Land Acknowledgement
It is with gratitude and humility that Jacob’s Pillow acknowledges that we are learning, speaking, and gathering on the ancestral homelands of the Muh-he-con-ne-ok or Mohican people, who are the Indigenous peoples of this land. Despite tremendous hardship in being forced from here, today they reside in Wisconsin and are known as the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. We pay honor and respect to their ancestors and elders past and present as we commit to building a more inclusive and equitable space for all.
As a cultural home serving the area now known as the Berkshires, we also pay our respects to the Indigenous people who continue to live in this region and exercise sovereignty: the Nipmuc to the East; the Wampanoag and Narragansett to the Southeast; the Agawam, Mohegan, Pequot, and Schaghticoke to the South; and the Abenaki to the North.
We believe it is the role of the arts to make the invisible visible. After centuries of erasure, we the stewards of Jacob’s Pillow hold the responsibility to recognize the Indigenous peoples and the land that gives Jacob’s Pillow its quintessential identity. As allies, this acknowledgement is only part of our commitment to building relationships with Indigenous artists from around the country and the world and communities who still reside in our region.
To learn more about the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians—People of the Waters That Are Never Still—and their rich and enduring history, preserved through oral tradition and the written word, visit their official website: mohican-nsn.gov/tribal-history-timeline/
The Arvid E. Miller Memorial Library and Museum, located in Bowler, WI, serves as the official repository of Stockbridge-Munsee archives and is a vital resource for preserving community history and culture.
Take a self-guided walking tour of Main Street in Stockbridge, MA, exploring eleven culturally significant Mohican sites. A virtual and interactive version is available online, narrated by members of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community.
No Loose Braids is a Nipmuc-led organization focused on continuing and reviving Eastern Woodlands traditions and cultural practices. Led by creative director Andre StrongBearHeart Gaines, Jr.—creator of the Eastern Woodlands homesite at Jacob's Pillow, and one of the four commissioned Indigenous artists on the design team for the new Doris Duke Theatre—No Loose Braids brings communities together through traditional practice, cultural revitalization, experiential learning, knowledge sharing, and art.
Visit the Native-Land.ca app to find out about the Indigenous history of where you live.
Acosia Red Elk
Thursday, July 9 at 5:30pm
A renowned Jingle Dancer who has won ten world championships at the largest powwow on the continent as well as a Doris Duke Artist Award, Acosia Red Elk returns to Jacob’s Pillow with an evening-length work featuring Native violinist Geneviève Gros-Louis.
Pua Ali‘i ‘Ilima
Friday, July 10, 2026 at 5:30pm
Founded by hula master Vicky Holt Takamine, this esteemed Hawaiian dance company takes to the outdoor stage, honoring Native Hawaiian traditions through oli (chant), hula, and storytelling.
Michela Marino Lerman
Thursday and Friday, July 16-17 at 5:30pm
Tap artist Michela Marino Lerman draws from a rich and diverse ancestry—including Amazigh (Indigenous North African), Egyptian, Ukrainian, and Turkish roots—to create spiritual, communal performance experiences grounded in rhythm and ritual.
Fire Pit Gathering at the Indigenous Garden
Saturday, August 1 at 11am
This gathering invites visitors to engage with Eastern Woodlands culture, land practices, and living traditions, offering a firsthand perspective on how Indigenous communities sustain relationships with the land through generations of ecological knowledge rooted in the Nipmuc way of life. Led by Andre StrongBearHeart Gaines Jr., Tribal Historic Preservation Officer of the Nipmuc Nation, joined by members of multiple Eastern Woodland tribes.
Brenda Mallory
Multi-year Installation
Brenda Mallory (Cherokee Nation) presents new visual work in the Jameson Lobby of the Doris Duke Theatre. Her sculptural installations repurpose salvaged materials to explore themes of disruption, repair, and cultural memory.
Misty Cook & Kathi Arnold
Permanent Installation
In the Duke Garden, Indigenous herbalists Misty Cook (Stockbridge-Munsee) and Kathi Arnold (Nipmuc) create a space to connect with plant-based healing practices and traditional medicine.
Homesite by Andre Strongbearheart Gaines, Jr. at Jacob’s Garden
Permanent Installation
In 2022, the Pillow commissioned Andre Strongbearheart Gaines, Jr. to create a traditional Nipmuc homesite, including a mishoon burning (canoe making) installation at our main entrance that was activated at multiple events during the 90th Anniversary Festival. The homesite has now been permanently relocated to Jacob’s Garden where it continues to be accessible to the public.