Hunting was an art motivated by survival. The “Native Hunters” possessed the skills of a steady hand, a sharp eye, a swift foot, and a strong arm. To be able to hunt successfully, the hunter needed endurance, patience, and an intimate understanding of nature. It was an age-long devotion to the hunt that shaped the hunter’s respect and sensitivity to the land.

“Native Hunters,” set in the latter 1700s, brings to life two Eastern Woodland hunters of the Seneca Nation, displaying the art of calling, using wing bone calls, and hunting the wild turkey. Following creek and river trails, these hunters successfully locate the sacred meadow where magnificent gobblers flourish. Their spiritual oneness with the game and their traditions has molded the skills we use today in calling and hunting wild turkey.

In the summer of 1749, Captain Celeron de Bienville laid French claim to this territory in the name of Louis XV of France by burying leaden plates at the mouths of six rivers. One of the plates is represented in “Native Hunters.”