The Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ Learning Project promotes visibility for Indigenous people in Ithaca through a variety of initiatives. Through groups such as their book discussion club, they aim to center Indigenous voices in conversation.
The book discussion group met Jan. 18 at Buffalo Street Books. Stephen Henhawk, language and culture lead of the GLP, said community is the cornerstone of the book discussion group.
“We’re all in this together here,” Henhawk said. “We’re Indigenous and non-Indigenous, letting the community really take time to really digest and really think of these ideas.”
Monica Bosworth is on the GLP outreach committee and helps facilitate the discussion group. She said she was first drawn to the work of the GLP and the book discussion group due to a general interest in Indigenous culture and way of life.
“I’m trying to figure out how I can, not just how I can learn, how I can educate myself,” Bosworth said. “It’s really helpful to have people to talk with.”
According to U.S. Census data, 0.3% of the City of Ithaca population identifies solely as American Indian or Alaska Native. The Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ are part of the Six Nations of the Hodinǫhsǫ́:nih and have roots in the Finger Lakes region dating back over 10,000 years. During the Revolutionary War, George Washington ordered a campaign that destroyed Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ villages and crops, forcing the Indigenous people to relocate in Canada and the Western United States.
Part of the mission of the GLP is to connect with Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ people across the United States and Canada to preserve this multi–millennium–year–old language and culture. The other key component of the GLP mission is to promote coexistence between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in Ithaca through education and spreading awareness. The book discussion group is one of the ways the GLP works toward coexistence.
“A lot of the ideas with the coexistence is that we’re here together now,” Henhawk said. “We don’t really have a today in Ithaca. … We’re always spoken of in the past tense.”
Henhawk said that many of the signs around the town are an example of the way the current presence of Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ in Ithaca is overlooked. In 2023, The Tompkins County Historical Commission finished an initiative to add street signage in the Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ language along Cayuga Street. The signs are meant to stand as a reminder that the town sits on the historical homeland of the Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ.
Henhawk said he hopes initiatives such as the book discussion group can promote awareness about the vibrant presence of Indigenous people in Ithaca today in a more active way than the street signs can.
Michelle Seneca, project manager of the GLP, said she attends the book discussion group meetings to answer questions about her life and Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ culture. Throughout the discussion, she shared stories of her childhood on the Cattaraugus Reservation, and insights into how the book compared to her own experience and culture.
At the Jan. 18 meeting, the book club discussed “The Girl Who Sang to the Buffalo,” by Kent Nerburn. The book is the final installment of a trilogy which follows Nerburn as he learns from Native American elders in the lands of the Lakota and the Ojibwe. The series blends elements of fiction and non-fiction, leading the reader to question their preconceived ideas about what shapes reality. The third book explores themes like spirituality, the meaning of dreams and powerful connections with the animal world. During the meeting, participants discussed the nature of truth and how Indigenous ideas about harmony and balance differ from traditional western ideals.
The participants also discussed how important representation is in literature to break stereotypes and introduce readers to new worldviews they may not have access to otherwise. Many group members thought there were valuable lessons to be learned from these Indigenous stories.
Bosworth said the books are powerful and expose her to new perspectives. Specifically in the Nerburn trilogy, she points to the character of Dan, an Indigenous elder, as a source of wisdom.
“A lot of the things that Dan says, to me almost seem, I don’t want to seem dramatic, but it’s almost like scripture,” Bosworth said. “They seem like these are words to reground us into how we need to be.”
The book discussion group started meeting in summer of 2025 after the GLP had success hosting a film screening series for community members. The group has shown a number of films featuring native stories and storytellers. Often, the GLP organizes panels following the film screenings to foster community discussion on the stories, the inspiration for the book discussion group. Nerburn spoke with the GLP in June after the group screened the film adaptation of his novel, “Neither Wolf Nor Dog.”
The size of the discussion group varies with 10 to 20 people attending each time. Henhawk is hopeful about the future and wants the GLP to continue to uplift native stories through books and film.
Seneca said that the discussion group fosters powerful human to human connections.
“I’m really appreciative and grateful that we’ve found a community where we can share these ideas … and be able to coexist with community down here outside the reservation,” Seneca said.
