Antiques Club of the Finger Lakes: The 1779 American Sullivan-Clinton Invasion: Perspectives from History, Archaeology, and Indigenous Community Members
May 1, 2025, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Courtesy Library of Congress.
You are invited to learn more about the American Sullivan-Clinton Invasion at this program presented by Cornell professor Kurt Jordan and sponsored by the Antiques Club of the Finger Lakes in cooperation with Historic Geneva. The talk provides an overview of the historical context and events surrounding the 1779 American Sullivan-Clinton expedition into the homelands of the Onöndowa’ga:’ (Seneca) and Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫɁ (Cayuga) Nations of the Hodinǫ̱hsǫ́:nih (Six Nations Iroquois) Confederacy during the American Revolution.
Public understandings of the expedition often misjudge the material conditions of the Hodinǫ̱hsǫ́:nih communities, motivations for the expedition, and its outcome. Kurt Jordan will use recent scholarship in history and archaeology, as well as Indigenous-held oral histories, to provide an account that pays greater attention to Indigenous perspectives and long-term histories before and beyond 1779.
Kurt A. Jordan is Professor of Anthropology and American Indian and Indigenous Studies at Cornell University. His research centers on the archaeology and history of Hodinǫ̱hsǫ́:nih (Haudenosaunee Six Nations Iroquois) peoples. He led two excavation projects in the Geneva, New York area examining the settlement patterns, housing, and trade and military relations of Onöndowa’ga:’ (Seneca) people during the 1688-1715 CE period. More recently, he partnered with Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫɁ (Cayuga) language teacher, historian, and faithkeeper Steve Henhawk to examine the long-term Indigenous history of the region around Cayuga Lake. Their partnership centers on sharing long-inaccessible information with living Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫɁ people and creating resources that will enhance the general public’s understanding of Indigenous history.
This program is presented in cooperation with Historic Geneva and is free and open to the public. Meetings of the Antiques Club of the Finger Lakes are presented in the newly renovated Hucker Gallery at the Geneva History Museum. Membership in the Antiques Club is $15 per year. The club plans meetings featuring various speakers, field trips and social events. See the Club's Facebook page for more news.
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