Talk:Schaghticoke (village), New York

Name of town and tribe
Which came first? In other words, was it the town or the tribe that was named "Schaghticoke" first? The intro paragraph is contradictory, so it needs to be fixed. BWH76 (talk) 07:12, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

It was the tribe and area that came first…….. "Wampanoags,Naraganests,Sokokis,Nipmucs and others were sent for by Andross and offered his protection from New England vengeance if they would come join the Mohicans in at a sanctuary he had set aside 10 miles North of Troy New York in New York This they decided to do. It is stated in history that this mixed group of Native Tribes "took its name from the site and became the Scatakooks"

We do have a definition for Scaghtakook which is a Pequot word meaning "Where Two Streams Converge"*** as is stated in Historical documents. Another history states this name was "taken from the Mohican site and the Mixed Peoples living there took this name". The definition of Scatakook comes from the Pequot of Connecticut who had sub groups of Schatakooks and Mohegan. Historians are quick to separate the NY and Connecticut Scaghtikook as being completely different but it is my opinion that they are one and the same group. I share the belief with others that one group of Pequots ended up at Scaghtakook NY before Gov Andross settled the remnants of King Phillps War** there and were remnants of the First Puritan Conquest  also known as the Pequots Massacre *. They settled at the place and it is this group I believe gave the Scaghtikook name to the area. The issue of who lived in the area during the 1640-1750 time periods is complicated as well. We have Mohicans, Pequots, Abenaki, Nipmucs, Wampanoags, Naraganests, Sokokis, and a host of other New England Tribes as well.

From this point on I will take the liberty to include the area of Saratoga County and the Area from Stillwater Village across the Hudson east until present day Scaghtakook as the area of which I am writing. This is to include the Village and peoples that would become to be known as the Scatakooks. It is my opinion that these people were the dominating force in this area during the time period 1640-1750. While they paid tribute to the Mohawks they held a place in the politics of Albany and its Government. Their Sachems treated at Albany, were protected by Albany and the New York Government and the mixed tribes were brought here to join the Mohicans as a buffer to protect Albany from the North. Their presence here was significant enough to safely call this their homeland from the 1670 through their decline in 1750. It is therefore not unreasonable to give these peoples recognition as providing many of the place names in Saratoga County.

We already know that this area was Mohican and the historical documents confirm that the Mohicans did have a presence here up until 1750. So who else lived here? Governor Edmund Andross set aside land at Scatakook to create a Native Village that would create a buffer to stop raids on Albany coming down the Hudson from Canada. Governor Andross planted a symbolic peace tree at the site of the Knickerbockers Farm along the Hoosick River where it converges with the Wallomsac. He then "planted" or invited Native American Tribes to live here in peace under New York’s protection. In 1676 a large influx of Natives came at the invitation of Andross as the result of King Philips War in New England. Metacomet, called Philip by the English whose father Massasoit, sachem of the Wampanoag tribe was famous for helping the pilgrims. He brought food to sustain them through their first winter and taught hem to survive in the New World. He was repaid 56 years later. The Puritans demanded the Native People surrender their control and give up their freedom and independence. When the Wampanoags refused under Philip it resulted in "King Philips War" In 1676 Metacomet led his people in a final attempt to stop the Puritans. In 1676, the battle was over. Philip was slain, his body drawn and quartered, and his head paraded in triumph in Plymouth. Philip's son, Massasoit's grandson, was sold into slavery in Bermuda.

