When Manahahtáanung Became European

Entering the New-York Historical Society from Central Park West, all visitors come upon a section of wampum belt and the kind of statement that in the last several years has become standard fare at cultural institutions. The museum, New York’s oldest, “acknowledges the enduring relationships that existed and continue today between Indigenous peoples and their traditional homelands,” the statement says, as well as “the commitment made between Indigenous nations and Dutch settlers to promote peaceful relations based on mutual respect.” However, a new installation, located off the main lobby just...