tuscarora environment

August 2011

TUSCARORA ENVIRONMENTHaudenosaunee Environmental Task ForceTUSCARORA ENVIRONMENT

- News You Can Use -

On The Cover:If you would like to contribute to the cover of our newsletter please send submissions to the TEP office either by mailbox, email, Facebook or our website. Nya:we.

The Wolf Spider is commonly found run-ning through grass, as this one was found outside the TEP office. It is a hunt-ing spider that will not form a web but rather hunt its prey on foot. Coloring is usually grey, brown or black but can also be found in exotic color combinations as well. FMI: www.BadSpiderBites.com

Volume 2, Issue 7August 2011

Haudenosaunee Grand Council

Tuscarora Council of Chiefs and Clanmothers

HAUDENOSAUNEE ENVIRONMENTAL TASK FORCE (HETF)

Oren Lyons, Political Co-ChairHenry Lickers, Scientific Co-Chair

David Arquette, HETF DirectorNoah Point, Assistant Director

TUSCARORA ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM (TEP)

Following the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the Haudenosaunee held a Grand Council to discuss the environmental degrada-tion of our communities. In accordance with the Great Law of Peace, the Grand Council passed and agreed, based on Haudenosaunee protocols and cultural beliefs, to establish the Haudenosaunee Environmental Task Force (HETF).

The SKARU:RĘØ MONTHLY is the official publication of the Tuscarora Environment Office. You can submit articles, artwork, photographs, editorials and letters of admiration to:

SKARU:RĘØ MONTHLYc/o: Tuscarora Environment

Upper Mountion RoadTuscarora Nation

Via: Sanborn, NY 14132Or call: #716.609.3810

Visit the TEP website at:www.tuscaroraenvironment.org

orour Facebook page

“Tuscarora Environment”

Neil Patterson Jr., DirectorRene Rickard, Office AdministratorBryan Printup, GIS/PlanningPatti Fischer, Habitat RestorationWaylon Wilson, TechnicianSchuyler Chew, InternJade Smith, PPV InternSean Brayley, Summer InternSara Merrill, Summer InternOwen Chapman, Summer InternNicolas Barcer, Summer Intern

Skaru:ręØ Monthly, August 2011

• August 8, 2011 - Evening Pad-dle on the Buffalo River, at the Buf-falo Scholastic Rowing Center, 345 Ohio Street, Buffalo, NY. From 6pm - 9pm. If you do not have your own canoe, you can pre-register and rent a kayak for $30 per person.

• August 10, 2011 - If Our Wa-ter Could Talk, Tour of Riverkeep-ers programs @ Niagara Riverkeep-ers, 1250 Niagara St., Buffalo, NY. 12pm - 1pm. A FREE tour of the Niagara Riverkeepers office. FMI: Tricia Furnari, 852.7483 x13.

• August 13, 2011 - Hanging Bog by Canoe, @ Hanging Bog parking lot, New Hudson Road, Buffalo, NY (Con-tact Beaver Meadow for directions). 9:30am - 12:00pm. Buffalo Audu-bon Society is hosting a canoe trip through a bog, a habitat like no other. The group will canoe across the shal-low impoundment at Hanging Bog to exploring the unique wildlife found only in this habitat. Bring footgear that can get wet. Canoe rental is avail-able - contact Beaver Meadow 585-457-3228, to register, to sign up or for rental information. Due to the sensi-tive nature of the habitat, this outing is limited to 15 people.

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- In This Issue -Finger Lakes Trail Recap & ReviewFriends & FamilyPoisonous Giant HogweedRabies: and the Dangers ofWhy are the Fireflies DisappearingThe Ohagi Archaeological SiteCartoon SubmissionDid You Know...

