Halumii Ktapihna

Halumii Ktapihna: Lenape Legacies and Futures invites visitors to encounter the enduring presence and living cultures of the Lenape/Lunáapeew—the original people of Lenapehoking/Lunaapeewáhkiing, the land now known as New York City and its surrounding region. For over 12,000 years, Lenape/Lunáapeew communities shaped this place through complex governance, vibrant trade, and enduring relationships with the land and waters—connections that continue to inform Lenape/Lunáapeew identity and cultural life, even as most have been displaced from their ancestral homelands. Despite centuries of dispossession, forced migration, and erasure, Lenape/Lunáapeew people have persisted, adapting and sustaining their traditions across generations and geographies.

This exhibition centers Lenape/Lunáapeew voices, stories, and creativity, foregrounding the perspectives of community members from across the Lenape/Lunáapeew diaspora. Through rarely seen objects, contemporary artworks, personal testimonies, and interactive installations, visitors will trace the Lenape/Lunáapeew's ancient roots, the ruptures of colonization, and the ongoing work of cultural renewal. Highlights include wampum belts, tools, and textiles; archival documents and maps; and new works by Lenape/Lunáapeew artists that speak to identity, sovereignty, and belonging in the present.

Halumii Ktapihna challenges visitors to reconsider the city’s history and future through the lens of its first people. The exhibition explores themes of land stewardship, language revitalization, and the resilience of Lenape/Lunáapeew communities, while also confronting the legacies of removal and the realities of contemporary Lenape/Lunáapeew life. As New York City marks 400 years since the founding of New Amsterdam, this exhibition asks: What does it mean to acknowledge the original stewards of this place, and how can we imagine a more just and connected future together?

Developed in partnership with the Éenda-Lŭnaapeewáhkiing (Land of the Lenape) Collective and Lenape/Lunáapeew community advisors, Halumii Ktapihna draws from museum collections, community loans, and new collaborations. We invite you to listen, learn, and reflect on the ongoing story of the Lenape/Lunáapeew—past, present, and future.  

Íiyach ktapihna, we are still here. Halumii ktapihna, we are here forever.