Legacy of Representation: From New Amsterdam to the Creekerhood

1641 – The Council of Twelve Men

In the Dutch colony of New Netherland, Governor Willem Kieft summoned twelve settlers to form the first elected advisory council in North America—the Council of Twelve Men. Among them was my great-grandfather, Joris Jansen Rapelje, a man of foresight and responsibility.

As tensions rose with the Lenape, the council advised negotiation and restraint. But when their wisdom was dismissed and war followed, the council was disbanded—its democratic ideals set aside.

Still, this group left behind a powerful legacy: the seed of representation and civic duty in what would later become the United States.

From Judith to Arizona – A Family of Builders

My line continues through Judith Rapalje, daughter of Joris. Like her father, Judith’s descendants pushed into new frontiers, through generations of settlement, service, and stewardship.

Here is the lineage that connects me, K. Kirton Niner (Shimmer), to Joris:

• Judith Rapalje – daughter of Joris Jansen Rapelje
• Pieter Pieterszen Van Nest II – key landholder in Raritan, NJ
• Margaretta Pieterse Van Nest – bridge between Dutch colonial aristocracy and frontier life
• Peter Cossart Sr. – frontier pioneer into Kentucky. Father of Great Grandfather Jacob.
• Peter Cosat – early farmer in Mercer County, KY. Son of Jacob.
• Mary Ann Cosat – matriarch of Utah-bound settlers
• Perry Fitzgerald – Latter-day Saint convert and pioneer
• John Perry – founder and first conductor of the Tabernacle Choir
• Sarah Ann Williams – mother of Lovina, woman of faith and strength
• Lovina – matriarch who guided her daughter Vera
• Vera – mother of six, including Marie, during wartime America
• Marie – my mother, who instilled creativity, leadership, and faith

Today, I uphold that legacy in 2025 Cave Creek, Arizona. I watch over 2.5 acres of unincorporated land, not as a settler but as a protector. I fight for native growth, against trespass and destruction, and for the right to speak and live freely—as those Twelve once tried to do.

“I was born of representation. I live as proof that it did not fail—it waited. And I stand, so the seed my ancestor planted may bloom again.”