Springfield Museums announce a new exhibit, We’re Still Here, opening September 1 in Native Hall of the Springfield Science Museum.

Curated by Springfield resident Aprell May—who has ancestry from the Mohawk tribe of the great Iroquois Confederacy and is a member of the Native American Inter-Tribal Council of Western Massachusetts—We’re Still Here bridges the past to the present. By exploring varied themes of ancestry, resilience, and identity through the words of contemporary Native peoples, this exhibit says in many voices: “We’re Still Here!”

“This exhibit was created as a soul project,” said May, who worked as an intern for the Museums two years ago and continues to work with the Museums as a consultant with the Native Voices Initiative.

When May was younger, she did not talk about her Native heritage. Spending time with her great aunt, who is also member of the Inter-Tribal Council, helped May begin to embrace her heritage. After May’s grandfather asked her to tell his story, she began a journey to learn more. “Researching my family roots and how my tribe, the Mohawk of the Iroquois Confederacy, migrated from upstate New York to New England was so important to me,” May said. She explained that she is what some might call a Lost Bird or a Missing Feather because she did not grow up knowing the traditions and cultures of her Indigenous heritage. “In my effort to preserve my ancestry I invoke a journey of discovery and have applied my findings in this real-world exhibit,” May said. “In the voices of many people, the exhibit highlights contemporary communities who are working, teaching, and celebrating for the next seven generations.”

We’re Still Here is part of an important initiative the Museums are undertaking with the help of Native consultants to rethink and reinterpret Native American Hall. This project is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

“The Springfield Museums are committed to respectfully recognizing the history, traditions, and ongoing culture of Native communities that were and still are located in the region,” said Jenny Powers, Director of the Springfield Science Museum, where Native American Hall is located.  “The goal of We’re Still Here is to bridge the past to the present.”

The exhibit features photography by Ed Cohen.