As a part of the museum’s 2020 initiative to shed light on the history of women’s rights, join Historic Huguenot Street to honor the stories and celebrate the lives of Native women in the larger narrative of our communities.

The Power of Native Women

Saturday, September 19, from 4 to 6 PM

Due to health and safety concerns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person program attendance will be extremely limited. However, HHS and our program presenters have worked hard to provide a virtual version of the experience, which we hope will reach an even greater audience.

Check in at the Museum Shop in the DuBois Fort Visitor Center (81 Huguenot Street) to peruse educational texts related to the history and culture of the local indigenous population available for purchase. View the 1677 land agreement, a 340-year-old document that reveals the marks, or signatures, of several Esopus Munsee women who participated in or witnessed the land trade made with the Huguenot settlers. A guide stationed at the replica Munsee wigwam will explain the significance of the structure, which was built in 2017, as well as the daily life of a Munsee woman living in the region, pre-contact.

Heather Bruegl, the Cultural Affairs Director for the Stockbridge-Munsee Community of Mohican Indians, will speak about the important role that Indigenous women play within their families and communities for thousands of years. Her talk will focus on Native women throughout history who have broken down barriers to become soldiers, doctors, politicians, and activists. She will also focus on her own important work as an activist for Indigenous culture and communities. Time will be left at the end of the presentation for Q&A.

Anyone who does not live locally, or who is not comfortable participating in the in-person program, may register for the virtual experience at a slightly discounted price. Registrants will receive an email containing links to the following:

1. A digitized version of the 1677 land agreement featuring the marks, or signatures, of several Esopus Munsee women

2. A time-lapse video detailing the construction of the replica wigwam, completed in 2017

3. A recipe for one of Chef Glabus’s Indigenous dishes to try at home

4. A link to access Heather Bruegl’s virtual presentation of “The Power of Native Women,” shared simultaneously with the attendees viewing it on-site

Whether or not you chose to attend the program in-person or virtually, all registrants will be invited to additionally participate in follow-up virtual sessions, taking place at various times throughout the following week. These sessions will allow participants to have more intimate conversations with our speaker, tribal representatives, and activists working to preserve Indigenous land, rights, and culture.

Monday, September 21, at 7 PM EST

Featured presenter: Heather Bruegl (Stockbridge-Munsee descendent and member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)

This virtual discussion will allow program attendees to ask Bruegl questions about her presentation, present-day research, and activism.

Tuesday, September 22, at 7 PM EST

Featured presenters: Chef Quentin Glabus (Frog Lake Cree First Nations) and Chef Kristina Stanley (Red Cliff, Lake Superior Chippewa)

During this virtual discussion, we will learn about the research required in developing Chef Glabus’s menu for “The Power of Native Women.” We will also focus on the significance of cultural preservation through food and decolonizing native cuisine with both Chef Glabus and Indigenous Chef Kristina Stanley.

Wednesday, September 23, at 7 PM EST

Featured presenter: Karen Mosko (Munsee-Delaware Nation Ontario, Canada)

For our final virtual session, we’ll be talking with Lenape language teacher Karen Mosko about her mission to revitalize what the government considers a dead language. We will learn about her personal journey in studying the language herself, and what it means to her to be teaching the next generation.

Quentin Glabus

Quentin Glabus is a Canadian Chef from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and a member of the Frog Lake Cree First Nations.  Quentin graduated from Culinary Arts in 2000, where he received his first international job at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, USA.  His cooking has taken him around the world working for numerous Canadian Embassies and holding the position of Executive Chef in Tokyo, Japan (2008-2009), China, (2012-2013).  He was also the Canadian Guest Chef representative to the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, Taiwan, (2011-2012) and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2014-2017). While in Brazil, Quentin Glabus continued to represent Canadian First Nations cuisine while heading the culinary team at the Canadian Olympic House during the 2016 Summer Olympic Games as Supervising Head Canadian Chef, and as a Private Chef hosting private dinners from his own residence.

 March of 2017, Quentin Glabus worked with the Canadian High Commission to Singapore, assisting with celebrating Canada’s 150th Anniversary, traveling through Southeast Asia such Manila, Singapore and Vientiane showcasing First Nations cuisine.  Also taking part in the World Gourmet Summit 2017 in Singapore as the Canadian Master Chef representative showcasing First Nations cuisine.  In 2018, Quentin Glabus returned to South East Asia, continuing to represent First Nations cuisine in the Philippians, India and Taiwan.

Check out his work online on Wordpress, Instagram, or his Facebook page.

Kristina Stanley (Lake Superior Chippewa) Attended Northland College and studied Ecopsychology – with a focus on Horticulture Therapy. Her studies focused around food ecosystems, food access, and how an individual’s relationship with food and the natural environment affects both physical and mental health. Kristina has worked in the food service industry for almost 20 years. She began her career as a dishwasher and server, and has over the years worked as a line cook, pastry chef, catering director, and other various management roles. Kristina also holds an Associate’s Degree in Meeting and Event Management, and works as an independent contractor planning events and conferences. She has also worked as a chef and marketing assistant with the Intertribal Agriculture Council and has assisted in planning various food sovereignty focused summits, conferences, and pop-up events. For the past 8 years she has been operating a small, award winning, wholesale and catering company Abaaso Foods servicing Southern WI. Utilizing Kristina’s unique viewpoint and experience, Abaaso features indigenous ingredients, and tribally sourced products. For the past 2 years Kristina has worked with the I-Collective, as a chef, event organizer, and in strategic planning on the leadership team. 

Sponsored by the New York State Council on the Arts, Lothrop Associates, Marshall & Sterling Insurance, and America’s Best Value Inn of New Paltz.

Funded in part by Humanities New York with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Archival photographs courtesy of the Arvid E. Miller Memorial Library and Museum.
Other photographs by Brian Wolfe from “Brotherhood and Belonging: Hendrick Aupaumut’s Assertion of Indigenous Rights and Settler Responsibility” 2019.