In 1753 the Tutelo Indians settled in Ithaca, but 26 years later, they were forced out by the Sullivan military campaign under orders from George Washington. On Sept. 22-23, Cornell Cooperative Extension helped celebrate the return of native Tutelos to their geographic home at Ithaca's Tutelo Park during the first annual "Tutelo Homecoming Festival: Welcoming Cayuga, Tutelo, Saponi and Kindred Indian Nations," at 151 Bostwick Road.

Festivities at the two-day celebration included traditional Tutelo music, Haudenosaunee singers and dancers, storytelling, cornhusk doll makers, traditional food and a plant medicine walk. Also on view were displays by Cornell's American Indian Program, Cornell and Ithaca College human resources departments, the Ithaca College archaeology department and the Cayuga SHARE Farm, which is operated by the nonprofit, Native American group "Strengthening Haudenosaunee-American Relations through Education." On Sunday, the ceremonial fire of the Tutelo and kindred nations was relighted.

The festival was sponsored by Ithaca's Multicultural Resource Center, Cornell, the American Indian Program at Cornell, Ithaca College and Wells College, with additional support from a Tompkins County Celebrations Grant.