Footprints of the Red Men: Indian geographical names in the valley of Hudson's river, the valley of the Mohawk, and on the Delaware: their location and the probable meaning of some of them.Ruttenber, Edward Manning
History
Footprints of the Red Men: Indian geographical names in the valley of Hudson's river, the valley of the Mohawk, and on the Delaware: their location and the probable meaning of some of them.
Ruttenber, Edward Manning
Indians of North America -- New York (State); Names, Geographical -- New York (State); Names, Indian -- North America
Keessienwey's Hoeck, a place so called, [FN-1] has not been located. It
is presumed to have been in the vicinity of Kaniskek and to have taken
its name from the noted "chief or sachem" of the Katskill Indians called
Keessienwey, Keesiewey, Kesewig, Keeseway, etc. On the east side of the
river, south of Stockport, Kesieway's Kil is of record. Mr. Bernard
Fernow, in his translation of the Dutch text wrote, "_Keessienweyshoeck_
(Mallows Meadow Hook)," but no meadow of that character is of local
record. Kessiewey was a peace chief, or resident ruler, whose office it
was to negotiate treaties of peace for his own people, or for other clans
when requested, and in this capacity, with associates, announced himself
at Fort Orange, in 1660, as coming, "in the name of the Esopus sachems,
to ask for peace" with them. [FN-2] He was engaged in similar work in
negotiating the Esopus treaty of 1664; signed the deed for Kaniskek in
1665, and disappears of record after that date. In "History of Greene
County," he is confused with Aepjen, a peace chief of the Mahicans, and
in some records is classed as a Mahican, which he no doubt was tribally,
but not the less "a Katskil Indian." Beyond his footprints of record,
nothing is known of the noted diplomat. His name is probably from
_Keeche,_ "Chief, principal, greatest." _Keechewae,_ "He is chief." (See
Schodac.)
* * * * *
[FN-1] ". . . We have, therefore, gathered information from the
Mahicanders, who thought we knew of it, that more than fifteen days ago
some Esopus [Indians] had been at Keessienwey's Hoeck who wanted to come
up [to Fort Orange], but had been prevented until this time, and in
order to get at the truth of the matter, we have concluded to send for
two or three sachems of the Katskil Indians, especially Macsachneminanau
and Safpagood, also Keesienwey, to come hither." (Col. Hist. N. Y.,
xiii, 309.)
[FN-2] "May 24, 1660. To-day appeared [at Fort Orange] three Mahican
chiefs, namely, Eskuvius, alias Aepjen (Little Ape), Aupaumut, and
Keessienway, alias Teunis, who answered that they came in the name of
the Esopus sachems to ask for peace."
Machawameck, the south boundmark of Kaniskek, was not the name of
Barrent's Island, as stated in French's Gazetteer. It was the name of a
noted fishing place, now known as Black Rock, in the south part of
Athens. The prefix _Macha,_ is the equivalent of _Massa_ (Natick _Mogge_),
meaning "Great," and _-ameck_ is an equivalent of _-ameek_ (_-amuk,_
Del.), "Fishing-place." As the root, _-am,_ means "To take by the mouth,"
the place would seem to have been noted for fish of the smaller sort.
The Dutch called the place _Vlugt Hoek,_ "Flying corner," it is so
entered in deed. Qr. "Flying," fishing with a hook in the form of a fly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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