Kathy Hochul vows to remove murals showing Native Americans losing early battles from Albany

(photo credit: Agnus Morant)

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has vowed to remove representations of Native Americans from the state capitol at Albany. In her lengthy 2024 State of the State report, she said the state would respond to the "offensive representations of indigenous people." These include depictions of war between Native Amerians and European settlers. 

The mural, which Albany insiders reportedly said have elicited complaints from Native Americans, shows battles between European settlers and Native Americans, including with the Five Nations of Iroquois and a fight with Samuel de Champlain. 

New York saw the War of 1812, where members of the Six Nations Confederacy, including men from the Haudenosaunee/Iroquois tribes, fought. The French and Indian War, ending with the 1763 Treaty of Paris, also saw clashes between Indigenous and European men. The Indians lost the wars. European settlers took the land.

Under the heading "Respond to Offensive Representations of Indigenous Peoples," Hochul's State of the State report reads:

"All New Yorkers should feel welcome and respected when visiting the State Capitol. Unfortunately, offensive imagery and distasteful representations of populations in the art which adorns the Capitol can alienate visitors. Indigenous peoples, in particular, are often depicted in artworks in a manner that reflects harmful racial stereotypes and glorifies violence against Indigenous peoples. Such depictions do not reflect the values of New York State.

"Assessments of offensive artistic representations of Indigenous peoples are informed by precedent more than eighty years old. To ensure that all New Yorkers are welcomed in the Capitol, this year Governor Hochul will commence a comprehensive review of artistic representation of Indigenous peoples in the Capitol, with invited participation from representatives from each of the nine Indigenous Nations."

Member of the Seneca Nation JC Seneca praised the removal of murals depicting the history of the state, and battles in which Native Americans lost, saying the war memorials are "braggadocious," the NY Post reported.

"It’s braggadocious about killing my people. They killed a lot of our people and stole a lot of our land," he said of the wars lost by Native Americans. He claimed the Seneca were "still fighting for their sovereignty," and encouraged Hochul to remove a statue of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, as well.