Ithaca, Groton, Trumansburg get indigenous signage for Cayuga Street

ITHACA, N.Y. (WHCU) – A project to honor Native American history in Tompkins County has been completed.

Crews have put up road signs on Cayuga Street in Ithaca, Groton, and Trumansburg that feature the indigenous spelling of the word Cayuga and tribal colors. The initiative was part of the Tompkins County Historical Commission’s goals to improve the public’s understanding of local history.

The county exists on the traditional homeland of the Gayogo̱hó:nǫ^Ɂ (Cayuga Nation). The Gayogo̱hó:nǫ^Ɂ are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, which was an alliance of six sovereign nations that lived in the area for many years.

Kurt Jordan, Professor of Anthropology and Director of Indigenous Studies at Cornell University, has helped to fill in the historical gaps of the area, tracking a history that extends beyond 10,000 years ago.