As the Wisconson Glacier slowly receeded from North America the Native Americans slowly migrated north over a period of thousands of years bringing with them a wonderful food seed that they carried from the south. Corn!

The Esopus Indians had a wide range of natural foods to eat all year long. Contrary to belief, they did not migrate to warmer areas during the winter months but stayed in a permenant village with many supplies stored. During the summer they grew corn crops which they ground to corn flour{maize} and pole beans. With this they grew and harvested pumpkins in the fall which is indiginous to America. Fish, mussels and crabs and turtles were taken fron the creek and the Hudson river. They may have hunted an ocassional black bear but normally the bears stayed on higher ground and the ridges. During the winter months they hunted deer, turkey and other game birds, rabbits and squirrels.

Food and water were plenty in the virgin Americas. The Indians lived a simple and prosperous life but their culture was complex and not primative at all. A gentle people they only took what they needed from the land and no way resembled a description of cruel, bloodthirsty savages.