• August 13, 2011 - Wooden Stick Lacrosse Game Day, Ganondagan, Victor, NY. 1pm - 4pm, $5/general admission, $10/family. The event will feature a half-day of lacrosse-specific activities. You’ll have a chance to learn about the history of this an-cient game, meet and view demon-strations by professional league play-ers and watch a traditional wooden sticks game. Location at Dryer Road Park, in Victor, NY. FMI: www.ga-nondagan.org/programs/lacrosse.html or call 585.742.1690 or email: [email protected].

• September 3-4, 2011 - 30th Annual Festival of Iroquois Arts, Lo-cated at Iroquois Indian Museum, 324 Caverns Road, Howes Cave, NY 12092. FMI: Please call the museum at 518-296-8949 or e-mail: [email protected].

water was like a soft lullaby while drift-ing off to sleep at night. On our second day there, we gained two additional campers, Neil Patterson Jr. and Sean Brayley. With them they brought blue gill fish, bacon, and venison hot dogs.

The morning of our departure, we cooked a breakfast of pancakes, with black caps, and bacon. It was a hard good-bye from our cozy little spot near the waterfall, but we all knew there are more adventures to come.

From there we ventured to the Tusca-rora Village known as Ohagi, located in Piffird, NY., an archaeology site. There, research is being done at the site of a possible former Tuscarora village. Ar-tifacts were found there and further research is being done to unearth more evidence that Tuscarora people once set-tled there. It was a good journey over all, full of learning and exploration. Through camping trips such as these we are able to discover the history of the areas we visit and get better in touch with how our an-cestors once lived.

Left: Standing at Watkins Glen State Park, from left to right: Jodi Patterson, Paris Harper, Waylon Wilson, Amber Patterson, Sara Merrill, Schuyler Chew, Kari Lewis, Paul Williams.


2011 Finger Lakes Trail Experience

RECAP & REVIEW

At 6 am on July 13th, eight people met at the Tuscarora Environment Office to begin a 5-day backpacking journey. Our adventure, on the Finger Lakes Trail, in Schuyler County, near Watkins Glen, NY, was in preparation for the Tuscarora Mi-gration 2013, and we plan to hike this same trail in two years.

We stopped at Bare Hill on our way to the Finger Lakes Trail. Bare Hill is located in Middlesex NY, near Canandaigua Lake. When we arrived, we took about an hour hike to explore what is mostly young trees, a pond, stones, and open fields. During our hike we stopped to admire the view of Canandaigua Lake and hear Mary Jemison’s and David Cusick’s oral history about the Seneca village once lo-cated at the site.

From Bare Hill we reached the Finger Lakes Trail head, all of us carrying our full, heavy packs. We hiked about 2 miles to the first lean-to and set up camp. The forest was beautiful and the lean-to was newly built. We all set up our sleeping quarters and then began to cook supper over an open fire. We whittled sharp sticks from branches to spear hot dogs for roasting, with onions, bell peppers

By Sara Merrill and lentils on the side. For the rest of the evening we relaxed, conversed, and laughed.

The following morning we woke to the sound of many species of birds singing and the sunlight shining through the trees. After a filling breakfast of oatmeal, rai-sins, and nuts, we packed up and headed for the trail. We continued onto Sugar Hill Recreation Area, where we settled camp for the night. Sugar Hill Forest is a part of the Six Nation Recreation Trail System. In the 1930s, the people of New York State purchased the land for tim-ber production, watershed protection, recreational use, and wildlife habitat. The area was used as a site for Civilian Conservation Corps projects.

The next morning we departed from Sugar Hill and hiked four miles where we camped at Van Zandt Hollow near a wa-terfall. We decided to settle for the next two nights and swim in the stream, explore the area and enjoyed the sur-rounding area. Many of us decided to sleep outside under the stars, while at our camp near the stream. The sound

Above: A wooden sign standing by a three-way intersection near Sugar Hill Fire Tower

FRIENDS FAMILY&Skaru:ręØ Monthly, August 2011

Above: William Farnham at home on Moyer Road, on the west side of the Tuscarora Na-tion. Courtesy of Farnham family.

