From 1914 to 1942, Cornell’s Department of Home Economics and later, New York State College of Home Economics, received federal, state, and private funding to create extension programs and scholarships for Hodinǫ̱hsǫ́:nih women. These programs sought to improve family life through scientific research, which largely disregarded Indigenous perspectives and needs. Despite this, the archival record shows how Hodinǫ̱hsǫ́:nih women made space for themselves and their communities within and outside of the College. In honor of Native American Heritage month, a new exhibit in the Mann Library lobby, curated by Lynda Xepoleas (PhD, Human Centered Design '23) with materials drawn from the archives of the Rare and Manuscript Collections at Cornell University Library, explores the stories of several Hodinǫ̱hsǫ́:nih women who broke new ground as Cornell Extension-affliated educators in their communities and as students on the Cornell University campus in the early twentieth century.

This exhibit will be on display in the Mann Library lobby through March 31, 2025. A full version of the exhibit is also viewable online at bit.ly/exhibit-redressing-histories.