Make a stop at the Cortland County Historical Society to see what’s new in the Suggett House Museum! CCHS is the memory bank of Cortland County, and each time you visit, you’ll learn something new about the past. So many stories to share!

We’ve got some special exhibits lined up for 2026 that you won’t want to miss.

• Music in Our Lives
• The Art of Living
• America at 250

Bring the kids to explore the changes in the Then & Now Children’s Room, too!

Admission to the Suggett House is free, but donations are always cheerfully accepted.

Main Street Walking Tours return!

The Divided Ground: Indigenous Sovereignty and the Agony of the American Revolution – June 17, 7 PM

Jake Haiwhagai’i Edwards, Onondaga Eel Clan

Most American Revolutionary histories focus on the battle between the colonists and the British. While colonial leaders admired Haudenosaunee governing structure and diplomatic skills, they also feared Haudenosaunee power and coveted Haudenosaunee territory. The colonists aimed their largest military campaign—not at the British—but at the Haudenosaunee right here in what is now called Central New York. This presentation will provide the Haudenosaunee perspective on the American Revolution—the nature of the Haudenosaunee Alliance, the history of treaty making, the impact of the Clinton-Sullivan Campaign on the Haudenosaunee peoples, the illegal taking of land through the Military Tract, the relationship of wampum to the United States Constitution, and challenges to maintain sovereignty.

Jake Haiwhagai’i (He speaks with strong voice) Edwards, Onondaga Eel Clan, lives on the Onondaga Nation Territory. He maintains the continuity of the Longhouse oral teachings. The Onondaga govern and teach within an oral tradition that is over a thousand years old. Jake is the 11th child in a family of twelve children. He grew up among his elders of the Onondaga Nation, learning and sharing the messages from the original instructions, passing on history and knowledge of the natural world.

Jake was appointed by the Grand Council of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy to the Haudenosaunee External Relations Committee to respectfully work on political and governmental structures beyond the borders of Haudenosaunee Country. This work includes diplomatic work at the United Nations and other entities outside the Confederacy. He is a board member of the Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples and a board member of the Indigenous Values Initiative. Jake was one of the primary voices leading the 400th anniversary (1613 – 2013) of the Two Row Wampum Campaign, in which people in canoes paddled the waterways from the Onondaga Nation Territory to the United Nations in NYC, teaching people at stops along the way.

He actively reminds people of the significance of our treaties and reflects upon decisions that will protect the people into the seventh generation. Jake explains how wampum laid the foundational principles and structure of the United States Constitution. 

Life of a Soldier – JUNE 30th, 6:30 PM

Haudenosaunee Influence on American Democracy – July 1, 6:30 PM

Perry Ground, Onondaga Turtle Clan

This informative talk will show how the founding documents and principles of the United States government were influenced by ideas found among the Haudenosaunee. Participants will learn about the Peacemaker, the story of how the Five Nations joined together, and how the Great Law of Peace guides their traditional form of government. Discussion about the Founding Fathers (such as Benjamin Franklin and George Washington), American relationships with the Haudenosaunee, how Native ideas influenced the Constitution and other foundational principles of democracy, and symbols that highlight this influence will be included.

BOOK CLUB

The next meeting will be on June 18, at 6pm at 25 Homer Ave. We are reading “The Divided Ground” by Alan Taylor.

History Forge