Below: A lacrosse game in the Old Gym, Tuscarora. Courtesy of D. Holler.

Right: 1904. Mildred Printup and Moses Printup Jr., the chil-dren of Moses and Laura Print-up Sr. Courtesy of A. DeRossa.

By Paris Harper & Patti Fischer

Giant Hogweed

POIS

ONOU

S

Lately there have been more local, frequent findings of the plant known as Giant Hogweed. The concern over this plant is its ability to cause phytophoto-dermatitis: when skin comes in contact with the sap combined with moisture (like sweat) and uv light (sunlight), burning and blistering occur. If you come into contact with Giant Hogweed,

wash area immediately with soap and water. If symptoms of irritation begin to appear, seek medical attention. Early treatment with topical steroids can re-duce the severity of a reaction.

How is this noxious weed spread? It can be spread by animals, rain surface runoff, wind or the transfer of soil.

How can it be controlled? The most effective method is to pull the plant before flowering appears to prevent further germination. Be sure to protect yourself when doing this by covering any exposed skin.

Identifying Poisonous Weeds: Identifying giant hogweed correctly is important as there are several very similar species that inhabit the same ar-eas. The most commonly misidentified plant is cow parsnip, which is related to giant hogweed but not as treacherous. Other commonly misidentified plants are wild parsnip and poison hemlock. However, none of these plants have the white umbrella shaped flower clus-ters or enormous,-incised leaves of the giant hogweed. Keep in mind that gi-ant hogweed does not produce flowers until it is a few years old, which means that identification can be more difficult. Other look-alikes not pictured are the Water Hemlock which is deadly poison-ous if ingested and Angelica which is not poisonous at all but is good to learn the difference.

The following websites provide more information on identifying and managing these palnts: http://www.unce.unr.edu/publica-tions/files/nr/2004/FS0409.pdf

http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/ghfactnyseagrant.pdf

http://www.massnrc.org/pests/pest-FAQsheets/hogweed/giant_hogweed_photos.htm


Identifying Harmful Plants...Giant Hogweed - Heracleum mante gazzianum, commonly known as Giant Hogweed, is an invasive species slowly and steadily colonizing the Northern United States. However, more than just being an obnoxious weed, the giant hogweed is armed in its invasion with a poisonous sap that when combined with moisture (sweat) and uv rays (sunlight) will severely blister, burn, and may even blind its victims.

Height: 15-20 ft high Stem: 1 -3 in. dia., purple blotches, stiff bristles

Leaf: Compound, lobed, deeply Incised; up to 5 ft wide

White flowers, flat-topped, umbrella, up to 2.5 ft. dia.

Cow Parsnip - Heracleum maximum, commonly known as Cow Parsnip, is sometimes confused with Giant Hogweed. This plant, however is smaller overall and has finer hairs that give the plant a fuzzy appearance. Cow Parsnip sap can also cause phytophotodermatitis so care should be taken when handling this plant. Cow Parsnip can be found in a variety of habitats throughout North America.

Height: 5-8 ft high 1”-2” dia. Ridged, green to slightly Purple, fine hairs, fuzzy

Leaf: Compound, less in-cised, 2-2 ½ feet across, fuzzy hairs

Whitish flower clusters no larger than 1 foot across

Wild Parsnip – (Pastinaca sativa) Like Giant Hogweed, wild parsnip sap can cause phytophotodermatitis. Although the burns and blistering may not be as severe, skin discoloration may still last several months. Effective control measures is early detection and eradication by cutting the entire root just below ground level or pull the plant by hand (gloved of course) in wet conditions. Wild Parsnip is found in open fields and roadways.

