A new exhibit at the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University will celebrate two southern New Jersey tribal communities through the display of historical documents, traditional artifacts and contemporary art.
“Still Here: The Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape and Powhatan-Renape Nations of Southern New Jersey” opens Oct. 9 and runs until Jan. 5, 2025. An opening reception will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12.
The exhibit hopes to bring attention to two area Indigenous communities that share a common culture, languages, historical roots and a united commitment to preserving their past, present and future, said the exhibit’s curator Phoebe Farris.
“The first two words in the title of this exhibition are used in many Native-themed exhibitions. I am not the first or last curator to include this popular phrase,” said Farris, a professor emerita at Purdue University in Indiana. She identifies as Powhatan-Pamunkey descent and her research expertise centers on contemporary Indigenous art and culture.
“The phrase is used frequently because too many people in the United States and around the world think Indigenous peoples are extinct or just ‘remnants’ of past ethnic, racial and cultural populations that have become so mixed and ‘unpure’ that terms like Indigenous, Native American, American Indian and First Nations do not really apply to them. This current exhibition highlights that we are still here in New Jersey.”
Among the items in the exhibit are painted drums, baskets, beaded moccasins, jewelry, clothing, contemporary paintings, photographs, and feather headdresses. The exhibit will also feature books, newspapers and other print media written by Indigenous scholars.
Also, local Powhatan-Renape artist Krishna Mathias will create a community mural titled “Still Here.” The mural depicts a contemporary look at the Native Americans of New Jersey, showing an elder in a classroom sharing knowledge, a traditional dancer at a powwow, and a young woman as the central figure. The mural also includes the logos of the Powhatan-Renape and Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape nations.
“My background is in graphic design, so I wanted to create a dynamic presentation as well as a personal connection to my hometown,” Mathias said.
Farris said she is often asked how Indigenous people’s traditional artifacts, contemporary art works and historical documents should be displayed and where they should be exhibited.
“The people who are the most qualified to adequately resolve these issues about Native American culture and its place in museums and universities are the Indigenous peoples being studied, profiled and documented,” she said. “I was determined to have representatives from the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape and Powhatan-Renape communities assist me in sharing their history and contemporary culture with the public. Their tribes are my Algonquin ‘cousins’ and my respect for them is deep.”
The exhibit is free and open to the public. The Noyes Arts Garage, 2200 Fairmount Ave., in Atlantic City is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday. For more information, go to artsgarageac.com or call 609-626-3805.
Also on display in the Art Gallery on Stockton’s Galloway campus this month is an exhibit titled “Indigenous Approaches, Sustainable Futures.” The exhibit highlights the work of more than 25 local and international Indigenous artists, including Farris. The university will also host several events on campus on Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday, Oct. 14.
