Rethinking Adirondack History

Two upstate New York storytellers, each a creative person in his own right, have joined forces to unearth a little-known history. Their book explores the lives of the earliest known inhabitants of the Adirondack region. The authors say many people assume the region’s frigid climate and challenging farming conditions made the Adirondacks too harsh for people to live in thousands of years ago. Their book aims to correct that misconception.

One storyteller is Dr. Curt Stager, a scientist whose studies include the relationship between humans and the natural world. He is a professor of natural sciences at Paul Smith’s College. He teamed up with David Kanietakeron Fadden, executive director of the Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Center. A Mohawk artist raised in Onchiota, Fadden is also an illustrator of award-winning books.

Their book is titled The First Adirondackers: 12,000 Years of Indigenous Peoples in the Adirondack Uplands. Stager and Fadden discuss their collaboration with Spotlight producer Paul Larson.

You can find The First Adirondackers: 12,000 Years of Indigenous Peoples in the Adirondack Uplands at bookstores throughout the Adirondack region and beyond, as well as through online retailers.