Saltwater Stories: We Need the Sea and the Sea Needs Me at LICM

Mon Jun 30, 2025
11:00am to 3:00pm ET
Age: 4+
Price: Free with museum admission ($18)
Location:
Long Island Children's Museum
516-224-5800
11 Davis Avenue, Garden City, NY, 11530
Invite a friend Website

The Long Island Children’s Museum (LICM) will host an Arrival Ceremony on Monday, June 30, to commemorate the arrival of a newly crafted 10-foot white pine mishoon. The traditional dugout canoe, commissioned by LICM, was created under the leadership of Shinnecock Cultural Steward Chenae Bullock, in collaboration with her mentor Darius Coombs (Mashpee Wampanoag) and apprentice Shane Weeks (Shinnecock).

This hand-crafted canoe, made using ancestral techniques, will serve as a central artifact in the Museum’s upcoming permanent maritime exhibit, Saltwater Stories: We Need the Sea and the Sea Needs Me, set to open this fall.

The Arrival Ceremony includes traditional songs, music and remarks from community leaders and culture bearers. These offerings will provide gratitude, context, and a spiritual welcome as the canoe begins its new role at the Museum. Families in attendance will enjoy hands-on activities and sample traditional Native foods.

The mishoon was crafted by hollowing out a 1,700-pound white pine tree using fire, controlled burning and hand tools—a method passed down through generations. The finished 500-pound canoe will be on display in the Museum’s lobby until Saltwater Stories opens in October. Named Pewea Koowa, or Little Pine, the mishoon symbolizes the enduring relationship between Indigenous communities and the waterways of the region.

** Activity dates/times are subject to change. Please click through to the activity website to verify.