The Iroquois people are the original residents of what is now New York State. There were five tribes in the first Confederacy: the Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, Onondaga, and the Cayuga. Eventually, a sixth nation, the Tuscarora tribe, joined the confederation.

On Sunday, March 14, 2010, Mohawk storyteller Darren Bonaparte will share stories and recount the great legends of the Rotinonhsion:ni (Iroquois) Confederacy including &#8220The Creation Story&#8221 and &#8220The Great Peacemaker&#8221 at the Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake, New York. The program, &#8220Epic Stories of the Iroquois,&#8221 is part of the popular Cabin Fever Sunday series.

Darren Bonaparte is a storyteller, Mohawk historian, artist, teacher, and maker of wampum belts from Akwesasne. He is the author of Creation and Confederation: The Living History of the Iroquois as well as A Lily Among Thorns: The Mohawk Repatriation of Kateri Tekahkwi:tha.

Bonaparte is a former elected chief of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne. His articles have been published in Aboriginal Voices, Winds of Change, The Nation, and Native American magazine. He is also the creator of &#8220The Wampum Chronicles: Mohawk Territory on the Internet&#8221 at www.wampumchronicles.com.

The presentation will be held in the Auditorium, and will begin promptly at 1:30 p.m. Cabin Fever Sunday programs are offered at no charge to museum members. The fee for non-members is $5.00. There is no charge for children of elementary school age or younger. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, please call the Education Department at (518) 352-7311, ext. 128 or visit the museum’s web site at
www.adirondackmuseum.org .

Also on March 14, the Adirondack Museum Education Department will hold an Open House for Educators from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. Area teachers are invited to visit the Mark W. Potter Education Center to discover the variety of hands-on programs available for students in Pre-K through grade 12. All are designed to meet curricular needs. Educators can learn about the museum’s School Membership program and enter to win a day of free outreach classes for their school. For more information, contact Christine Campeau at (518) 352-7311, ext. 116 or [email protected].

Photo: Darren Bonaparte with wampum.