Justin Wexler, an authority on indigenous people of the Catskills and mid-Hudson Valley, will give a talk on the Esopus band of the Munsee Lenape (Delaware) on Sunday, May 17 at 2 p.m. at the Middletown History Center, 778 Cemetery Road, Margaretville.
“Happy While United: Daily Life for the Esopus Indians in the Catskills, 1730-1777” is offered by the Historical Society of the Town of Middletown. Admission to the program is by donation.
To protect their traditional way of life, 18th century Esopus Indian families largely left the Hudson Valley for the isolated East and West Branches of the Delaware River. Over several generations, they combined the best of both worlds, adopting various aspects of Dutch colonial society (including animal husbandry, cider making, and architecture) with traditional skills. By the late 1770s, the American Revolution nearly destroyed the hybrid world that they had created, forcing them to Canada.
A life-long resident of the Hudson Valley and Catskills, Justin Wexler has dedicated his life to learning everything he can about the lives, land management practices and ethnoecology of the region’s original human inhabitants. He has a BA in history and anthropology from Marlboro College and an MA in teaching history from Bard College.
Through his organization, Wild Hudson Valley, he works tirelessly to connect the area’s current residents to regional natural history through guided walks, boat tours, presentations and workshops.
For more information, on this and other programs at the History Center, you may leave a message at 845-586-2400, or email: historicalsocietyofmiddletown@gmail.com.