Relatives and friends of the late M. Paul Keesler have published the book that the late Mohawk Valley historian and outdoorsman was working on before his death. Keesler died of cancer in July 2005 at age 67.

Keesler’s posthumously published book is “Mohawk—Discovering the Valley of the Crystals.” The book is available from North Country Books at 315-735-4877 or by email at ncbooks@verizon.net

The title is based on research Keesler believes explains the origin of the word “Kanyenkehaka,” which Keesler says is what the Mohawks called themselves. They called the Mohawk Valley “Kanyenka.”

The word Mohawk is a European corruption of a rival tribe’s slur, according to Keesler.

“The Mohican Indians living in the upper Hudson Valley called their enemies, who lived in the valley to their west, 'Mohowaug’—they eat living creatures,” Keesler said in 2002.

For years, the common wisdom was that Kanyenkehaka meant “people of the flint” and Kanyenka meant the “place of the flint.”

But Keesler came to the conclusion that the Mohawks’ name for themselves meant “people of the crystals” and the name for their homeland meant “place of the crystals.”

Flint was important for making cutting edge tools and weapons but no major source of flint has been found in the Mohawk Valley. The late University at Albany anthropologist Dean Snow has pointed out that the valley is a major source of clear quartz crystals embedded in dolostone rocks. These crystals are called “Herkimer diamonds” today and there is a tourist site north of Herkimer where people look for these “diamonds.”

“Crystals were symbolically important (to American Indians) as amulets of success, health and long life,” Keesler said. “The Mohawks were the main suppliers of quartz crystals up to 1644.”

Keesler added, “Mohawks and Indians around the Northeast used these crystals as a religious item. They were found at gravesites.”

Keesler explored the 161 miles of the river from Rome to Waterford, 30 miles on foot and the rest by canoe. He also explored tributaries including the Schoharie Creek and the North and South Chuctanunda Creeks in Amsterdam.

Originally an air traffic controller for the Federal Aviation Administration, Keesler began his writing career in 1966 with a magazine article about fishing on West Canada Creek. For several years, he wrote the outdoors column for the Utica Observer Dispatch. In 1972, he founded the Mid York Sportsman magazine, which became the New York Sportsman in 1975. In 1992, he retired as editor of the magazine.

In 1999 he wrote “Kuyahoora—Discovering West Canada Valley,” describing the history and wildlife of the valley of the West Canada Creek, which flows into the Mohawk River at Herkimer. Kuyahoora was the Indian name for the creek and means “leaping waters” because of a spectacular waterfall. Keesler lived in Newport, along the creek.

Unlike some in the western Mohawk Valley, Keesler also realized the importance of the eastern Mohawk Valley. According to Keesler, Wolf Hollow, east of Cranesville, was the site of the last battle between Mohawks and their eastern rivals, the Algonquain in 1669. The Algonquain had been driven off after attacking a Mohawk settlement near today’s Fonda. The Mohawks pursued their enemy to Wolf Hollow and ambushed them.

He also researched the meaning of the word “Schoharie,” an Indian word that he found meant driftwood or flood wood. Driftwood used to collect on the Schoharie Creek where two smaller streams enter, forming a natural bridge during high water.

Keesler said, “Today there are few huge trees along the river to anchor such a log pile, and farmers who grow corn in these rich bottomlands would never tolerate a ‘schoharie.’”