Chingachgook

Print Story | Email Story
James Fenimore Cooper wrote the Last of the Mohicans, as a historical document of the days of 1757. In the current debates concerning the use of the name Mohawk, it seems to have been determined that this general area was under the sphere of the Mohican Tribes. With these facts and opinions established, I now shall make my irreverent and indisputable comments as presented by my inner poet while I stop and ponder in scenic places in my Berkshires. After stopping at a favorite rest area on the causeway at Hoosic Reservoir, (a politically correct version of Cheshire Lake), my formulated thoughts were already given the O.K. by the Spirit of the Nile that dwells nearby, by a sign language of the gloved hand atop a pole at the intersection of the entrance to the area. The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail. Still quiet and peaceful and this day filled with the Nordic style skiers of pleasance, They eat cookies and drink hot chocolate rather than feed gasoline to roaring engines and guzzle cans of beer. I was provided a peaceful atmosphere in which to compose these absurdities. The long names associated with the indigenous Americans who dwelt nearby proves that they were brought up in auras of extensive language classes and spelling bees. A great noble warrior and hunter had a proficient command of language, such as "Chingachgook" (the good guy) and the bad guys had short names like "Magua" (the evil one). Berkshires is an English name, but Massachusetts, (Massatusetts) to a Yorker or Nutmegger, is a derivative of the name of the land of the Massaquoi. The spirit of "Supercallafragilisticexpialidocious" (Mary Poppins) dwelt in these early inhabitants.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

MCLA Announces Four Finalists for Next President

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts announced four finalists for the position of president, following a national search. 
 
The finalists were selected by the MCLA Presidential Search Committee and will participate in on-campus visits scheduled for the weeks of April 6 and April 13.
 
The successful candidate will replace President James Birge, who is retiring at the end of the term. 
 
The four finalists are David Jenemann, Michael J. Middleton, Sherri Givens Mylott, and Diana L. Rogers-Adkinson.
 

David Jenemann
David Jenemann is dean of the Patrick Leahy Honors College and professor of English and film and television studies at the University of Vermont, where he oversees recruitment, retention, curricular innovation, and advancement for an interdisciplinary college serving undergraduates from across the university, including UVM's campuswide Office of Fellowships, Opportunities, and Undergraduate Research. 
 
An internationally recognized scholar, he has published three books and numerous articles, with research spanning intellectual and cultural history, mass media, and the intersection of sports and society.
He holds a doctor of philosophy from the University of Minnesota and completed the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
 
 
View Full Story

More North Adams Stories