Biography & Early Wealth Journey

Van Dunk suggested to Bourgeois that his house could be re-purposed as a patahmaniikan, or traditional prayer house. In addition to transferring the deed of ownership, Bourgeois also told the press about another ritual that had to take place in order for the transfer to take place:

"We had a pipe. We had a smudging. We had prayers being said. It was a healing. We wanted the spirits to know we were coming in with a good heart … The purpose is to get Indigenous people in touch with their language, their tradition."

Bourgeois bought the home about ten years ago, but the property dates all the back to 1834. More than 200 years before that, as a matter of historical record, the Lenape was tricked into selling it and the rest of what is now Manhattan island off despite being conceptually unaware that it was even possible for individuals to "own" land. This comparatively small gesture isn't the only step towards righting historical wrongs that Bourgeois has taken. He has also donated $600,000 to the Oceti Sakowin camp site at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota, in addition to spending six weeks there protesting the North Dakota access pipeline.