Height: Up to 5 ft high Stem: Yellowish-green with vertical grooves running full length

Leaf: Compound, pinnate, 5-15 toothed, variably lobed, yellowish-green

Single flower stalk with flat-topped umbel of clustered yellow flowers

Poison Hemlock – (Conium maculatum) Poison hemlock is also contains a phototoxin which causes rash and burning to the skin of humans, whereas livestock are more commonly poisoned by eating the leaves and stems. Poison hemlock should be hand pulled for best control management.

Height – 4-9 feet Stem: Smooth and hair-less, waxy green, some purple splotches, 1-2” dia.

Leaf: Fern-like, bright, almost glossy, Green

Flower: All branches have small flat-topped clusters of small white flowers

and wide fluctuations in temperature, pulse, and blood pressure are also common. Muscle spasms in the face, neck or diaphragm, followed by seizures, often happen along with convulsions; causing a very slow and painful backwards bend in the spine, eventually snapping the spinal chord in half.

If you have been bitten by an ani-mal, whether you are able to catch the animal or not, assume that the animal was infected. Wash out the area with soap and water and seek medical attention. You will be started on a series of Post Ex-posure Prophylaxis (PEP)vaccina-tions while tests are done to verify if you have rabies. Being vaccinated with PEP will help the immune system destroy the disease in its early stages, making recovery more likely. Treatment will stop if it is confirmed that you do not have ra-bies. Rabies is a very serious, life-threatening disease; be sure to take all precautions.


Rabies is a viral infection that affects the Central Nervous System (CNS) of any mammal. It is nearly always deadly if not treated immediately. The rabies virus is transmitted through saliva from an animal bite. After exposure, the incubation period is the only time rabies can be prevented, which is by receiving a series of vaccinations. Once symptoms of rabies appear, it is already too late for treatment.

Rabies: and the DANGERS of...By Jade Smith

Rabies symptoms in animals include:• No fear of humans shown by a wild

animal• Excessive drooling• An animal that is normally active at

night (i.e. bats, raccoons, and skunks) will be active during the day

• Shyness in a usually friendly animal• Excitability, restlessness, aggression,

or sudden mood changes• Eating substances not normally eaten• Partial or complete paralysis (some-

times the only symptom)

Rabies symptoms in humans include:• Pain, burning, tingling, itching, or

numbness at site of the bite• Fever, cough and/or sore throat• Abdominal pain• Anxiety or agitation• Muscle spasms and convulsions

Be sure to have your pets vaccinated for rabies, especially if they are at high risk of interacting with wild animals.

As the disease progresses, humans ex-perience more severe symptoms: bouts of anxiety, delirium, insomnia, hallu-cinations, hydrophobia (fear of water)

Why are the Fi ref l ies DisappearingBy Nicolas Barcer

Other ways to help fireflies include avoid use of pesticides, using natu-ral fertilizers, not over-mowing your lawn, plant trees, and introduce earthworms as a food source for fire-fly larvae. By changing a couple of outdoor activities in our daily lives and yard we can make a difference for the fireflies.

For more information on fireflies visit www.firefly.org

Scientists do not know for sure but they believe that light pollution is kill-ing the fireflies (Lampyridae). They like to live near water like a river or a pond, but due to boat traffic, they have a hard time surviving in a disrupted habitat. The fireflies use their lights to speak as well as to attract mates. Scien-tists hypothisize that the artificial lights from cars, houses and major cities inhibit fireflies from mating. The lights from humans sometimes look like a firefly lighting up, because of that they don’t mate so there are less fireflies born every year. If nothing is done to stop this, they will likely become extinct very soon.

And How Can We He lp?There are a few things we humans can do to help the fireflies live and reproduce. Turn off your outside lights at night as human light pol-lution can disrupt their mating. Let logs and leaf litter accumulate in your yard as fireflies prefer to lay eggs in rotten logs or the leaf litter that accumulates on the for-est floor. You can also create wa-ter features in your yard as they like to live near calm water. You can put a small pond in your yar. A pool with chemicals will not help at all because fireflies rely on bugs from waterways, which will die in chemicals.


