Tuscarora Environment Program High Peaks Adirondack Youth Trip

Submitted by Noah Point, HETF

The Haudenosaunee Environmental Task Force sponsored the Haudenosaunee Environmental

Youth Corps (HEYC) trip to the Adirondack Ecological Center in Newcomb, NY, February 15-19, 2010.

This was a free trip to any Haudenosaunee student currently in grades 10-12 who applied.

The participants were transported from Tuscarora, Tonawanda and Onondaga communities via caravan for the four-night stay at the Adirondack Ecological Center. Neil Patterson Jr. and Bryan Printup led the trip with assistance from 5 chaperones. There was snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, winter wildlife ecology and ice fishing.

On Monday, February 15, 2010, a Caravan from Tuscarora’s Environment Program set out to begin picking up students ages thirteen and up from across all the Haudenosaunee Nations. Beginning in Tuscarora at 7:00am the Caravan made its way to Cayuga, Tonawanda, and Onondaga picking up a total of nine students and four chaperones. Two other students and a chaperone from Akwesasne later met with the group at the Adirondack Ecological Center (http://www.esf.edu).

Leaving on Monday and returning home on Friday, the group was involved with five days of planned activities and fun while staying right at the Center which housed the group, provided them with gourmet meals and all the amenities. There, they learned more about how our ancestors lived as well as many great skills and survival tips. The land the Ecological Center resides is called the Huntington Wildlife Forest. It was donated by Archer and Anna Huntington for the specific use of SUNY-ESF in 1932 for the study of wildlife ecology and behavior. The weather during the week couldn’t be any better as the sun shined with light snow and blue skies.

Upon arrival the group was greeted by Erin Vinson, an Education Specialist from SUNY-ESF.

She brought the group to their cabins and issued everyone their snow shoes for the week. Later on, the group met in the recreation cabin and was given a brief presentation by Neil Patterson Jr., Director of the T.E.P and coordinator of the trip. The presentation was all about Ice Fishing methods, types of bait used, and most importantly, the key role it has had throughout history and our ancestry.

During this presentation each person was given a bag filled with treats such as hand and foot warmers, candy, hot chocolate, pencils, journals and fishing lures. They had also reviewed the itinerary laid out for the week’s long excursion.

Bright and early Tuesday morning the group prepared themselves to go ice fishing on Rich Lake. Although the lake is protected, and privately owned, the group had special permission from SUNY-ESF to fish the lake and to learn more about its surroundings. After an early breakfast and a short hike the students found themselves in the middle of Rich Lake ice fishing. Remaining on the lake with their backpack lunches and cups of soup the group caught their first catch of the day, an 18 inch Northern Pike. Neil explained how we give thanks to the creator for the fish and to the fish for giving itself up to us to for food. Later on that day the group retired back to their cabins where they got ready to make the small hike to the cafeteria for Supper. Also visiting was Bob Stevenson who travelled from Akwesasne to give a presentation to the students.

After supper, Bob put on a fantastic presentation which captured the attention of the young adults with his stories of his life, traditions, all mixed in with humor and amazement. He brought with him, many traditional artifacts, clothing, tools and other items. He also told a story about each item as he displayed it. Bob showed how to make fire using a Bow drill, ancient clothing and even eyewear made of tree bark worn by the Inuit people for protection. He explained the difference uses for moose hide and other arctic animal furs.

Throughout the week the students had the opportunity to experience all that there is to offer at the Adirondack Ecological Center including small mammal trapping and releasing for research, snow shoeing up Goodnow Mountain Summit for the view from the fire tower located at the top and even a small trip to Tupper Lakes, The Wild Center/Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks. One of the Centers Wildlife Technicians, Charlotte L. Demers, and an Education Specialist, Erin Vinson took the group and showed them how to trap small mammals such as Deer Mice, Moles, and Squirrels for the purpose of research on small mammal population, and environmental impacts on wildlife. The students each got the opportunity to set traps, capture and release these small critters back into the wildlife. One of the highlights of this was the capture and release of two flying squirrels. which is very rare because of the time of season. It was extraordinary sites to watch the squirrels climb up a tree then glide away back into their natural habitat after being released healthy and unharmed.

On Wednesday the trip took the group into a different direction. The group of students and chaperones commuted North to Tupper Lake for a visit to The Wild Center/Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks; there they viewed some of the most awesome animals which populate the Adirondacks. On view were live ducks, fish, turtles, and even some various types of vegetation. One of the main attractions was a pair of otters who live right there at the facility. There’s no doubt that these playful creatures have it made living at the museum, swimming and playing while students from other schools and programs enthusiastically watched.

Thursday’s excursion led the group to the top of Goodnow Mountain, a 3.8 mile hike on a self-guided trail that leads to a 1922 restored look out tower. On the way up the mountain, they had the pleasure of seeing right where the frost began as they reached the top of the Mountain to take pictures, and experience the striking view of the High Peak Mountains.

At the top was a 60-foot look out tower which each student was able to climb to the top of. The tower was originally built in the early 1900s.

After major fires burned almost one million acres, New York implemented a plan to build Watch Towers, and station Forest Rangers and Fire Observers for communications, after which the number of Forest Fires decrease dramatically. Later on the towers that were built throughout the 1920s were put out of business in 1980 due to increased communications

and airplanes.

They ended their trip with a little winding down at one of the oldest camps located in the area, the Huntington Lodge. The cabin was owned by Anna and Archer Huntington which turned over care to SUNY-ESF in 1939. The group was one of the first to experience the newly renovated structure. While at the cabin they played card games, board games and even a game of Haudenosaunee Jeopardy ending the night with scary story telling by the fireplace.

The students were split up into three groups and the game Haudenosaunee Jeopardy was played, similar to the TV Game show Jeopardy. To buzz in on an answer, the students used one of three animal calls which they would have five seconds to respond. The topics and answers of the game were about the Haudenosaunee and it was amazing to see how much these kids really know about our own culture. Later on, the winners were presented with special prizes and everyone else received consolation prizes.

When the evening was finished they all packed up and returned back to the cabins to rest up for the long drive home the following day.

Friday morning after breakfast the group of students and chaperones packed their bags and a bag lunch, returned their snowshoes to the center and said their good byes, as they thanked the staff and cooks for their warm hospitality. They loaded up the vans and set out on their long journey home.