Native Americans in Rye

Embark on a voyage through time as we uncover the rich legacy of the Native Americans who once called Rye, NY their home. Guiding us through this engaging presentation and interactive Q&A session is Joie Cooney, a Rye resident and Rye Historical Society Board Member. Drawing upon a trove of resources, including artifacts from the Rye Historical Society’s collection, insights from local historians, Lenape descendants, and eminent scholars, Joie will delve into 13,000 years of Native American history. Learn about Rye’s first residents – how they lived, the historical events that shaped them, what they left behind, and their survival as a people.

Attendees will also have the unique opportunity to view select Native American artifacts from our Morgan Seacord Collection currently being catalogued by Josie LaRiccia. Josie began volunteering with the Rye Historical Society in 1993 as part of an archaeology course at Norwalk Community College, where she identified and catalogued over 1500 artifacts from the Morgan Seacord Collection. After a decades-long hiatus, she reconnected with RHS in 2023 while enrolled in SUNY Westchester Community College’s Historic Preservation Certification program. Since then, Josie has created an online inventory of all 1500 artifacts, including original hand-written notes, some dating as far back as the late 1800’s. Fascinating artifacts on display at the presentation will include arrowheads, projectile points and other tolls for fishing and hunting, as well as unique hand-drawn maps dating back as far as 1918.