Stepping Out

Exploring 'Native Voices' that shaped our nation

Balancing the past with the present at Long Island Children's Museum

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With fall upon us and Thanksgiving approaching, traditions that have shaped American life are at the forefront this time of year. Long Island Children’s Museum (LICM) offers its perspective on the American spirit in its newest exhibition, “Native Voices, New England Tribal Families.” The exhibit, which was created by Boston Children’s Museum (BCM) and runs through Jan. 4, offers a look at native communities thriving in the northeast today. By “visiting” five different communities from northern to southern New England, museumgoers can learn about Native American traditions and how modern families balance contemporary life with preservation of important cultural identities. 
Native Voices uses the four seasons as its backdrop to share stories, songs, cultural traditions, and artifacts that illustrate strong and enduring connections between tribes and their traditional homelands. Visitors will see how modern Native American families balance contemporary life while also preserving their important cultural identities. The intent is to showcase Native Americans as a contemporary people who are a part of our society rather than solely focusing on them historically.
“The Native Voices exhibit takes visitors far beyond the usual tales of the ‘people who met the Pilgrims’,” explains LICM President Suzanne LeBlanc. “It offers families and school groups a rich and dynamic environment to explore cultural traditions and authentic contemporary views of several distinct New England tribes.” 

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