As the United States approaches its sesquicentennial commemoration we must plan for
festivities a little more than 3 years away. As the discussions begin we must address the focal
points of presentation. The USA is more diverse than it was during its 200th celebration in
1976. As an Indigenous person working for an Native/Indigenous owned and operated cultural
center I have placed considerable thought into this matter. For me, as a descendant of the great
confederacy of the Haudenosaunee, I find myself thinking about the people who pushed for
peace in times of war and what that meant on a landscape of violence. In this discussion I will
present some personal insight and a few of the opportunities the OCC is considering over the
next several years to showcase other historical perspectives.

Dr. Joe Stahlman is the Director of Seneca Nation’s Seneca-Iroquois National Museum-Onöhsagwë:de‘ Culture Center

Sponsored by: Geneseo Center for Local and Municipal History NEH grant, the History Department, and the Provost's Office.