For nearly 100 years, people coming to the Great New York State Fair near Syracuse have enjoyed watching the dances performed daily in the village operated by members of the Six Nations of what the outside world calls the Iroquois Confederacy.
They can see men hollowing a log, bit by bit, to make a canoe, see and buy the work of skilled crafters, have a snack of traditional fry bread and strawberry drink in the cook house.
Those are some of the many ways fairgoers have learned a little something about the people who lived here for centuries before European settlers came, in the corner of the Fair called the Indian Village.
At least, it was called the Indian Village until this month, when members of the Six Nations gathered to reveal its new name: Haudenosaunee Village.
“It’s important to identify that it’s the Six Nations within New York state, not necessarily any other tribes but the Haudenosaunee people,” said Ashley Shenandoah, superintendent of the village.
Many areas of the Fair have had name changes over the years, but this is different. The Six Nations have a deep and complicated history with the United States. They take their sovereignty seriously and know that most of us don’t really know what that means. They hope the name change gets us to focus on the stories, culture and history of the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk and Tuscarora people to better understand the wider history of the region.
“I think it contributes to the conversation by opening the door up and letting people know we are here,” Shenandoah said. “You can come and have a conversation and experience and see and maybe leave with some understanding about who we are.”