The remnants of Philips War which included Wampanoags,Naraganests,Sokokis,Nipmucs and others were sent for by Andross and offered his protection from New England vengeance if they would come join the Mohicans in at a sanctuary he had set aside 10 miles North of Troy New York in New York This they decided to do. It is stated in history that this mixed group of Native Tribes "took its name from the site and became the Scatakooks" This group became the dominant group in the area and at Schatikook.Estimates of refuges received at Scatakook are about one thousand natives. This clue leads one to believe the Mohicans are responsible for the Scatakook and Sarachtogue place names. Yet historical documents give alternative names attributed to the Mohicans for these places. Were there others here with the Mohicans before the influx from Philips War.? The only clue we have in historical documentation is an account of Philip in December 1675. "Philip and a band of his warriors arrived among the Mohicans north of Albany and won recruits. He found survivors there or their descendants of the the First Puritan War or what was known as the Pequot Massacre. The fact that Philip was in the area at the time was confirmed by correspondence in the Andross Papers. This gives us the possibility that the Pequots were indeed here and much earlier than 1675. In 1685 this group was joined by a group of 156 Mohicans who were enticed away from Canada to join the group now known as the Scatakook or River Indians. It is said that they were visiting relatives among the Pennacooks and returned to Scatakook. From time to time groups from the  Sacatkoook and Saratoga Area were driven away by white encroachment on their land and demands by whites for payment of debts owed. The government at Albany went to great lengths to maintain this buffer from the north and often intervened on the part of the Native People. The Albany Government often mediated disputes between settlers and Indians. They also become involved when the issue was between the Scatakooks and the Mohawks. When the Mohawks harassed the River Indians or in one case when the Mohawks kidnapped a Mohican boy from the Saratoga area the Albany Government and Andross were quick to act and demanded the Mohawks leave the Sactakooks alone.

on the Danckerts, Justus. Novi Belgii Novaeque Angliae. (New Netherland and New England.) mid-1650's the area at the convergence of the Hoosick and Hudson is marked Kahoos and not Scatakook. A study of the Kahoos and their relationship to the Scatakook village sheds further light into native lines that extended from Champlain to Connecticut.What we have is the name Kahoos on a dutch map 100 years before the Iroquois on land that was NOT Iroquois but Mohican and dominated by a mixed group with a large village at Schagticoke. These included Pennacooks,Wampanoags,Naraganests,Sokokis,Nipmucs,Mohicans and Abenakis. One band of the Abenakis that lived in the vicinity and were part of this group were the Cowasuck which were also called Cowas,Cohase or Coos,Cohass,Cohoos and Cohassic from the Abenaki word meaning "People of the White Pine". Documentation confirms that the Cohase were living here.In 1699 a group of Scatakooks wintered at the mouth of the Winoosaki River on Lake Champlain. The Albany Government became alarmed and feared they would lose the buffer at Saratoga/Schagticoke. The bigger fear was that these peoples would go over to join the French at Canada. The Governor appealed for them to return to their home. The group stated that the Onion River or Winooski was "The Place where we formerly dwelled" This confirmed when in 1703 a number of the Scatkooks wanted to go join or went over to the Mohawks. Albany became alarmed when the group informed the Albany Government that they were” Going to join there relatives the Mohawks" The reply was that when” The Group was planted at Scatakook by Governor Andross it was from the Lake Champlain area and the group was not from the Mohawks. There are two similar native place names to Cohoes or Kahoos as listed on the Dutch maps. One ws listed as Cowass(also known as Cohase or Coos) near Deerfield Mass. amd another near Newbury Vt known by the French variant of Koes and also Cowas,Cohase and Coos. This was the original home of the Cowasuck. The Cowasuck are now closley related with the Peenacook and now are known as the Cowasuck Band of the Peenacook -Abenaki People. I would like to note at this time that the Peenacook word Co Che Co means falls or Great falls.The name is broken down as follows CO (falls) CHE (great) CO (falls), thus Cocheco means 'falls and great falls'

The Native American historical account for Saratoga County and the Scatakooks has remained distorted for over 200 years. The Native presence here before 1750 has been ignored and the Iroquois myth perpetuated by historians. Even today we have historians entrenched in their own ego who, despite documentation, refuse to recognize the factual account of the Native presence here —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.248.65.237 (talk) 01:49, 8 November 2009 (UTC)