Yonkers Public Library (YPL) is proud to display the mosaic “The Legend of the Four Crows: A Lenape Prophecy Story” at Riverfront Library. This mosaic is an illustration of the legend of the four crows, one of the Lenape Nation’s creation stories.
The mosaic was created under the direction of YPL Gallery Curator Haifa Bint-Kadi with assistance from assistant curator Aliya Moudud and community members Deborah Dismond, Christoph Sawyer, and Linda Winters. Work on the mosaic begain in October 2023. A bricolage mosaic, it consists of recycled glass, ceramics, and marble.
The mosaic was unveiled to the public on November 18, 2024 in coordination with Native American Heritage Month, following a celebration of Native American Heritage with Tony Moon Hawk Langhorn, a member of the Unkechaug Nation of New York and the Pamunkey Nations of Virginia.
The mosaic is an acknowledgment of the Lenape land that Riverfront Library occupies. The mosaic portrays animals that are significant to both the nearby Hudson River ecosystem and Lenape heritage, including the turtle, bear, muskrat, egret, eel, and sturgeon. It was conceived in consultation with Lenape Center in Manhattan, and with Tony Moon Hawk Langhorn.
Stop by to check out the mosaic whenever Riverfront Library is open. You can learn more about the "Legend of the Four Crows" on Nanticoke and Lenape Confederation Learning Center and Museum's webpage. You can also listen to Tony Moon Hawk Langhorne narrate "The Legend of the Four Crows" here.
This mosaic was made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.