On October 19, Room in Our House will perform an intimate dance  that brings together two worlds: the Dutch and the Haudenosaunee, an Indigenous confederacy of North America. Inspired by the centuries-old peace treaty between them, Nicole Beutler Projects and Rematriation created a powerful duet that is deeply rooted in history while searching for a shared future shaped by a shared past. Through dance, storytelling, and a cinematic soundtrack, the performance explores history, cultural memory, trauma, and the possibilities of healing and peace within the context of Dutch–Native American colonial relations.

What makes this performance truly unique is its groundbreaking co-creation between Indigenous Haudenosaunee, North American, and Dutch/European artists. With creative roles shared across cultures, equality and collaboration are at the heart of every aspect of the production.

The Haudenosaunee Confederacy united the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca nations to promote peace, cooperation, and shared decision-making. Each nation governed its own affairs through its council with Chiefs chosen by the Clan Mother, while the Grand Council handled issues affecting the entire confederacy. Often considered one of the world’s oldest participatory democracies, its constitution is believed to have influenced the U.S. Constitution and is unique for combining law, social values, and respect for nature.

Following the one-hour performance, Dr. Markha Valenta and Indigenous artist Montana Adams will engage in a conversation exploring the long-standing relationship between the Dutch and the Haudenosaunee. How did diplomacy and mutual understanding emerge between two societies with fundamentally different worldviews? What can we learn today from the Haudenosaunee vision of living together? The discussion will also examine the Haudenosaunee influence on ideas of democracy and women’s rights, concepts often regarded as purely Western traditions.

About the speakers:

Montana Adams is a theatre artist working as a playwright, actor, dramaturge, producer, and director. Her work explores community narratives and relationships, often rooted in her experiences in her own community of Akwesasne. Her most recent project, Teotsitsia’ho, is a youth-led collaboration with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s A/CDP Clubhouse, inspired by Mohawk stories and legends. In Room in Our House, she appears as the storyteller.

Dr. Markha Valenta is Assistant Professor at the University of Utrecht. She studies how global power relations shape democracies across time and regions. He research work is interdisciplinary and examines themes such as migration, religion, inequality, colonial legacies, and the changing global order.

Event details: 

Date: October 19, 2026

Time: 7:00 PM – 8:45 PM 

Location: OBA Theather, Oosterdokskade 143, Amsterdam

Click here to buy tickets. NASA members get a discount. 

This event is part of our yearlong program, 250 Years of the American Experiment, which would not be complete without reflecting on Native American histories and perspectives.

Read, Watch, Listen: Looking for background information in advance of the event?

• Read:  (2018). The novel traces the lives of urban Native Americans converging at a powwow in Oakland, weaving together histories of displacement, identity, and survival. The novel resists singular narratives of Indigeneity, instead showing how culture is carried across fragmentation, city life, and generational rupture. Its structure—multiple voices converging toward collective gathering—echoes themes of belonging, continuity, and return that resonate deeply with Haudenosaunee traditions of community and relational identity. Orange visited the John Adams Institute in  and . 
• Watch:  (2021–2023). Created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, the series follows Indigenous teenagers in rural Oklahoma navigating grief, humor, friendship, and legacy. Grounded in Indigenous writers, directors, and actors, it portrays everyday life with humor and emotional depth while centering community, storytelling, and intergenerational connection as living cultural forces. 
• Listen:  This episode explores the political philosophy, governance structures, and historical influence of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, including its contributions to ideas of collective decision-making and democratic practice. It highlights how Indigenous political traditions predate and inform later constitutional thinking, while emphasizing the continuity of Haudenosaunee governance as a living system rather than a historical artifact. 

The American Book Center will present a selection of books related to the event’s theme.