Acknowledgement of Lands
Good Little Water Place is the translation of a Matinecock word describing what is now known as Cold Spring Harbor, a hamlet in the town of Huntington and the location of Preservation Long Island's headquarters. Recorded by William Wallace Tooker (1848–1917) in his work “Indian Place Names on Long Island” (1911), this sanctuary inlet where land and water meet is the homeland of Algonquian speaking people whose descendants continue to make art, love children, learn from elders, grow a strong community, and fight for a future that acknowledges the past and uplifts the present. We gratefully acknowledge Good Little Water Place, part of what is now Long Island, as Indigenous land, integral to the lives of ancestors and descendant Matinecock people who call this place home. We honor the many relatives of Matinecock people, whose histories and presence also distinguish what is now New York City and Long Island: Montaukett, Shinnecock, Lenape, Mohican, and Unkechaug peoples. It is also with humility and grace that we acknowledge the histories of enslaved African people who understand this land as homeland too—a place of honoring the lives and histories of ancestors who overcame unimaginable hardship and brutality. For our visitors, we thank you for visiting this online exhibition and hope you will spend time in peaceful contemplation with the art shared.