Daisy Jopling Brings Native American Revolutionary War Story to Life for America’s 250th Anniversary
What more fitting venue to pay tribute to America on its 250th anniversary than a place called Constitution Island? That Cold Spring, N.Y., site is where Westchester’s own global musical force Daisy Jopling is staging a star-spangled-history-lesson-as-entertainment titled “The Nimham Washington Legacy: The Story of Chief Nimham and General George Washington.”
“The Nimham Washington Legacy” will be presented July 4 at 2 p.m. on Constitution Island in Cold Spring. Additional information are available through the Daisy Jopling Foundation at daisyjoplingfoundation.org or by calling 845-418-8001.
Produced by violin virtuoso Jopling and the Daisy Jopling Foundation, the original production combines music, theater and history to explore the life and legacy of Chief Daniel Nimham, the last Grand Sachem of the Wappinger people, who fought alongside American colonists during the Revolutionary War and died in battle in 1778.
Jopling said she first became interested in Nimham’s story last summer after learning about him from local historian Alana Sweeny and later connecting with Native American historian, author and composer Evan T. Pritchard.
“When the colonies declared independence from Great Britain, Nimham and his people joined the colonists’ cause,” Jopling said. “I felt compelled to give a platform to this Native American story told from a Native American perspective.”
Pritchard, a descendant of the Algonquin people who has spent decades researching local Native American history, said he immediately recognized the importance of bringing Nimham’s story to the stage.
“I immediately thought of the little-known friendship between Wappingers Chief Nimham and General George Washington as a central topic, and the music grew from there,” Pritchard said.
According to Pritchard, Nimham served as a bridge between Native American traditions and the emerging American nation.
“He died fighting for the concept of American freedom and liberty,” Pritchard said. “He fought with a rare kind of courage and loyalty, which some members of today’s military still hold as inspirational.”
The play imagines a meeting in the spirit world between Nimham, General George Washington and British Col. John Graves Simcoe, where the three historical figures reflect on their choices and ultimately find understanding and forgiveness.
For Jopling, the themes of reconciliation and unity are particularly timely.
“I feel this is a time when we are being asked to come together as a country, and as a human race, to celebrate the incredible courage and sacrifice of people who gave their lives for our freedom today,” she said.
The production brings together an accomplished creative team. Pritchard, who studied composition at the Juilliard School, wrote nine original songs for the play. Director Michael Quinn, a former longtime creative director of legendary performance artists Blue Man Group, said the story’s historical significance immediately drew him to the project.
“Theater is about storytelling and, as stories go, the tale of Daniel Nimham and George Washington grabs you immediately,” Quinn said. “What’s amazing is how few people know what happened between these two men and how intertwined they were with the fate of the Revolution.”
The production will feature ancient Munsee melodies passed down to Pritchard by tribal elders, along with performances by Jopling and her band. Four world-champion Native American dancers from Indigenous Enterprise will also participate in the performance.
Throughout the project’s development, Jopling said a series of meaningful coincidences deepened her connection to the story. Her violin was crafted in 1778, the same year Nimham died, and she recently discovered the chief’s statue in Fishkill near her boyfriend’s home.
“It is deeply meaningful to me that my violin, made the year Daniel Nimham died, will be playing melodies that he would have loved, sung and listened to,” Jopling said.
Pritchard hopes the production will help audiences better understand the region’s Native American heritage.
“The Wappingers’ history is still under our feet,” he said. “In ‘The Nimham Washington Legacy,’ the audience gets to glimpse the rich Native American culture that was here along the Hudson for thousands of years.”
Quinn echoed that sentiment.
“If the audience walks away with a nagging interest in this story and these people, then perhaps we can set them on a path toward discovery and understanding of where we came from and how this all happened,” he said.
Jopling hopes attendees leave with a renewed sense of possibility.
