[National Park Service (2021)] was the site of the annual Lake Mohonk Conference of Friends of the Indian. Government officials, academics, philanthropists, and Indian leaders gathered to discuss ways to improve the Native Americans’ status in New York. The Van Schaick Mansion (1735) lies on an island which was likely the home to the Mohican village site “Moenemin’s Castle,” at the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers, later an important meeting point for Mohawk and Dutch traders. The home that the Van Schaick family built at this strategic location served as military headquarters for the English during the French & Indian War and for the Continental Army during the American Revolution. The Roosevelts trace their ancestry to one of the earliest Dutch immigrants to New Amsterdam and became one of America’s most influential political families. Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th US President and the first to prioritize protecting our country’s outstanding natural resources, hence his nickname as America’s “Conservationist President.” As governor of New York he founded the Palisades Interstate Parks Commission, an organization that maintains spectacular parts of the Hudson Highlands including Bear Mountain and Storm King Mountain State Parks. Visit the Home of President Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site in Hyde Park to learn how FDR expanded the scope of the National Park Service to protect new regions and historic sites, including his own home and the nearby Vanderbilt Mansion (1899). Roosevelt was a lifelong resident of the Hudson River Valley and felt strongly that the region’s Dutch heritage should be preserved. He personally incorporated Dutch style into the expansion of his family’s home Springwood (1915), his retreat Top Cottage (1937), and his wife Eleanor Roosevelt’s retreat Val-Kill (1924). Ongoing Cultural and Environmental Advocacy The cultural legacy of the Hudson River Valley endures because the people who remain here are committed to preserving the heritage of their home. Seasonal festivals, museum exhibits, and commemorative events celebrate the Native American and Dutch influences that still shape the Hudson River Valley today. The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, a reconstruction of a typical 18th-century Dutch yacht, was launched in 1969 through a campaign calling for stronger environmental protection for the river. The ship makes its home at the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston and serves as a traveling museum, teaching students about ecology and the enchanting maritime heritage of the Hudson River. Replicas of Hudson’s ship the Halve Maen and Captain Adriaen Block’s 1614 ship the Onrust, both constructed and sailed using authentic 17th-century techniques, have also toured the Hudson River to celebrate the valley’s legacy of Dutch exploration and commerce. The Redhawk Native American Arts Council hosts programs year-round to educate people on the history of indigenous peoples in the United States, and to bring together and celebrate the Native communities who are active today. Notable public events include the annual Indigenous Peoples Celebration held in New York City. The annual Albany Tulip Festival takes place in Washington Park, Albany every May, and celebrates the city’s long and rich Dutch heritage. For information about upcoming cultural heritage events in the Hudson River Valley, visit the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area’s website at www.hudsonrivervalley.com. UPPER VALLEY Cohoes Falls was an important meeting point for the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) and Dutch fur traders, and today the adjacent Falls View Park is a popular site for visitors to catch a glimpse of this spectacular natural landmark. The Van Schaick Mansion is near an original Mohican village site called “Moenemin’s Castle.” Its location between the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers made it a strategic meeting point for Haudenosaunee and Dutch traders, and it later became a critical military headquarters during both the French & Indian War and the American Revolution. Since its origin as the Mohican peoples’ “place of the Council Fire” and later the inland trading post Fort Orange, Albany has long been the local seat of cultural and political influence. The Ten Broeck Mansion, Crailo State Historic Site, and the Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site preserve examples of the Dutch colonial lifestyle and honor three of the most influential families in the city’s history. The Albany Heritage Area Visitor Center is an excellent first stop to learn about the Native American and Dutch history of Albany, and to pick up information to plan the rest of your visit to the city. The New York State Museum hosts an exhibit on the culture of the Haudenosaunee Indians in upstate New York, as well as a Mohican display and a new exhibit on the city’s origins as the Dutch trading post Fort Orange. The Papscanee Island Nature Preserve is named for 17th-century Mohican sachem Papsickene, and is a noted Mohican village site dating back thousands of years. This 156-acre nature preserve is free to the public and offers access to over 2 miles of the Hudson