Page 6 Indian Time December 10, 1993 "| Dark Days for Akwesasne large force of Kahnawake Mohawks and ammunition being stored in paddled across the St. Lawrence to join Kahnawake. An old Mohawk woman was state of New York, done in As if events of this era of Akwesasne forces with the British Lachine Brigade. looking for a lost cow that morning and saw duplicate one copy to be kept by our history weren't bad enough, the Rumors had been circulating that the the Patriotes advancing on the road from chiefs, and one copy to be delivered impoverished condition of the Mohawks Patriotes were planning to captured the Chateauguay; she hurried back to the village to the governor of the state of New made them an ideal target for the scourge arms and ammunition stores of the in time to warn 40 men gathered at the St. York." of imported disease. Poor weather Hudson's Bay Company at Lachine where John the Baptist Chapel. They armed conditions in 1813 and 1816 caused famine many Mohawks were employed, but the themselves with muskets and prepared an This document \vus signed by sixty natives, in various parts of the world, and attack never materialized. An eyewitness ambush for the Patriotes. When the would- probably family members of the "Chief Akwesasne was not spared the deadly described the sight of the Mohawks as they be attackers neared the village, they were Warriors." With legal recognition from the effects of hunger. Small pox, the dreadful approached Lachine: confronted by the Mohawks and state of New York, this faction of disease that killed off scores of our immediately surrendered. The Mohawks Akwesasne Mohawks were then in a ancestors, made a return appearance in the "What a cheering sight it was there. turned them over to the British authorities position to sell 840 acres of land south of spring of 1829 and claimed a number of The river was literally covered with in Montreal and were alarmed when the village of Hogansburg, which they lives before the British government ordered canoes; every warrior in informed that the leaders of the promptly did. In time the mile square in a community-wide immunization. In 1832 Caughnawaga was crossing to join Chateauguay Patriotes were to be executed Massena, and the meadows leading to it, Asiatic cholera and typhus fever broke out, the Lachine Brigade. A cheer of for treason. They wrote a letter to the were also sold off by this group. (The mile killing at least 134 of the 500 victims. The welcome from the little band of British, appealing for their lives: square in Fort Covington had been sold off fear of these diseases drove family members volunteers greeted the arrival of the by the Trustees in 1816.) to abandon their homes, leaving the sick to Indian warriors, and their wild war "They did us no harm. They did not perish unattended. One family in particular whoop in response was a sound, a shed the blood of our brethren. Relations between Akwesasne and lost all but one of its eleven members. The sight and a scene the likes of which Why shed theirs? The services Kahnawake were strained by these new panic spread to neighboring towns, and for will never be heard or seen again in which we rendered His Majesty and land sales and by the refusal of American a brief time a quarantine was imposed to this province." (Blanchard those which we will not hesitate to authorities to pay anyone but the American stop the spread _pf disease, consisting 1980:316-318) render in the future, give us the hope Mohawks the annuities of the Seven mostly of a volunteer guard on the road to that our prayer will find its way to Nations of Canada Treaty of 1796. Hogansburg. In Akwesasne, however, dissent was the heart of Your Excellency." Payment was enventually resumed, but only brewing about what side the Mohawks after considerable lobbying by the Cholera swept Akwesasne once again in should support. Because of their close This had little effect on the British, who Kahnawake Mohawks and their allies on 1849, killing 29. It was followed in the proximity to the British in Cornwall, most went ahead with the hangings anyway to the Canadian side of Akwesasne. The legal same year by another outbreak of small pox of the chiefs wanted to support the Crown. intimidate the Patriotes who still had some wrangling over the annuities marks a low that claimed 30 of the 500 afflicted. Torakaron, or Joseph Tarbell, the same fight left in them. With the threat of future point in the history of the Seven Nations Typhus fever raged once again in the Mohawk chief who went to Europe to meet Patriote assaults on their village still Confederacy. It also marked the emergence summer of the following year. The ravages the King of France and the pope in 1826, hanging over them, the Kahnawake of a new political entity on the of these diseases left the survivors in a strongly supported the Patriotes because of Mohawks joined the Lachine Brigade in an Haudenosaunee stage: the American Tribe weakened and fearful state, to say the least. their close association with the Roman assault on Chateauguay to rout the last of of St. Regis Indians, an entity which (Hough 1853:167-168) Catholics of Quebec. Captain George the Patriotes, but the rebels fled by the time survives to this day, albeit under a different Phillpotts of the Royal Engineers reported the Kahnawake/Lachine forces arrived. name. to Sir John Colborne, the man in charge of The angry Lachine Brigade began to burn The Mohawks and the Patriote Rebellion suppressing the rebellion, that the deposed homes, piljage, and attack innocent people, Initial research in this era suggests that the Torakaron had made an impassioned but it was the Mohawks who were initially life chief council at Akwesasne was just as Although the Mohawks of Akwesasne and speech in support of Papineau and blamed for the atrocities. Finally, as thanks split by the international border as the rest other communities steadfastly maintained declared: for their help in putting down the rebellion, of the community. The Tarbell family had their independence from their non-native the British offered to make the