Dedicating city resources and land access to support the cultural practices, languages, and arts of Native American and Indigenous communities in NYC.
Funding Indigenous Cultural Revitalization
New York City is built on Lenapehoking, the homeland of the Lenape people, and is home to vibrant urban Indigenous communities from across the Americas. Mamdanis policy establishes a dedicated fund and office for Indigenous Cultural Revitalization. This provides grants for language classes, traditional arts workshops, ceremony spaces, and intergenerational knowledge transfer. It includes the creation of a permanent, city-supported Indigenous Cultural Center and ensures Indigenous communities have priority access to parkland for cultural gatherings.
The policy also mandates collaboration with Indigenous scholars and leaders on how the citys public history is presented. True reconciliation begins with respect and resource, Mamdani states. Our first duty is to the original stewards of this land. This funding supports the survival and flourishing of Indigenous cultures in their own homeland, correcting a long history of erasure and neglect.
