National Day of Action
Ernest Kaientaronkwen Benedict
Briefing Notes of Ernest Kaientaronkwen Benedict
There was, in Cornwall, about fifty years ago, a keeper of records and documents…a Dr. Phillips, who shared a bit of history with some old-timers in Kanatakon (St. Regis Village) about how the non-Native settlements began around Akwesasne.
This was the story, as near as I can remember it…luckily I found parts of the story in the form of printed history.
……Think about a time when England had colonies just south of Akwesasne, which later became the United States of America including New York State…
There was a time when there were many European families living in the Mohawk Valley, which is now part of central New York State.
Sir William Johnson was the Indian Agent for the King of England.
They say that Sir William Johnson got along well with the Mohawks, and that he did many great things in his life, some of which were very helpful to the Mohawks and to the Haudenosaunee Confederacy…and some of his good diplomatic work is still important to Mohawk and Haudenosaunee rights today.
But Sir William Johnson died in 1774, at a Grand Council Meeting at Johnson Hall and his son John Johnson was chosen to take over his place as the Indian Agent.
A rebellion was building in the colonies against England. The Mohawks remained faithful to the Peace treaties that they had made with the British and warned John Johnson and his people that the rebels were on their way to arrest Sir John.
Sir John Johnson acted quickly and gathered a party of more than a hundred men and got a lucky start through the middle of the Adirondack Mountains, with the rebels only a few hours behind them. Johnson left his wife and child behind and they were captured by the rebels and taken to New York City.
In the months of June and July, Johnson’s refugees carried the little stores of personal goods and food, that they could gather, travelling lightly in the flight away from the Mohawk Valley. Mohawks acted as guides and as rear guard as they made their way through difficult terrain and steep passages.
They ran short of food. A small group of Mohawk teenagers ran on ahead following the old Indian paths along the Racquette River to Akwesasne (St. Regis the missionaries called it). Here they called out the news of Johnson’s people and their desperate and needy situation. Johnson and his contingent were hungry, injured and in poor condition.
The people of Akwesasne rallied. Akwesasne women and men gathered dried fish, corn and other provisions and loaded their pack baskets to make the trip to look for the Johnson people.
When they found them south of Potsdam New York, they feed them, bandaged the injured travellers and made stretchers to carry those who couldn’t walk.
These early refugees were brought down the Racquette River to Kanatakon, the tiny Akwesasne village, where they were taken care of until they could be ferried across the St. Lawrence to the North Shore across from Kawehnoke (Cornwall Island). The refugees named the village that they built, “New Johnstown” and it later was renamed Cornwall and it is known by that name today.
After the war ended, Sir John Johnson sought to repay his military men by giving them land. The lands he chose to give were the Akwesasne lands at New Johnstown. Other lands that he gave to friends and his men included those which are part of the Nuttfield Tract and the North Shore of the St. Lawrence River which was the aboriginal territory of the Mohawks of Akwesasne.
Akwesasne leaders protested and Sir John Johnson challenged our title asking our ancestors to “Show them our ownership papers!”
The Creator did not give Akwesasne people any title documents to the land, yet the lands are Akwesasne lands that were owned and occupied by our people since time immemorial.
Akwesasne will pursue their claims for our lands through every available means.
This is what I need to say today.
I ask that those of you who teach my Grandchildren and Great grandchildren the history of Canada or of this region….
Where is it mentioned in your books…that right here…there was an event of great historical importance…that it gave Cornwall its birth? …And this accomplished by the forefathers of the people of Akwesasne, who are still your neighbours today.
