Indian Time November 19, 1993 Page 7

Mohawk elders maintain that Akwesasne The Mohawk people continued to be pawns Membership in the Seven Nations of Hartell managed to convince the Governor had always been used as a summer hunting in the political chess game between the Canada required that the Mohawks send of Canada, Sir Guy Carleton, that the ground prior to the "founding" in 1755, and French and English, as were other natives. chiefs to attend the Grand Council in Abenakis had settled Akwesasne at the they point to the archeological sites on The historical record is quite clear about Kahnawake. Prior to the arrival of the same time as the Mohawks. (Miller various islands that go back thousands of two other migrations that happened as a Oswegatchie refugees, Akwesasne is 1976:50) He granted them permission to years as proof. result of the British northward campaign believed to have had nine chiefs operating remain, but Sir William Johnson remembered against New France in the last years of the under the system used by Kahnawake at the promise of protection he had made to Another clue comes from the Governor of Great War for Empire. As we will see, the time. In this system, the clan mothers the Mohawks during the French and Indian New France, Duquesne, who stated in a these migrations brought Christian of the Bear, Wolf, and Turtle clans chose War. At a conference held in the Mohawk letter to his superiors that the reason he Abenakis, Onondagas, Oneidas, and three chiefs, or Rotinonkwiseres (also Valley at German Flatts, Johnson told the promoted the establishment of the St. Regis Cayugas to The Land Where The Partridge known as "Longhairs") from among their Abenakis that the Mohawks mission was to encourage further Mohawk Drums. clans who would hold their positions for and Haudenosaunee migration from the life, hence the title "Life Chief." This was "..are descended from the Original British influences in the Mohawk Valley, the way chiefs had been chosen back in the Proprietors (and) ...You who were not to provide a new settlement for the The Oswegatchie Migration Mohawk Valley days. With the arrival of born in another part of the Country overcrowded Kahnawake families. other Haudenosaunee at Akwesasne, it has can claim no Title to Land but (DRCHSNY 10:301) His goal was to In 1760 another French mission known as been suggested that three more chiefs were where you were born, wherefor You strengthen the French frontier while at the Oswegatchie (located on the southern added to the Council of Life Chiefs, should not intrude, or press same time weaken Britain's hold on her banks of the St. Lawrence River at present- bringing it to a total of twelve, but there Yourselves on these people without Haudenosaunee allies. day Ogdensburg, New York) fell into appears to have been times when not all of their inclination..." (Miller 1976:51- English hands as forces under General the titles were held. 53) Although the French government's motives Jeffrey Amherst swept the St. Lawrence were_at times at odds with the motives of region. Oswegatchie had been established Some of the Abenaki finally returned to St. the French Jesuits, in this case they in 1749 by Abbe Francis Picquet, a Fire Destroys the Church Francis in 1771, but they left behind a managed to serve each other's purposes at Sulpician priest who had previously been number of families and people who had the same time as their own. The assigned to KanesatakeT This mission's In 1762 a fire destroyed the fledgling church married into the Mohawk community. Kahnawake families who moved to original purpose was to draw more and all of its records. Also lost was the (Frisch 1971:69) Akwesasne may have been seen as an Haudenosaunee away from British influence relic of Kateri Tekakwitha that enticement for Mohawks in the south to in the south, but it was quickly fortified accompanied the original settlers from Mohawk Title To Akwesasne migrate north. Since there was a great deal because of its strategic location on the St. Kahnawake. The church was quickly of communication between the two groups, Lawrence River and was henceforth known rebuilt that year. (Hough 1853:115) This The incident with the Abenaki refugees the people in the Mohawk Valley were as Fort La Presentation. (Blau, Campisi, and was also the year that the deputy caused considerable alarm for the aware that Kahnawake was overcrowded. Tooker 1978:494-495) Like the warriors superintendent of Indian Affairs, Daniel Akwesasne Mohawks, mainly because Therefore, the settlement at Akwesasne was from Kahnawake and other "French Claus, began to suspect the newly-arrived Father Gordon had not secured a land preferable. Indian" settlements along the St. Lawrence Jesuit, probably Father Antoine Gordon (a grant "title" from the French government to River, natives from this mission fought Frenchman), of trying to stir up trouble the lands on which they lived. Naturally, Some may argue, however, that if a large against the British during the Great War for against the British. It is noted that his as the ancient occupants of the territory, the scale migration from the Mohawk Valley Empire. The Oswegatchie mission began to efforts were unsuccessful in rousing the Mohawks felt that the land was not the did oeeur, it surely would have been noted disintegrate after the departure of Picquet passions of the war-weary