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Haley Scott on New York's Indigenous Landscapes
Spreading awareness about the original inhabitants of the land
© Miki Jourdan
Haley Scott lives in the Bronx, where she helps other people experience the joy of New York’s wildlife as a bird walk leader. But she maintains a connection with another community of birds outside the city, on the Unkechaug Nation’s land, where she visits her dad’s side of the family. Leading bird walks in New York City with the Feminist Bird Club, Haley emphasizes the importance of recognizing the original inhabitants of the land, the Lenape.
BirdNote®
Haley Scott on New York’s Indigenous Landscapes
Written by Conor Gearin
This is BirdNote.
[Carolina Wren song]
Haley Scott lives in the Bronx, where she helps other people experience the joy of New York’s wildlife as a bird walk leader. But she maintains a connection with another community of birds outside the city.
Haley Scott: On my dad’s side I’m Unkechaug, we’re a nation from Long Island. And we’re still located in Mastic, New York on Poospatuck Reservation.
I’ve been going there my whole life. Some of the birds that I’ve seen there — there are Song Sparrows that are living in my grandmothers’ backyard, I see them every summer.
[Song Sparrow song]
Along the creek there are also Tree Swallows that come up in the summer.
[Tree Swallow calls]
And there have also been Bald Eagles the past two summers that have been soaring around.
[Bald Eagle calls]
And the eagle is significant because it’s a protector.
Leading bird walks in New York City with the Feminist Bird Club, Haley emphasizes the importance of recognizing the original inhabitants of the land, the Lenape.
Haley Scott: I want to teach people about the importance of protecting the land, not only for the ecological benefits but also because of the sacred spiritual connection to the land. A lot of Lenape people were displaced so I think it’s very important to protect land that was sacred to them, and is sacred to them.
[Carolina Wren song]
You can learn more about the Indigenous peoples with ancestral ties to the land where you live in an interactive map. Find a link on our website, BirdNote dot org. I’m Conor Gearin.
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Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Carolina Wren ML 472373721 recorded by James Rensen, Song Sparrow ML 341005321 recorded by James Remsen, Tree Swallow ML 233306 recorded by Bob McGuire, and Bald Eagle ML 411284511 recorded by Caleb Helsel.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2022 BirdNote November 2022/2024
Narrator: Conor Gearin
ID# scotth-02-2022-11-11 scotth-02
Conor Gearin
Writer NarratorSights & Sounds
