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Bronxites, Do You Know the Story of the 'Last Algonquin' in Pelham Bay Park? This Talk Digs Deeper
- Damian Ali
- May 24
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 10
Archived Event: This event took place on Wednesday, May 28. This article remains available as part of TalkTeaV’s Bronx Moments archive.
Image of Dr. Amy Starecheski and Joe Two Trees Graffiti in Pelham Bay Park (2025): Image Courtesy (L to R) Jenna Petrone/Amy Starecheski/BCHS
On Wednesday, May 28, New Yorkers are invited to revisit one of the Bronx's most talked-about local legends at The Bronx Brewery. The Bronx County Historical Society will host a free public lecture titled "The Last Algonquin? Myth, History, and Power in The Bronx," led by Columbia University oral historian Dr. Amy Starecheski.
The event begins at 7 p.m. and centers on the story of Joe Two Trees, a man referred to as the "Last Algonquin" of Pelham Bay Park. The lecture will examine the legacy of that story and how it has shaped public memory in the borough.
Dr. Amy Starecheski, a longtime Bronx resident and cultural anthropologist, brings both academic expertise and deep community roots to the conversation. She is the founder of the Mott Haven Oral History Project, which collaborates with neighborhood residents to document and amplify their stories.
The story of Joe Two Trees reached a wider audience through the 1982 book The Last Algonquin, written by Theodore L. Kazimiroff Jr., who shared a story passed down by his father, Dr. Theodore Kazimiroff, a Bronx-born dentist, and historian.
According to the account, the elder Kazimiroff befriended a solitary Native man living alone in Pelham Bay Park during his youth. That story became part of Bronx lore, remembered in classrooms, park tours, and community storytelling.
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Image of Joe Two Trees Graffiti in Pelham Bay Park (2025): Image Courtesy Amy Starecheski/BCHS
The lecture is part of the Beirne–Hermalyn Endowed Lecture Series in Urban Affairs, a new annual program launched in 2025 by Dr. Elizabeth Beirne and Dr. G. Hermalyn. Each spring, the series spotlights original research on Bronx history through collaborations with New York City universities.
In addition to directing Columbia University's Oral History Master of Arts Program, Dr. Starecheski also serves as a visiting scholar with The Bronx County Historical Society.
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Event Details:
When: Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at 7 p.m.
Where: The Bronx Brewery, 865 E 136th Street, Bronx, NY 10454
Cost: Free and open to the public
Hosted by: The Bronx County Historical Society
For longtime residents, this is a chance to revisit a familiar piece of local history with fresh eyes. For newer Bronxites, it's an opportunity to connect with a complex chapter of the borough's past. Either way, it's an evening meant to spark conversation about memory, identity, and how narratives take shape over time.
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