
In this month’s Relearning Highlands History, HHLT’s Stewardship Fellow Joseph Moonjely explores the ecology of spring ephemerals. Treasured by many for the beauty they bring to the start of spring, these fleeting yet vital wildflowers have been used by many Indigenous communities for generations in healing and medicine traditions.
-
Maple Sugaring: Legends and Practices
In this month’s Relearning Highlands History, HHLT’s Stewardship Fellow, Joseph Moonjely, describes his experiences tapping maple trees, his discoveries about Indigenous maple sugaring practices, and the evolution of syrup production to this day.
-
The New York Manor System and Slavery
An Interview with Lavada Nahon In this month’s issue of Relearning Highlands History, we consider the unique system of enslavement that developed in the Hudson River Valley throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. While slavery in New York, and the North in general, took a different form than that of the Plantation South (as we learned earlier in…
-
1st Rhode Island Regiment
As we celebrate our national independence and look ahead to the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in 2026, Relearning Highlands History explores a local battle fought by a pioneering regiment of Black soldiers in the Revolutionary War. In 1781, a groundbreaking Black military unit, the 1st Rhode Island Regiment, took position on the Croton…
-
The Intersection of LBGTQ+ Rights and Environmental Justice
In this issue of Relearning Highlands History, we explored the intersectional relationship between LGBTQ+ rights and the environmental justice movement through a Q&A with Representative Sean Patrick Maloney (D NY-18). Rep. Maloney has served New York’s 18th congressional district since 2013 and is the first openly gay person elected to Congress from New York. He…
-
Food Sovereignty and Seed Rematriation
A conversation with Rowen White, Seed Keeper and Member of Akwesasne Mohawk Nation In this issue of Relearning Highlands History, we sat down with Rowen White, who is a farmer, seedkeeper, author, founder of Sierra Seeds, and member of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation. Rowen’s work focuses on the growing movement to reconnect people back to nature.…