Mohawks of been dominant in Akwesasne politics since neighbors, we have seen that political "Papineau is righting for the liberty Kahnawake full British citizens with the the start of the mission in the 1750's; this upheavals among the non-natives often of the Roman Catholics and the right to vote, but they settled for the prominence continued on the American side spread over to the Mohawks. One such King is fighting against it—that he building of a school instead. (Blanchard well into modern times. In time the incident was the Patriote Rebellion of the (would) join Papineau, and the first 1980:318-322) Canadian faction would raise up new life late 1830's. Both Akwesasne and use he (would) make of his chiefs to take the place of the breakaway Kahnawake were drawn into this conflict protection (would) be to shoot the Americans. This Canada-based Council of between the dominant British government old fool, his head chief." Snakes tor Allies Life Chiefs would derive its authority from and the increasingly militant French tradition, but it held no real membership in nationalists of Quebec. Another Mohawk agreed with him, saying Akwesasne's fighting men returned to their any confederation or league and very little is he felt homes after the war and resumed the known about it today. When the British conquered New France in farming and hunting that they left behind, 1759, they agreed to allow the French "strong in the cause of Papineau, as confident that their assistance to the Canadians to maintain their own language, did all the other warriors except the residents of nearby Cornwall had earned A Mohdtvk Meets the Pope schools, court system, and religion. By chiefs, who were sworn slaves to the them their respect. The French serpent's 1822, however, the British decided to unify King." rebellion had been put down and the The early nineteenth century brought con Upper and Lower Canada (Ontario and wounded creature was licking its wounds artists out of the woodwork to take Quebec) and have one parliament pass Phillpotts also noted rumors that once again, far from dead but definitely out advantage of native communities, and laws governing them in the English language. Torakaron had threatened to blow up of action for some time to come. Akwesasne was no exception. In 1826, This angered a man named Louis Joseph government ammunition stores at Chief Joseph Tarbell, or Torakaron, Papineau, who led the fight to protect the Akwesasne. The victorious English serpent, not accompanied a young Frenchman named rights of the French as specified under the uncharacteristically, quickly forgot the Fovel to Europe for a meeting with King Articles of Capitulation. The people who Phillpotts' fears were unfounded: the promises made to its native allies. In the Charles X of France, where he so impressed joined his movement came to be known as Mohawks supported the British forces coming decades it would give birth to a the monarch that he was given Les Patriotes. with food and loaned them a ceremonial new serpent, the nation of Canada, and three paintings of Christian saints, a large field cannon left over from the War of slither back to its place of origin, confident sum of money, and other gifts. ,They then Tensions began to mount in 1832 when 1812. In November of 1838 a force of 50 that its child would protect its inheritance proceeded to Rome for an interview with British troops fired into a crowd at an Akwesasne men joined British forces from with honor. Unfortunate for Britain's native Pope Leo XII, who was similarly impressed election in Montreal, killing three men. The the Cornwall area in a campaign against allies, the new serpent, like its American and gave Torakaron a set of books, a outraged Patriotes responded by drafting a the rebels camped at Baker's Farm on the older brother, ignored the treaties made by rosary of jewels, a silver plate, quantities of formal protest and demanded a more Chateauguay River near Ste. Martine, but its parent and betrayed her allies with gold, and other valuables. When Fovel and democratic government that respected their war cries caused the Patriotes to impunity. This ensured that the Mohawks Torakaron returned to America in 1828, French cultural sovereignty. Meanwhile, abandon their position before the combined and Haudenosaunee within Canada's Fovel absconded with most of the they began to gather like-minded forces force of Mohawks, Stormont Highlanders, borders would have to carve out a new valuables, leaving Torakaron penniless in together under the name Sons of Liberty for and Huntingdon Volunteers arrived to do peace and a new relationship in the New York City with only the paintings and open rebellion against the British. battle. (Senior 1984:135-144) generations to come. rosary to show for his troubles. (Hough 1853:166) One of the paintings, that of In December of 1837, after a couple of A few days earlier, 64 Patriotes armed with Next Week: Saint Regis, can still be seen at the Catholic battles between the Patriote rebels and pikes, dubs, and sticks left the village of Church today. British forces at St. Denis and St. Charles, a Chateauguay with plans to capture arms The Civil War and Other Near Conflicts (y) @) (y) (y) (y)

Kanonhkwa'tsher?:io (MCA SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT & HEALTH DEPARTMENT) Programs

Akwesasne Medical Clinic 575-2020 Social Development & Health Admin. 575-2341 Community Counselling Program 575-1175 St. Regis Drug & Alcohol Division 575-1163 Optometry 575-1158 Mohawk Council Ambulance Unit 575-2161 lakhihsohtha-Home for the Elderly 575-2507 Community Health Representatives 575-2411 Ion kwa nonhsa setsi Adolescent Home 932-5050 Akwesasne Dental Clinic 575-1157 le thi nis ten:ha Violence Shelter 937-4322 Community Health Nurses 575-2570 O non kwa son a Pharmacy 575-1160 Home Support 575-2009 Akwesasne Child Care Program 575-1161 Home Care 575-2716 Kanatakon Child Care Centre 575-1162 Akwesasne Child & Family Services 575-2015 Tsi snaihne Child Care Centre 575-1171 Social Community Services 575-2280 Kawehnoke Child Care Centre 938-5067