The Mohawk: A Changing Home

The Mohawk: A Changing Home. . , The Mohawk have traditionally interacted with the land around them as hunters, trappers, fishers, gatherers, and farmers. Before European contact, groups of Mohawk moved seasonally between permanent villages and temporary hunting and fishing camps. Mohawk in this area used Otsego Lake and the Susquehanna River for camp sites and travel., During the 18th century, wars, land loss, and European diseases changed the type and configuration of Mohawk dwellings. Small bark houses, like the one constructed nearby, designed to hold only one or two families replaced giant longhouses and communal hunting camps., The Thaw Collection of American Indian Art , Fenimore Art Museum is home to one of the most renowned collections of American Indian art in the world. These objects are the best of their kind, milestones of creativity that stand on their own as exemplary works of art., The human aspiration to create beautiful objects which express a unique world view is what drew Eugene and Clare Thaw to collect American Indian art. In 1992 the Thaws chose Fenimore Art Museum to house their collection. Today it includes close to 900 objects from vastly diverse Native American cultures. The objects range in time from the ancient past to the present day and display a variety of materials from porcupine quills to copper. Ultimately, it is the fundamental humanity of these extraordinary works that continues to draw diverse audiences today., [Photo captions, clockwise from bottom left, read] , . Frontlet, Tsimshian, 1840-1870 · Maple, abalone shell, paint, . Mohawk Bark House · On the path to the lake shore is a reproduction of a 1750 Mohawk barkhouse. Take a look inside and see for yourself how local Mohawk lived in the 18th century., . Bark House Sketch, 1851 · Lewis Henry Morgan , This sketch of a barkhouse or ka-nón-has (ga-new-sa), features a steeply sloped roof, compared to the round, semicircular roof the traditional longhouse. Longhouses were also much larger than bark houses., The Benefits of Walking , Thank you for taking our walking trail! While experiencing the beauty around you, taking a walk also has added benefits, strengthening your heart, lowering your risk for disease, working your muscles, and boosting mental health and contentment. , Excellus [Blue Cross Blue Shield]