Readers Respond to the January/February 2025 Issue
Your feedback on Faneuil Hall, canoe discoveries and teeny-tiny marmosets
What’s in a Name?
I was disappointed to read of the renaming of Faneuil Hall (“The Long Hall,” January/February 2025). It is the same as tearing down the statue of a historical figure. We lose the opportunity to speak of the good and bad of that person or, in this case, the history that has taken place in those precious few blocks of Boston. Renaming Faneuil Hall will do the exact opposite of its intention. It will “sanitize” the history of the hall. Who is going to ask the question about Peter Faneuil if there is no Faneuil Hall? —Steven Pinson | Baltimore
Filling In the Gaps
I’m profoundly grateful for your article “Diving for History” (January/February 2025). I was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and lived there until I was 12 years old. In school we learned nothing about the Indigenous population of the area. I have a vague recollection of a performance by “Indian” dancers in “tribal” costume at the Dells, but that’s the only instance I can remember referencing people in Wisconsin before white settlers came. As a trained archaeologist, I know the transcendent feeling of wonder experienced when holding a relic of the past, especially a past considered lost forever. —Edith Goldman | Laurel, Maryland
The Private Lives of Marmosets
I hope we save the Amazon forest and protect the pygmy marmosets (“Little Wonders,” January/February 2025). It is truly tragic to think of a world without them. They are clearly tiny but mighty (and totally adorable), and I loved that the author included the mythical Indigenous story about how the pygmy marmosets were granted privacy by our creator to live in remote forests to raise their families. I wish there was a way to ensure we can grant them a future with plenty of trees and freedom to roam safely. —Alex Gardiner | Belfast, Maine
Protecting Prehistory
With the uncovering of the Stone Age settlements in Scotland (“What Scotland’s Old Stones Know,” January/February 2025), we come to realize how little we know about the people who lived and left these places. Thankfully, the archaeologists use care to both excavate and preserve such sites for future investigations as well. —Robert L. Starr | Ephrata, Pennsylvania
In a Creative State
I took the opportunity while reading about Daniel Bachman and your fascinating description of his creative process (“Listening to the Land,” January/February 2025) to find his music. Being also from Virginia, I enjoyed reading about his unique telling of our state’s history. Incorporating the sounds around him into the songs adds another dimension to them. I’ve added him to my playlist and look forward to learning the back stories of this music while also learning more about the state I’ve called home my entire life. —M.L. Gray | Ashburn, Virginia
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This article is a selection from the March 2025 issue of Smithsonian magazine