In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, we are proud to announce the completion of our preserve-wide kiosk sign update –a project that has been in progress for over a year. Driven by our desire to include MHLC's Indigenous Land Acknowledgment on the signage at our preserves, MHLC applied for a Stewardship and Resource Management Grant from the Land Trust Alliance to fund the project. Funds were awarded in 2023, and work began to create new signage for 21 of MHLC's preserves. (Note: The Noonan Preserve, located off the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail, is the only MHLC Preserve without a typical kiosk structure.) 

The statement, prominently featured below our logo on each sign, reads:  

"MHLC's commitment to preserving these natural resources honors the legacy of the Mohican and Mohawk peoples as the stewards who nurtured this land since time immemorial. We honor and respect their care of the natural world and commit our efforts to making these lands a more inclusive and equitable environment for all." 

Since establishing an Indigenous Land Acknowledgment for the organization in November 2021, MHLC strives to take meaningful actions to support it. The idea of updating the kiosk signs had been set in motion by the replacement of the Wolf Creek Falls Preserve and Bozen Kill Preserve kiosk signs in 2022, a project initiated and funded by Suzette Tanis-Plant to highlight the rich Native American history in the area surrounding the Bozen Kill. (Suzette Tanis-Plant is the daughter of Doris and Henri Plant, who helped MHLC acquire the Bozen Kill Preserve in 2014.)  

While some preserves have a documented history limited to more recent property owners and only a general knowledge of the past, others have a specific record of Indigenous presence on the land. Fox Preserve and Mosher Marsh are two examples. 

The kiosk sign at Fox Preserve in Colonie includes: 

It was the Mohawk people who first farmed this land, planting crops along the fertile flood plains and naming the area “Canastagione,” which roughly translates to “where corn is grown.” Over time, this word was mispronounced by European settlers and became “Niskayuna.” 

At Mosher Marsh Preserve in Amsterdam, the kiosk features a note on early settlement: 

“This area is the original home of the Mohawk and Mohican communities. Wetlands like these were prime trapping grounds for beaver, a species revered by Native Americans, for food, fur, and bartering. As colonists settled the area, the demand for beaver grew dramatically, resulting in over-trapping across the country that nearly led to the animals’ extinction. Beaver were reintroduced to the US starting in the Adirondack Park in 1905. A small beaver family resides on this wetland today as a result of careful efforts to bring the species back on the landscape.” 

We encourage preserve visitors to take the time to read the kiosk signs and reflect on the history of the land and the stories of those who came before us.  

The kiosk sign update project was supported with funding from the New York State Conservation Partnership Program (NYSCPP) and New York's Environmental Protection Fund. The NYSCPP is administered by the Land Trust Alliance in coordination with the state Department of Environmental Conservation. MHLC is incredibly grateful to the Land Trust Alliance for supporting this important project. 

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