The Cuyahoga River: Flowing Through Time

As you make your way through this part of the  exhibit, ask yourself these questions:

What role did the Cuyahoga River play in the lives of Native Americans and Early Settlers?

Can you name some positive and negative consequences of the Native Americans and Early Settlers in the Cuyahoga River Valley?

The Cuyahoga River, an Iroquios word meaning "crooked river," was formed approximately 13,000 years ago and is considered a fairly young glacial river even though it flowed through an ancient valley.  Archelogists recently uncovered a four acre settlement called South Park.  It was once inhabited by indigenous people and contains evidence of communal structures, hunting and agriculture.  The area was abandoned and reoccupied many times between 1000 and 1600 AD. The last evidence of Native American habitation was dated around 1620, or 40 years before the first Eurpeans came to the valley.  There are many theories as to how or why these indigenous peoples left the area, but there is no conclusive evidence to prove these theories. 

What do you think happened to them?  Why might they have left?

After the disappearance of these people, the Ottowas began to settle along Lake Erie.  They used the river primarily to fish for food, hunt big game, and build canoes for transportation. The Native Americans respected Nature and the natural resources it provided for them. The Ottowas were met by the first Europeans in the Cuyahoga River Valley. This is when the river's inculpability is compromised. 

What happens to the river when the Europeans move in?