November 1–30, 2024
At the Garden & Online
Join NYBG to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. On-site programming in and around the Thain Family Forest as well as digital offerings highlight the plant-based traditions of Native Americans from the Northeast and throughout the Americas.
November 2, 3, 9, & 10; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thain Family Forest
The Thain Family Forest—New York City’s largest remaining tract of old-growth woodland—is your fall foliage headquarters! Leaf locally and explore the Forest’s 50 acres full of vibrant fall color, meet NYBG experts, and take part in crafts and more.
November 2, 9, & 10, 2024; 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Meet at the Entrance to the Thain Family Forest
Learn about indigenous perspectives presented by representatives from Moskehtu Consulting, a Native American-owned cultural and heritage preservation firm led by Chenae Bullock.
Corn Husk Doll-Making Activity with Lauren Peters
November 2
Lauren is passionate about preserving the traditional practicing of gardening in her Tribal community. Join us In her engaging talk, she delves into the rich heritage of the Wampanoag people, specifically focusing on the traditional methods of growing corn. Lauren brings to life the deep connection between the Mashpee Wampanoag culture and the sacred corn crop.
Learn about Indigenous Perspectives with Chenae Bullock
November 9
Chenae will share her knowledge and experiences on the continued practices within tribal communities, particularly in the Shinnecock and Montauk cultures. Join her for an engaging discussion that explores the deep connection between Indigenous cultures and the preservation of our natural world, followed by a walking tour at 3 p.m.
Learn About Local Tribal History with Shane Weeks
November 10
Join Shane Weeks for a captivating exploration of local tribal history with insights into the rich traditions of local tribes, highlighting their historical and contemporary uses of native plants. Meet & greet is followed by a walking tour at 3 p.m.
Ongoing; Self-guided
As you walk through this collection, we invite you to join Indigenous perspective historian and entrepreneur Chenae Bullock on a self-guided tour of the Thain Family Forest.
Bullock is an enrolled Tribal Member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation and descendant of the Montauk Tribe in Long Island, New York. Bullock lends her extensive knowledge of Northeastern native plant life to explore contemporary and historic perspectives on some of the forests’ most important plants.
The New York Botanical Garden is located on land that is part of Lenapehoking, the traditional territory and homeland of the Lenape people. The Lenape use hundreds of plants for food, medicine, tools, building materials, and other purposes. Discover more about Lenape Plantways on The Hand Lens.
NYBG scientists have launched two initiatives to support the preservation of biological diversity and cultural knowledge with the Shinnecock Cultural Resources and Environmental Departments, University of Waterloo.
The Shinnecock Ethnobotany Project documents local botanical diversity and traditional knowledge about its use and management, and the Shinnecock Indicators of Climate Change Impacts studies ecological processes related to climate change along with community perceptions and adaptations to them.
Usnea, a genus of lichen known as old man’s beard, is used in traditional herbal medicine in many cultures worldwide—from ancient Greece to China to Native American groups—to treat respiratory and other conditions. It is known to grow on the north sides of trees, earning it the name chan wiziye (“on the north side of the tree” or “spirit of the north wind”) in the Dakota language.
Location At the Garden & Online
Location At the Garden & Online