PHOTO PROVIDED Shown is Chickies Rock in the lower Susquehanna in this photo by Adam Hoke provided by the Susquehanna Greenway.
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.
Black Moshannon State Park
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.
PHOTO PROVIDED Shown is a view of Mocanaqua Trail in this photo by Debbie Perkins provided by the Susquehanna Greenway.
Catawissa
Catawissa, a borough in Columbia County that sits upon the banks of the Susquehanna, derives its name from the Indigenous word “Catawese.” Authorities differ…