Dietrich to host program on Sullivan Expedition

On Saturday, June 8 at 11 a.m., Dr. Andrea Smith from Lafayette College will present “Comparing Sullivan Stories: Historical Markers vs. Haudenosaunee Accounts” at the Dietrich Theater in downtown Tunkhannock.

This free event is sponsored by the Endless Mountains Heritage Region, PA DCNR and the Wyoming County Commissioners.

The Sullivan Expedition was a vast expedition that resulted in the destruction of over 60 villages, mostly Haudenosaunee. Because of its extent, it is also one of the most commemorated events in U.S. history, with well over 250 historical markers that stretch from Easton into the Finger Lakes of New York. Dr. Smith studied this “Sullivan commemorative complex” for 10 years, culminating in the book, “Memory Wars.” In her talk, she will show how the “Sullivan story” developed by markers in New York and Pennsylvania vary in important ways. She then will discuss how the event is discussed at Haudenosaunee cultural centers and oral history.

Dr. Andrea Lynn Smith is a historical anthropologist and professor of anthropology at Lafayette College, Easton, PA. Her book, Memory Wars: Settlers and Natives Remember Washington’s Sullivan Expedition of 1779 (2023) explores contrasting memories of a Revolutionary War expedition. Previous publications include the award-winning Colonial Memory and Postcolonial Europe: Maltese Settlers in Algeria and France (2006); and Rebuilding Shattered Worlds: Creating Community by Voicing the Past (2016), which explores the role of place-loss in community identity in the aftermath of urban renewal.

Tickets are available at the Dietrich’s ticket booth while they last or by calling 570-836-1022 x3.