Mohawks—if French Governor's to grant in the first with much concern by the "Mohawk in 1760; he coulcTnot envision working that was, in fact, what he was trying to place, but as evidenced by the Abenaki Baronet" William Johnson, whose main undex a British regime 4hat now controlled achieve. Father Gordon departed from incident, the lack of a documented title priority-was to assure a strong Mohawk the St. Lawrence River. Around this time Akwesasne for health reasons in 1775, posed problems with the conquering English lighting force for the English in the region some of its occupants, mostly Onondagas, leaving the mission without a resident government after the French and Indian near Albany. Akwesasne was located Oneidas, and Cayugas, moved to priest for the next ten years. War. Gordon greatly angered the Mohawk directly on the frontier ofTJew France at -Akwesasne where^they were "absorbed" chiefs on this account; they accused him of the St. Lawrence River, so if there had been into the population. More arrived when deliberately deceiving them about the land grant issue for his own personal gain. a Mohawk Valley migration to this area, it Oswegatchie was dismantled by the The Abenaki Incident had to have been very limited to escape the Americans in 1806. This is the reason why watchful eye of theTiawkish Johnson, ^m there are Deer and Snipe Clan people living In 1759, just before the British captured In retrospect, however, it's doubtful this respect, the historical record offers little in Akwesasne today, along with the Oswegatchie, British forces in the form of whether a French title would have mattered evidence to determine when and to what primary Mohawlcclans of Bear, Turtle, and Roger's Rangers raided Odanak, a pro- to the English even if the Mohawks had extent the Mohawk Valley migration Wolf. Akwesasne readily accepted the French Abenaki settlement at St. Francis presented one. "His ^lost Christian occurred, if it really did. We do know, refugees and assume ''•>" "Oswegatchie River near Pierreville, Quebec, killing half Majesty," like his counterpart in Paris, only from Duquesne's letter of July 6, 1754, that territory, which con' nds in the its population and forcing the rest of its entertained such notions when it was negotiations with Mohawk leaders did take St. Lawrence River c Gananoque inhabitants to seek refuge among fellow politically expedient. Fortunately, Sir place in Montreal and that the Mohawks River to the present •,< i of Prescott, Christian Indian settlements such as William Johnson was in just such a ntood were willing to leave the Mohawk Valley to Ontario. (Williams 19>i:; -74) Akwesasne. By 1767 the Abenaki village at when the problems with the Abenaki flared join their Kahmiwake kin at Akwesasne: Odanak was rebuilt, and the Mohawks up. urged them to return to it. The Abenakis "My negotiations with the Mohawks The Seven Nations of Canada had been ancient enemies of the Mohawks This would not be tne last time Akwesasne succeeds admirably, as you will see until they became members of the Seven Mohawks would experience great by their propositions, but they With the dissolution of Oswegatchie, Nations of Canada, and their stay in community turmoil over the size and scope cannot settle in the village of the Akwesasne assumed its membership in the Akwesasne wasn't without a degree of of our territory. Nor would it be the last Sault St. Louis, because the lands in loose alliance known as the Seven Nations tension. A white fur trader by the name of time that European superpowers would that quarter are exhausted, so that of Canada. This confederation, which held N. B. Hartell accompanied them from clash over rights to the land that was never more than thirty families belonging its own "Grand Council" in Kahnawake, Odanak, and his presence agitated the theirs to begin with. Tragically, it was a to that mission, being unable to also consisted of Algonquins, Hurons, Mohawks. A faction of Abenaki, prompted few of our own people who would become collect wherewithal to feed Nipissings, Onondagas, Cayugas, and perhaps out of business obligations to the their greatest weapons in that titanic themselves, are going to settle at Abenakis from Christian missions in the fur trader, not only began to insist that battle, and it would be our own people who Lake St. Francis, twenty leagues area. It provided them with an important they had as much right to occupy would lose the most. above Montreal, on the south side, link, both political and cultural, to the Akwesasne as the Mohawks, but began to where there are very good lands; the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, but its ties destroy Mohawk traplines in the region as Next Week: Mohawks have agreed with these to the French (who promoted the union) well as those belonging to the thirty families to go and settle their were sometimes just as strong, if not Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Both groups A Nation Divided village at this place, whither a stronger. Previous to Akwesasne's put pressure on Sir William Johnson to have The Rivalry and Intrigues of missionary will accompany them..." assumption of Oswegatchie's membership, them return to Odanak. (Frisch 1971: 67- (DRCHSNY 10:266-267) Akwesasne was considered a "branch" of 68) Captain Joseph Brant and Kahnawake. (Blanchard-1983:9-22) Colonel Lo- is Cook