The Wilmington Historical Society invites the community to their program entitled “The First Adirondackers:12,000 Years of Indigenous Peoples in the Adirondack Uplands” with authors Curt Stager and David Kanietakeron Fadden on Wednesday, August 19^th  at 7 pm at New Vida’s Summit and Spice Restaurant, located at 6394 NY Route 86, Jay, NY.  The First Adirondackers challenges the widespread, long-standing belief that the Adirondack uplands of northern New York were uninhabited before the arrival of European colonizers. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Through local indigenous traditions and supporting findings by natural science, authors David Fadden and Curt Stager expose, document, and honor the long human presence in the Adirondacks, helping not only to redefine what it means to be an Adirondacker, but also contributing to a more complete understanding of America itself.

The First Adirondackers is a cultural crossroads in which Indigenous and Western worldviews meet, both figuratively and in the personal lives of the co-authors. Together, they use their different cultural backgrounds and professional expertise to reveal the human history of the uplands, the region defined as everything situated between 1000 feet elevation and the top of Mount Marcy. Fadden, a master storyteller and renowned painter, uses traditional oral history and stunning works of art to capture the humanity and vitality of Indigenous peoples of the region. Stager, a natural science professor at Paul Smith’s College, explains in scientific terms how people are elementally linked to the land, species, and waters of the Champlain-Adirondack region through his own research on the environmental history of the region and by documenting more than three dozen locations in the uplands where ancient items of Indigenous origin have been found.

The “First Adirondackers” program, free and open to the public, is made possible, in part, by the Essex County Arts Council's Cultural Assistance Program Grant with funding provided by Essex County. Attendees are welcome to arrive early or stay late to support our local restaurant (light fare & bar). For further information, go to www.wilmingtonhistoricalsociety.org  or contact the Wilmington Historical Society at whs12997@hotmail.com or 518-420-8370.