New York - Amsterdam - Art - Station

In a Dutch TV program 'Man Bijt Hond' ("Man bites Dog"), produced by NCRV-TV, Jerry 'Thundercloud' McDonald, a member of the Mohawk indian nation, talks about the first contacts between his ancestors and the Dutch, 400 years ago. He has mixed feelings about the 400 centennial commemoration celebrations in New York, one of the reasons being the fact that no Native Indian representatives were officially invited to the festivities. Considering the historic fact that the people of the Mohawk nation, being part of the powerful Iroquois Confederacy, were the original inhabitants of the region at the time of the arrival of the first traders and settlers from Amsterdam, and the first to negociate a peaceful agreement with the Dutch, it may be considered a shamefull and embarrassing omission.

Web: Watch NCRV video: "Indian story": Man Bijt Hond


Source: NCRV-tv.

The Museum of the City of New York celebrates the Hudson-year with an exhibition of Dutch photographers around the theme 'Portrait of the City', curated by Kathy Ryan, head editor of the section photography of Times Magazine.
Contemporary Dutch photography, with portraits, landscapes, conceptual work and documentary photography, by Wijnanda Deroo, Morad Bouchakour, Charlotte Dumas, Erwin Olaf, Jaap Scheerer, Rineke Dijkstra, Helen van Meene, and others.

Exhibition from june 13 until september 13, 2009
Web: www.mcny.org


Wijnanda Deroo

De Volkskrant has opened a webspecial about New York, in which the Dutch consul general Gajus Scheltema, among others, speak about their first impression of New York and what it is like to live and work in this metropole.
This video-relay through New York also features the work of professional and amateur photographers.

Web: Volkskrant webspecial

As I mentioned earlier, on april 4th, 2009, I was present at a gathering in the Westerkerk in Amsterdam, which was organised to commemorate Hudson's discovery. We heard interesting presentations by reputable historians, politicians and journalists.
Nearing the end of the meeting a man in the audience asked to speak. He introduced himself as Thundercloud, a Native American, and representative of the Mohawk nation. He gave a exceptional clear and noble speech in which he refered to a convenant agreed upon by the Dutch and the Mohawk people, which is still remembered and reconfirmed in ceremonies today.
In the convenant it was agreed that the two peoples would live in peace, in friendship and treat each other with respect, for all time. And to this day, almost 400 years later, the Mohawk people have not forgotten this convenant, this promise. It had been recorded in what is called a sacred 'Wampum', which is the equivalent of the signed document.



I briefly spoke to him. He invited me to come the following day to a small community theatre and watch the 'Eagle Dance', which he performed together with his wife. I was glad I did saw the dance.
Afterwards he again spoke of the convenant and its importance for future generations. Then followed an official ceremony during which Thundercloud, dressed in full regalia, handed over a replica of the original ?Wampum? to the deputy mayor of the city of Amsterdam, Carolien Gehrels, hereby reconfirming the convenant which was made some 400 years ago.
It was a beautiful and moving ceremony. It would perhaps have been more fitting and appropiate, more uplifting for more people, had this ceremony taken place in the ambience of the Westerkerk. But it was not to be.


So, let it here be known, that on april 5th of the year 2009, a ceremony took place in Amsterdam, where Jerry Thundercloud McDonald, representing the Mohawk nation, and Carolien Gehrels, deputy mayor of the city of Amsterdam, reaffirmed a 400 year old convenant by holding the Wampum in unison, and hearing the agreement and its significance, promising to live in peace, in friendship and with respect - for seven generations to come.
That's a long time.

In a beautiful and moving ceremony, Mohawk representative Jerry 'Thundercloud' McDonald, dressed in full regalia, together with his wife and Tonya Frichner, the North American representative to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, presented to the deputy mayor of the city of Amsterdam, Carolien Gehrels, a replica of an original ?Wampum?, dating back some 400 years.
This Wampum represents a traditional Mohawk record of rule or agreement, a convenant agreed upon by the Dutch and the Mohawk Nation.
It would perhaps have been more fitting and more appropriate, if this ceremony could have taken place the previous day in the ambience and historic setting of the Westerkerk.

The NANAI foundation, which organised the 'Re-thinking History' meeting in Amsterdam, provides information on the Native American perspective to the Dutch public.

A public meeting in the old Westerkerk (Wester church) in Amsterdam to commemorate Hudson?s discovery of the island of Manhattan and also to reflect on the historic significance and influence of the early Dutch colonial presence in North America, seen in the light of 17th century Dutch society. We heard interesting presentations by historians Russel Shorto and Geert Mak, a passionate talk by Frans Timmermans, the Dutch foreign secretary of State for European affairs, and other perspectives.
At the end of the meeting a man in the audience asked to speak. He introduced himself as Thundercloud, a Native American, and representative of the Mohawk nation. He gave a exceptional clear and noble speech in which he refered to a convenant agreed upon by the Dutch and the Mohawk people, which is still remembered and reconfirmed in ceremonies today.
In the convenant, he said, it was agreed that the two peoples would live in peace, in friendship and treat each other with respect, for all time. And to this day, almost 400 years later, the Mohawk people have not forgotten this convenant, this promise, which had been recorded in what is called a ?Wampum?, the equivalent of the signed document.

The Dutch Voyage 2009 show in New York sheds light on the inner journey the traveler, the explorer, the immigrant, who leaves behind the comfortable past to experience a new world. Songs of the traveler form the basis of this unique show. Once on the way with the songs of Ramses Shaffy and Charles Aznavour, we discover other inspiring travelers as well.

In the Dutch Treat Club and Netherlands Club in New York, Frans Bloem, singer/entertainer, and Guus Westdorp, pianist/accompanist, met in a production brimming with life and quiet poignancy. A parade of songs in Dutch. French and English made up the revue. Together, they played with and for their audience, with a motivation and passion which one has come to expect from these two rising names in theaterland.

Mayors Michael Bloomberg of New York and Job Cohen of Amsterdam, together with under secretary Frans Timmermans and ambassador Reneé Jones-Bos met at Battery Park in Manhattan at the start of this year's quadricentennial celebration commemorating the historic landing of Henry Hudson on Manhattan 400 years ago. Dutch architect Ben van Berkel is commissioned to build the 'Plein & Pavillion', a public space to commemorate the historic and unique relationship between Amsterdam and New York. Frans Timmermans referred to the common "moral and economic ground" which made 17th century Dutch society uniquely qualified to promote democracy, freedom of religion, responsable government and free trade in Nieuw Amsterdam, values that have endured in New York to the present time.

Happy New Year 2009
New website of the New York - Amsterdam - Art - Station initiative launched today.
We start the year fresh and with full confidence for a bright future. We are sailing west! New York, watch your horizon, for the Dutch are coming again to join you in celebrating 400 years of (mostly) friendly relations.