MUNDURUCU
The woodlands and waterways of northeastern North America are home to many nations. Alongside the Haudenosaunee are Wendat, Lenape and numerous Algonquian-speaking peoples; farther west, around the Great Lakes, live the Sauk and Meskwaki, often called Sac and Fox in historical sources. This is a region of distinct communities connected by travel, trade and diplomacy.
In the early seventeenth century, Mohawk traders form important relationships with Dutch colonists. European goods and firearms alter the balance of power, while introduced diseases cause devastating losses. Trade brings opportunity and danger together: the effects reach far beyond the trading posts.
The American Revolution divides Haudenosaunee communities. Many Mohawk support the British, while Oneida and Tuscarora communities largely assist the Americans. After the war, many British-allied families move to Canada; the Grand River settlement becomes one important new homeland. Mohawk communities also remain elsewhere on both sides of the later border.
In the War of 1812, Indigenous alliances again shape the conflict. The collection includes portraits of Shawnee leader Tecumseh and of Sauk and Meskwaki leaders, showing a broader regional history than the Five Nations alone. Their clothing, body decoration and individual names preserve glimpses of people confronting expanding colonial power.