Discover the History of Native Americans in Our Region

Explore the history and culture of the Native Americans who once lived in our area through the dedicated research of Joie Cooney and Josie LaRiccia, two talented researchers at the Rye Historical Society.

  • Watch two insightful presentations by Joie Cooney, a Trustee of the Rye Historical Society and a passionate local history researcher, that delve into the lives, experiences, and enduring legacy of these indigenous peoples. Her work offers a compelling narrative of their interactions with Dutch and English settlers.

  • Study the Morgan Seacord Collection of Native American artifacts currently being catalogued by scholar Josie LaRiccia.  Josie began volunteering with the Rye Historical Society in 1993 as part of an archaeology course at Norwalk Community College.  She identified and catalogued over 1500 artifacts of the Morgan Seacord Collection.   After a hiatus of a few decades, she reconnected with us in 2023 while enrolled in SUNY Westchester Community College’s Historic Preservation Certification program, expressing an interest in continuing her work on the Morgan Seacord Collection.  Since then she has created an online inventory with our Past Perfect Museum software of all 1500 artifacts, including original hand-written notes, some dating as far back as the late 1800’s!  With Josie’s help this underutilized collection is becoming a valuable resource on the archaeology and Indigenous lifeways of the South Shore.  Explore the collection and maps below.

Presentation: Native Americans in Greenwich & Rye- Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Find out about the Native Americans who once inhabited our area and learn about their way of life, their experience with Dutch and English settlers, and their enduring legacy. Joie Cooney, a Trustee at the Rye Historical Society and enthusiastic local history researcher, will present "Native Americans in Greenwich and Rye."

Drawing from a wealth of resources, including materials from the archives and collections of the Greenwich Historical Society and Rye Historical Society, insights from local historians, descendants of the Lenape tribe, and esteemed scholars, Cooney provides a comprehensive overview of thousands of years of Native American history in our region. This presentation aims to illuminate the rich cultural heritage and significant contributions of Native Americans and promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of our shared history.

Presentation: Native Americans in Rye - February 27, 2024

Take a journey through history as we explored the vibrant heritage of the Native Americans who once inhabited Rye, NY. Led by Joie Cooney, a Rye resident and RHS Auxiliary Board Member, this captivating presentation and interactive Q&A session delved into the rich tapestry of Native American life.

Drawing upon an array of resources, including artifacts from the Rye Historical Society's collection, insights from local historians, Lenape descendants, and distinguished scholars, we delved into 13,000 years of Native American history. Participants learned about Rye's earliest inhabitants - their way of life, the pivotal historical moments that influenced them, their cultural legacies, and their resilience as a community.

(Click here to access presentation sources, and here to access a PDF transcript. Please note the pdf is in draft form and is being finalized to mirror Ms. Cooney's presentation)

Morgan Seacord Collection

Morgan H. Seacord (1879-1971) was an attorney and author heavily involved in the Huguenot and Historical Association of New Rochelle and the Westchester County Historical Society. In 1965, he donated a large collection of thousands of archaeological finds from the Long Island Sound coast of Westchester County to the Rye Historical Society. (Link to files here: https://ryehistory.catalogaccess.com/objects/1447)