Cohoes Falls [Kahon:ios, Mohawk for "High Falls"] is a waterfall on the Mohawk River shared by the city of Cohoes and the town of Waterford, New York. Discovered by the indigenous people, the falls are called Ga-ha-oose or Ga-ho'n'-yoos by the Mohawks, which means "High Falls." Cohoes historian Arthur Masten wrote in his 1880 history that the phrase might mean "Potholes in the River," referring to the potholes that appear in the riverbed when it is dry. However, Kanatsiohareke and Canajoharie, NY bear names with reference to this meaning in Kanien'ké:ha. In the oral and written tradition of the Haudenosaunee, the Cohoes Falls are the site where The Great Peacemaker, performed a feat of supernatural strength, convincing the Mohawk people to become the founders of the Iroquois League of Nations or Confederacy. Some historians believe the Mohawks launched the Confederacy as early as 1142 CE, though other experts report dates ranging from 1450–1650.
Celebrated by 18th-century travelers in letters and journals, the Cohoes Falls, also called The Great Falls of the Mohawk, were regarded as the second-most beautiful cataract in New York State after Niagara.