The RMSC’s newest permanent exhibition is now open. Hodinöšyö:nih Continuity | Innovation | Resilience has been several years in the making. The Rochester Museum and Science Center houses the largest collection of Hodinöšyö:nih objects in the world, which includes the Rock Foundation Collection at the RMSC. This exhibition showcases contemporary artists who create works inspired by their own ancestors and traditions represented in these collections. It is curated by Jamie Jacobs (Tonawanda Seneca, Turtle Clan), Managing Curator of the Rock Foundation collections at the RMSC, in partnership with the RMSC and Hodinöšyö:nih artists.
This project was a years-long collaboration intent on supporting the rights of people to tell their own stories (narrative sovereignty), sharing Hodinöšyö:nih perspectives, and creating a space that helps Hodinöšyö:nih people reconnect with traditional material culture and knowledge (rematriation). When asked why this exhibition is important, Jamie Jacobs shared “It gives a different perspective on museum and Indigenous community relationships and what the museum can offer back to the community. It’s a powerful experience to give something tangible in the hands of artists so they can be inspired from our ancient ancestors and carry on that inspiration, because I’m sure our ancient ancestors were inspired by the people they knew–and their ancestors. That’s why we decided to include continuity in our exhibition title. It’s just important to make sure that we also give this experience back to the community.“
Visitors will pass through a glass longhouse, have the chance to contemplate contemporary Hodinöšyö:nih artists’ work displayed alongside historical examples, use all of their senses for a deeper exploration, and leave with a better understanding of the people who have belonged to this land for many centuries.
In this space, contemporary Hodinöšyö:nih artists explore topics such as how colonialism and trade have impacted their matrilineal society and how common objects and materials have significant meanings. Many of these works are inspired by the continuity of their culture, communities, ceremonialism, and oral histories in today’s society. It is a celebration of the innovation and resilience of a people against the forces of colonialism.
This exhibition includes numerous groundbreaking firsts for Hodinöšyö:nih artists. One is a piece of antler from the Rock Foundation Collection that was worked by a Seneca ancestor more than 300 years ago but left incomplete until it was finished into a comb necklace by artist Hayden Haynes for display in the exhibition. Another is a traditional grandmother pot created from a 3D scan and print of a centuries-old intact grandmother pot in the collection, with clay that came into direct contact with the original pot. Visiting this space will help one discover how the RMSC is moving toward a future of “propatriation” by collaborating with contemporary Hodinöšyö:nih artists to commission new works for display, activating collections through an Indigenous lens, and highlighting creative resistance to oppression.
When asked what Curator Jamie Jacobs wanted people to walk away with after experiencing this exhibition, he shared that “the main message is to let people know that we’re not people of the past. We’re a living culture. And we’re going to keep living.”
The RMSC is also offering free admission to the Museum & Science Center, Cumming Nature Center, and Star Shows at the Strasenburgh Planetarium for enrolled members of federally and state-recognized tribes and nations, including First Nations. The hope is that this opportunity will help Indigenous communities experience the exhibition and reconnect with ancestral objects in the way that the curator and featured artists have presented and intended it. For free admission, eligible individuals may present their tribal ID card or Indian Status Card to the RMSC’s Welcome Center team upon arrival.
For more information about the RMSC or to purchase tickets, visit http://rmsc.org.
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