A fine art photography display intended to remind attendees of Long Island’s Indigenous history is coming to Freeport this month. The photo exhibit and an upcoming artist talk by Jeremy Dennis will seek to bring awareness and remembrance of his Shinnecock people.
Dennis’ exhibit, entitled “Living Conduit: Indigenous History and Present Day,” will begin on Oct. 4 at the South Ocean Gallery at the South Nassau Unitarian Universalist Congregation on South Ocean Avenue in Freeport. The gallery will feature images from his “Sacredness of the Hills” collection, a photo series that represents the disturbance of Indigenous burial sites on Long Island.
The Shinnecock people are an Indigenous tribe native to Long Island, which is one of the oldest self-governing tribes in New York. The U.S. federal government recognized it as the 565th Native American tribe on Oct. 1, 2010, but the people group and its settlements first existed tens of thousands of years ago, according to some estimations.
“Creativity, for me, is about making connections between past and present, between land and identity and between people,” Dennis said of his work.
Community members are invited to attend a reception for the photo exhibit on Oct. 17 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the South Ocean Gallery. Those interested can also register for a free Artist Talk and Workshop on Oct. 24, which will begin at 2:30 p.m. Information about both events and how to register can be done by contacting the South Nassau Unitarian Universalist Congregation by email at office@snuuc.org or by phone at 516-623-1204.
Dennis’ other current projects include “On This Site—Native Long Island,” an ongoing photography, mapping and research project documenting culturally significant Native American sites in Nassau and Suffolk counties. An interactive map displaying these sites can be found at nativelongisland.com.
To learn more about Jeremy Dennis, please visit jeremynative.com.