This summer an archaeological team led by Beth Ryan, a graduate student in the Cornell University department of Anthropology, will be excavating a Tuscarora village site referred to in historical documents as Ohagi. Some documents refer to Ohagi as a town that was destroyed during the 1779 Clinton-Sullivan campaign, and this misconception is reflected on the state historic marker at the site. However, Ryan’s docu-mentary research has shown that Ohagi wasn’t settled until after the Revolutionary War, and that it was occupied well through the 1790s. Ryan has also learned that Ohagi was home to approximately 208 people living in 26 houses, and in the early 1790s the chief of the town was a man called Agstigwolsele, or Drawn Sword.

By engaging in an archaeologi-cal investigation of domestic ar-eas and houselots of Ohagi, Ryan hopes to shed more light on the daily lives of the residents of this town during this incompletely un-derstood period of Haudenosaunee history. There is a significant gap in the existing literature concern-ing this era, and most historical papers describe Haudenosaunee villages in the post-Revolutionary

The Ohagi Archaeological SiteBy Paris Harper area as demoral-

ized and defeated, overwhelmed by depression and al-coholism, with lit-tle hope for cultural renewal.

Sometimes in aca-demic writing, one person’s work is cited so often that it seems to become fact rather than just one person’s analysis, and no one thinks to criti-cally reexamine the original source. Such is the case for Anthony F.C. Wal-lace’s Death and Rebirth of the Seneca, published in 1969. In this work, Wal-lace describes small post-Revolution Indian towns like Ohagi as “slums in the wilderness, where no traditional Indian culture could long survive and where only the least useful aspects of white culture could easily pene-trate.” Wallace goes on to say that the Haudenosaunee of this era suffered, “a loss of confidence in their own way of life, a lessening of respect for themselves, which resulted from their confrontation with the white man’s civilization…they experienced the di-lemma that all underdeveloped soci-eties suffer: how to imitate superior alien customs while reasserting the integrity of the ancient way of life.”*

Beth Ryan has spent two years re-searching post-Revolutionary Hauden-osaunee communities; her interest lies in this particular era of Haudenosaunee history because she believes that the reality was much more complicated than Wallace described. Ryan hopes to demonstrate through her research that communities like Ohagi were actively adapting to life after the Revolution-ary War and that these communities responded to settler colonialism and post-war social change with many var-ied strategies. Ryan also hopes to show that these small communities were not suffering from cultural isolation, but continued to be connected to each other throughout the era.

For more information, or to ask about how you can visit the Ohagi site, con-tact the TEP office.

Left: Objects found at the site of Ohagi: a lock-plate, a manufactuered thimble, and a brass button

Above: Screening dirt at the site of Ohagi

*Wallace, Anthony F.C. (1969).

The Death and Rebirth of the

Seneca. New York: Vintage

Books, A Division of Random

House, 1972).

Tuscarora Environment Office2045 Upper Mountain RoadTuscarora NationVia: Sanborn, NY 14132

Skaru:ręØ Resident

Did You Know ...?

Although the American Crow often mobs the Red-shoul-dered Hawk, sometimes the two species team up to attack a Great-horned Owl.

2.

4.There is a large population of mink living in Western New York. However, this weasel-like animal is rarely seen be-cause it only emerges from its den at night and it constantly relocates its nesting place.

3. Fireflies can flash in three dif-ferent colors: yellow-green, dark green or amber-colored. Fireflies use their flashes to communicate by varying the length, number and intervals between flashes.

1. In 17th century Europe, owning a spotted horse was quite a fash-ionable fad until it faded out; in which the abundance of horses were shipped to America where they became popular with Native Americans. Now the U.S. is home to the greatest number of Pinto horses in the world.

If you have a cartoon that you would like to submit to our newsletter please send submissions to the TEP office

either by mailbox, email, Facebook or via our website. Nya:we.

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