The Connecticut River Valley in Massachusetts was first the homeland of Native American peoples.  To the Pocumtucks in the area now known as Deerfield, Mount Sugarloaf was the head of  Amiskw, a giant beaver, and the Pocumtuck Range (not visible in this postcard) was his body.  A creation story tells that Amiskw built his lodge and dam across the river, causing it to flood peoples’ farmlands.  When the beaver refused to cooperate with them, the people asked a super-human- Obbamakwa, “The Shaper”, to interevene.  Amiskw and Obbamakwa fought and the beaver was killed when Obbamakwa broke his neck with a club.  The Poucmtucks believe that Amiskw then turned to stone and remains to remind peope of the evilness of greed.