Canajoharie (), also known as the "Upper Castle", was the name of one of two major towns of the

Mohawk nation The Mohawk, also known by their own name, (), are an Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous people of North America and the easternmost nation of the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois Confederacy (also known as the Five Nations or later the ...

in 1738. The community stretched for a mile and a half along the southern bank of the

Mohawk River The Mohawk River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 river in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson R ...

, from a village known as ''Dekanohage'' westward to what is now

Fort Plain, New York Fort Plain is a Village (New York), village in Montgomery County, New York, Montgomery County, New York (state), New York, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 1,930, down from 2,322 in 2010 United St ...

.Dean R. Snow and David B. Guldenzopf
"Indian Castle Church"
. Accessed August 23, 2009. The

Mohawk Upper Castle Historic District Mohawk Upper Castle Historic District is a Historic districts in the United States, historic district in Herkimer County, New York that was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993. Located south of the Mohawk River, it includes the India ...

has been designated as a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

and listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. It contains the Indian Castle Church, built in 1769 for the Mohawk by Sir William Johnson, the British Superintendent of Indian Affairs, on land donated by his consort

Molly Brant Molly Brant ( – April 16, 1796), also known as Mary Brant, Konwatsi'tsiaienni, and Degonwadonti, was a Mohawk leader in British New York and Upper Canada in the era of the American Revolution. Living in the Province of New York, she was the c ...

and her brother

Joseph Brant Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant (March 1743 – November 24, 1807) was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York and, later, Brantford, in what is today Ontario, who was closely associated with Great Britain du ...

, both leaders among the Mohawk. The site also has

archeological Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes. Archaeology ...

resources related to Iroquois history. For a time the town was the home of the notable Mohawk leaders

Hendrick Theyanoguin Hendrick Theyanoguin ( – September 8, 1755), whose name had several spelling variations, was a Mohawk leader and member of the Bear Clan. He resided at Canajoharie or the Upper Mohawk Castle in colonial New York. He was a Speaker for the M ...

(1692–1755) and the Brants. According to Joseph Brant, ''Canajoharie'' means "a kettle stuck on a pole." A modern etymology translates it as "a washed kettle" or "the pot that washes itself". It refers to swirling actions of water in a large circular pothole in the Canajoharie Creek near where it empties into the Mohawk River. The modern village of

Canajoharie, New York Canajoharie () is a town in Montgomery County, New York, United States. The population was 3,660 as of the 2020 census. Canajoharie is located south of the Mohawk River on the southern border of the county. The Erie Canal passes along the nort ...

was settled by European Americans a few miles to the east of the historic Mohawk village.Dean R. Sno
"Searching for Hendrick: Correction of a Historic Conflation"
. ''New York History'', History Cooperative, Summer 2007. Accessed August 23, 2009.

In popular culture

Referenced by

They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants, often abbreviated as TMBG, is an American alternative rock and Children's music, children's band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as ...

in their album ''

Join Us ''Join Us'' is the fifteenth studio album from the rock band They Might Be Giants, released on July 19, 2011. It is the band's first adult album in four years since '' The Else'' in 2007. Following the success of their 2009 children's album, '' ...

.'' Referenced in book, "Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone" Chapters 83 and 85 by Diana Gabaldon, 2022.

References

Former Native American populated places in New York (state) Iroquois populated places Mohawk {{NorthAm-native-stub

In popular culture

See also

References