Footnotes
58. Ibid., 113
59. Ibid., 120
60. Ibid., 112
61. Ibid., 135
62. Ibid., 163
The Great Epic Continues in
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IV.
The Great Peace Crumbles
Another grand council was to be held at Onontaka to
keep all the warriors in line. Just then another pestilence hit. The Onontaka haka royaner sent a message
through the Oneota haka saying:
“We have lost from our
town ninety members, including three royaner. We, the remaining Onontaka inform our brothers
that there is no longer a council fire at the capital of the Rotinonshonni. However, we are determined to use our
feeble endeavors to support peace through the confederate nations, but
let this be kept in mind that the central fire is extinguished and can
no longer burn.”58
With
the central fire out, the war chiefs would now resume control over
confederacy matters.
Butler,
soon after, called for another council at Onakara.
When the Sonontowa haka warriors arrived they were
told. “Go to the storehouse and take anything that you want. There are
barrels of rum waiting for you there.”
The
Sonontowa haka women had come along with their men
believing that it was a trick to get them to fight, but it was to no
avail. Just then a ship docked with every present imaginable, thousands
of beads and trinkets that the women valued. Brant at the same time was
telling the Sonontowa haka and the others. “We must
fight for the English. Look at everything they have to offer. We cannot
lose.”59
At
the same time, the colonists’ missionary to the Oneota haka,
Samuel Kirkland, who had a long standing policy against the use of the
mind changer, told the Oneota haka warriors. “There are two barrels of rum; go help
yourselves as there will be more where that came from.”60
Soon
after, Brant and his Sonontowa haka warriors
were taking up the hatchet and fighting the Americans at
As
the Americans approached, Brant and the others began to attack from the
rear. Blacksnake, a Sonontowa haka warrior, would
later say, “I have never seen so many dead bodies in my life. There was
so much blood running down that it was like a stream.”
Blatcop
fought bravely, swinging his war club and knocking down one and then
another Kenienke haka. Thawenkarakwen
was wounded in the wrist. Brant fought ferociously from the rear,
killing Americans and Oneota haka alike. Red Jacket
and two others ran from the battlefield. Some say it was cowardice.
Perhaps, he had no stomach to kill Oneota haka in a
Whiteman’s war. He did the right thing according the Great Law of
Peace.61
Once
again, Teharonhia: wako looked down on his children.
Now they were killing one another on their own land in a war that was
made by the Sawiskera Islanders. He knew now that his
children would truly suffer. The Peacemaker had told them that if they
ever shed blood on their own land against each other, they would lose
it.
Soon
the great white wind passed through their villages, destroying many of
them. His name was Washington, and he sent his army to punish those who
supported the English. He would forever be known as the Town Destroyer.
Then the English King left the Kenienke haka, Kaokwa haka, Sonontowa haka and Onontaka haka on the battlefield to fend for themselves.
Then, at a treaty on Sawiskera’s island, he gave the
territory of the Rotinonshonni to the American victors.
Many
of the onkwe honwe sought refuge at Onakara
until they could acquire land from the Mississuaga and
replant the tree where the Great Elms stand. There, some of the
remnants of the Five Nations of the Rotinonshonni
remained, as was prophesied by the Peacemaker.
The
Sonontowa haka and Kaokwa haka were
sent to the west, away from their homelands.
The
Oneota haka, as a gesture of thanks, were given 32
acres of land from 5,000,000, to live on by the thirteen arrows who
called themselves Americans. Others would live under the Elm Tree with
the rest of the confederacy, while still others would move far to the
west.
The
Skaroo’ren would be given land near Onakara
falls, while others would join those near the Great Elm trees.
Some
of the Kenienke haka would join the Kahnawake
and Akwesasne Kenienke haka, while others would move back to the place
where the Peacemaker was born, even though they had become Christian.
The
Onontaka haka would be allowed to return to their homes
to rebuild their village if they promised not to help their brothers in
the Ohio. This was said to be a great
treaty, and it was for the thirteen arrows.
When
the royaner were sent for by the Town Destroyer to
speak at Albany, they were asked why they had fought against the
colonies. A royaner answered: “Times
are altered with us onkwe honwe. Formerly the warriors
were governed by the wisdom of their uncles, the sachems, but now they
take their own way and dispose of themselves, rebuilding their village
without consulting the royaner. While
we wish for peace, they are for war; brothers they must face the
consequences.”62
It
appeared that Sawiskera had gained control of the
whole territory of the Longhouse of One Family. He had turned them away
from Teharonhia: wako and the teachings of the
Peacemaker. The clan system brought to them by the great young man was
slowly being lost. They had fought in wars against one another on their
own territory. There was evil that was taking place that had never been
seen before on Teharonhia: wako’s island. After the
war, the Rotinonshonni territory was given away to the
Sawiskera Islanders of the thirteen arrows. Christians,
like Kirkland took most of the lands for themselves. The Town Destroyer
paid his soldiers with the lands of the Rotinonshonni.
Others who had become Christian, such as the Kenienke haka
Brant who sold most of the newly acquired lands where the Great Elm
trees stood to the Sawiskera’s Islanders with whom he had fought. Sawiskera’s Islanders, called
Loyalists, would then claim for themselves most of the lands where the
Great Elm trees stood with pitch forks. They
chased the onkwe honwe women and children across the
river that had been given to them. Then, they took the town that Brant
built, by making a law that no onkwe honwe could live
within eight miles of a White Man’s town.
To
add insult to injury, the thirteen arrows, now bound together as one,
would plant the Great White Pine tree at Philadelphia. There they would
place the eagle on top. They would then let the four white roots, which
had turned black, spread to the four corners of Turtle Island. They
would follow these roots to every corner of the Teharonhia:
wako’s island, destroying all the cousins of the onkwe
honwe and taking their lands. Sawiskera was using
the things that Teharonhia: wako had given the onkwe honwe to gain control of the rest of the island. It
seemed like the Rotinonshonni were spiritually and
psychologically finished.
Footnotes
58. Ibid., 113
59. Ibid., 120
60. Ibid., 112
61. Ibid., 135
62. Ibid., 163