Dating back as early as the 12th century, the Mohawk Valley has provided a home for Mohawk people, members of the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois Confederacy of Nations. The wars and conflicts in the 1700s that came with the European invasion sent the Mohawks from their lands, their villages and the resting place of their ancestors.

The dream and the prophecies of return continued through the decades. Those decades turned into centuries. And then, in the midst of troubles, a new hope formed for return.

In the summer of 1993, at a public auction, 322 acres of riverfront land was sold to a small group of traditional Mohawks who were ready to start a new home on old soils. The support from Native and non-Natives in the local area, all over New York, and internationally, has come in spiritual and material ways, and has helped sustain the Mohawk families who moved to this river valley.

Photo by Jennifer Young

A spring on the hillside is fast-flowing and provides water for drinking and is a potential source of hydro-electric power for their homes and workshops.

The community name, Kanatsiohareke, is an old Mohawk word meaning "the place of the clean pot". This word refers to a section of a nearby creek that runs through Canajoharie to the Mohawk River. (Canajoharie is the non-Native pronunciation for Kanatsiohareke and is a town located 4 miles west of us.) It has a large, round, naturally formed pothole that was formed by water erosion. Using the original name that our ancestors named this place reminds us of our connection to them and to this place. Using our old name in the reestablishing of our community gives new hope to the Mohawk people.