Comparative review of Skanonh Great Law of Peace Center located at 6680 Onondaga Lake Pkwy
Liverpool, New York 13088 and its website found at https://www.skanonhcenter.org/. The site is owned and operated by the Onondaga Historical Association & the Onondaga Nation.

I believe I should start with a disclaimer. I am a member of the academic collaborative for the Skanonh Great Law of Peace Center since its beginning. In that capacity I was one of several members of the local academic community with interest and expertise in the area of Haudenosaunee history and culture who worked to develop interpretive material for the physical site. However, my involvement has decreased through the years, and once the pandemic hit the collaborative didn’t really meet. In the meetings I attended we never really discussed a web presence.

The Skanonh Great Law of Peace Center’s main objective is to tell the story of the Onondaga people from their own perspective. The space immediately sets the tone by having the patrons listen to and watch videos of members of the Onondaga Nation welcome them, the work Skanonh is an Onondaga greeting meaning “peace and wellness, and then listen to a thanksgiving address with the explanation that such an address is recited at the beginning of any public event. This is to put visitors in the frame of mind of the Onondaga people. I find it an effective way of drawing people in and orienting them to, what is for many, a new perspective.

The audience seems to be a general, somewhat older, non-Haudenosaunee visitor. My spouse and I were the only ones in the museum at the time of the visit, so I am not sure who comes. Syracuse is not a really big tourist destination, especially in winter, so it seems that most visitors would be more local. I know they encourage school groups to come to the museum, but I do not know what special programming or experiences they share with school children.

The museum then takes the visitor through a thematic and somewhat chronological exploration of Onondaga history staring with creation stories, explaining the Great Law of Peace as a unique and central focus of all Haudenosaunee peoples, the Onondaga experience with European contact, and Onondaga continuance of culture and history today.

The story is told mostly through reproductions of historic sources, original artwork in the form of paintings and sculpture, and some original artifacts. These visual aspects are accompanied by textual explanations and context development. The section on contact in particular tries to reorient the viewers to an Onondaga perspective when learning about the impact of the Sullivan Clinton campaign during the American Revolution or the experience Onondaga children went through at the Carlisle Indian School.

The flow through the museum works well in moving the visitor through the story, which is good as, like so many places, they are understaffed and docents are not usually available to guide visitors unless a tour is prearranged. The staff member present, however, was very knowledgeable and willing to answer any and all questions. There is an outdoor element to the museum as well, but it was a 15 degree day with wind blowing off the lake, so we did not want to brave that part.  

There is also space dedicated to temporary exhibits that feature the work of indigenous artists. The current exhibit by Mohawk artist Tom Huff takes on the issues of Indian stereotypes in advertising and marketing, entertainment, toys, and sports. This again helps the non-Indigenous viewer to understand the issue from an indigenous perspective and see it as not as “harmless” as such visual depictions are often described. This is particularly timely with the renaming of the Washington football team from a racial slur to the Commanders. With Covid, there has been limited ability to bring in more temporary exhibits, but they are a welcome part of the museum and allows for a space for Haudenosaunee peoples to tell their own story and create their own history. It is what makes this space truly unique.

Interactive elements are limited in the main museum. Most of the experience is in reading, except for the welcome and thanksgiving address. I personally would like to see more interactive elements. I find it hard to stand and read for long periods of time because of back issues. We all know children are not interested in that at all. Pre-covid the museum did host a wide variety of events at the site, which made it a much more enjoyable experience. There was an annual wooden stick lacrosse festival, art shows, talks, workshops, kids programing etc.

One other odd element of the museum is that it shares space with the Onondaga County Water Authority. This was a stipulation when the country transferred control of the space to the Onondaga Historical Association. It doesn’t take away from the story being told, but that space could be utilized for other purposes. I would particularly like to see more interactive elements. Oh, and more places to sit through the museum. While there is an elevator for ADA compliance, there are just not enough seats, even for a nearly empty museum.

Unlike the physical museum, the web presence for the center is much less welcoming. The home page is a welcome from the director, who is unnamed. When a viewer goes to the “about the center” section, he or she will get an explanation of the meaning of Skanonh, but it is much less effective as a way of drawing people into the site as the videos with which visitors are greeted at the center itself. This is a shame as I find that welcome and the thanksgiving address videos at the museum itself to be a wonderful way to draw people in and illustrate the idea that we are all connected. The “about” section provides a clear purpose of the center which is tell the history of the Onondaga people through the lens of the Onondaga people. This section also explains the sacredness of Onondaga lake where the center is located, but it doesn’t actually mention the centers location. It makes sense if you are from the area, but it seems a bit disconnected if you are not.

The “exhibits” gallery also provides the mere basics of what the center covers with a single photograph and description of the five major themes of the center: welcome, Great Law of Peace, creation, contact, continuance & contribution. Unfortunately, this is where it ends. Although I see that a viewer can see the use of audio/video technology at the museum in the website photos. Each segment gives the viewer an idea of what he or she will find upon coming to the physical site. It is the same format for the description of the temporary exhibits.

Prior to the pandemic, the museum was the site of many programs including talks, art and craft shows, lacrosse tournaments, and workshops. There is a small list of some of the past programs, but no links to videos of past programs, just the description.

After this the rest of the information on the site includes information on tours, hours, and admissions as well as ways to donate or items to purchase from the gift shop. Sadly, the “news and events” section has not been updated in two years. The website clearly encourages the viewer to go to the physical site to experience Skanonh, but it seems that even in this regard they are missing out on opportunities. Greetings and thanksgivings always start and end public gatherings for the Onondagas, the physical site illustrates this, it seems including just these elements would be beneficial to getting people more likely to come to the museum itself, especially as we, hopefully, move out of the pandemic to a time where we can gather again in safety. It seems like a great opportunity missed.