Originally published on the Susquehanna Greenway website here
The Susquehanna River has drawn people to its banks for thousands of years. Many of our Susquehanna Greenway River Towns were built where former Native American villages once maintained extensive agricultural fields, towns, and roads along the easily navigable shores of the Susquehanna River. Acknowledging the importance of Indigenous people in Pennsylvania’s past, present, and future is key to understanding and respecting the Susquehanna Greenway that we explore today.
Many familiar names throughout the Susquehanna Greenway have their roots in Native languages. In the Northern regions of the Susquehanna River, most Indigenous people spoke variations of the Haudenosaunee language – including Mohawk and Oneida – while those in the central and southern regions largely spoke Algonquian dialects.
In this article, you’ll learn about just a few of these parks, trails, and landmarks with key ties to Indigenous history. Remember, many of the paths we walk today have been walked for thousands of years.
Image: “Native Lands” Painting by Carol Oldenburg
Situated along Moshannon Creek, Black Moshannon State Park was initially inhabited by Susquehannock people. The name Moshannon is derived from the Algonquian word “Mos’hanna’unk,” meaning “elk river place,” with “black” referring to the darkness of the water due to the plant tannins from the bog. Located within one of the most remote sections of the Susquehanna Greenway and the PA Wilds, it is also one of the few places you might see wild elk today.
The Susquehanna River is named for the Susquehannock people who inhabited the Susquehanna River Valley and surrounding areas at the time of European contact. Variations on the suffix “hannock” are commonly found throughout the Susquehanna Greenway—its meaning in the Algonquian language is “moving water” or “river.” Sources conflict on the full meaning of Susquehanna, with interpretations ranging from “oyster river” to “muddy river.”
Tiadaghton is the name the Haudenosaunee gave to Pine Creek, a major tributary that runs into the West Branch of the Susquehanna. The Pine Creek Path, which passes through Tiadaghton State Forest, connected Native villages along the Susquehanna River with other Haudenosaunee communities in New York. A rail line was later constructed along its route, which has since evolved into the popular Pine Creek Rail Trail.
Indigenous voices are essential to understanding our relationship with the land. When visiting one of these spots along the Susquehanna Greenway, take some time to consider its importance to the Haudenosaunee, Susquehannock, Nanticoke, and others who previously called it home. While the Susquehannock people are no longer active in the area, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy is an important force in the Northeast today. For more information, visit their website at haudenosauneeconfederacy.com.
The Susquehanna Greenway is a corridor of connected trails, parks, river access points, and communities, linking people to the natural and cultural treasures of the Susquehanna River within Pennsylvania. The mission of the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership is to continue to grow the Greenway by building connections along the Susquehanna River, inspiring people to engage with the outdoors, and transforming communities into places where people want to live, work, and explore. Visit susquehannagreenway.org to learn more.
Author: Guest Contributor
The Pennsylvania Wilds is home to more than 2 million acres of public land, 50 state game lands, 29 state parks, 8 state forests, 2 National Wild & Scenic Rivers, abundant wildlife, hundreds of miles of land and water trails, some of the darkest skies in the country, and the largest elk herd in the northeast.
The PA Wilds team is grateful to share the many stories of this region through the words and images of our talented guest contributors.