The Albany Institute of History & Art is located on the traditional homelands of the Mohican people. The Albany area is traditionally called Pempotowwuthut-Muhhecanneuw, meaning "the fireplace of the Mohican nation.”
People of the Waters That Are Never Still: A Celebration of Mohican Art and Culture is an exhibition that honors the Muh-he-con-ne-ok people, contemporarily known as the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians. Through historical and contemporary art, not only are the five senses evoked but also a sense of connection—to place, the Earth, water, animals, relatives, ancestors, stories, traditions, identity, and community.
This exhibition has been curated by Tamara Aupaumut, a self-taught multidisciplinary artist and independent curator living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She descends from the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians, the Oneida, and Brothertown Indian Nations.
The contemporary artists in this exhibition reflect upon their heritage through self-discovery, repurposing materials, carrying on traditions, preserving moments and memories, and telling their own narratives through various compositions.
Mohican art is a connection to culture, and their culture is an art in itself.