Conotocaurius ( Town Destroyer) was a nickname given to George Washington by Iroquois peoples in 1753. Bay Guardian Archives Stay informed daily on the latest news and advice on COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. We could bear this confusion no longer, & determined to press thro every difficulty, and lift up our voice that you might hear us, and to claim that security in the possession of our lands which your commissioners so solemly promised us, and we now entreat you to enquire into our complaints and redress our wrongs. Conotocaurious(Town Destroyer) was a nicknamegiven to George Washingtonby IroquoisNative Americansin 1753. To the great Councillor of the thirteen fires. Paul Chaa, a curator at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C., calls romanticism a form of racism and observes that Americans have a secret obsession with Native Americans.One hundred years ago, D. H. Lawrence noted that white people aimed to extirpate Indians and then glorified them. are back withTown Destroyer, which premiered at the Mill Valley Festival last month. For my 2018 video installation Handaga:yas (Town Destroyer), I projected video referencing this scorched-earth campaign onto a replica portrait bust of Washington. Conotocaurius ( Town Destroyer, Seneca: Handaganyas) was a nickname given to George Washington by Iroquois peoples in 1753. But the issue was more complex than that, with painfully strong feelings on all sides, many of whose participants more typically found themselves on thesameside. It has also been translated as "Town Taker", "Burner of Towns", "Devourer of Villages . On June 4, 1779, the General of the Revolutionary Army, George Washington, violated the treaty and ordered the invasion of the territory of the Iroquois confederation. With the Haudenosaunee standing in the way of westward expansion of the new Republic and with General George Washington seeking revenge against the raids of colonial homes, he ordered the termination of the Haudenosaunee and sent these orders to General Sullivan, known today as the Sullivan Campaign. "Town Destroyer" is a translation of the name given to George Washington by the Iroquois nation after he demanded the total destruction of their settlement and crops in a 1779 attack against the tribe that was aligned with the British. David Humphreys Life of General Washington with George Washingtons Remarks. Athens, Ga., 1991. description ends 10). The homeless traveled to Fort Niagara for safety and shelter but found none with the British there. During the American Revolution, some Mohawks led by Joseph Brant chose to fight with the British and to defend the Proclamation Line. In the fall of 1753, as French forces moved into the Ohio Valley to build a series of forts, George Washington offered his services to the Governor of Virginia as an envoy to carry a message to the French commander Jacques Le Gardeur. When he met with Washington 11 years after the devastating campaign, Chief Cornplanter, who headed the Seneca tribe of the Iroquois, stressed the durability of "Town Destroyer" as the commander in chief's nickname. with filmmakers Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman"Town Destroyer the Art of Controversy". A dispute erupts at a San Francisco high school over Depression-era murals about the life of George Washington: slaveowner, military leader, land speculator, President, and a man Native leaders. If the British took the . He was likewise unsuccessful in obtaining a settlement from the U.S. government on his own. This is an analysis of a controversy that was all over the local and national news not so long ago even if it seems very long ago, as it was just-pre-COVID. By Teka Lark (February 18, 2020) This week we're honoring George Washington or Conotocaurius (Town Destroyer) as the Iroquois called him, a man who enslaved 316 people and brought nine of them to the White House (Coard, Philadephia Tribune, 2018). What the Commissioners had said about the land having been ceded to them at the peace our Chiefs considered only as intended to lessen the price, & they passed it by with very little notice; but since that time we have heard so much of the right to our lands which the King gave when you made peace with him that it is our earnest desire you will tell us what they mean. He is silent for he has nothing to answer. Town Destroyer is a 2022 documentary that discusses the art, history, struggle, and politics around the Victor Arnautoff murals at George Washington High School. Needless to say, those lamentable future occupiers of the White House are highly accommodating, providing perhaps the most egregious example of Twitlers lack of backbone on any issue save self-interesthe had always been publicly pro-choice, then began waffling, switching sides with a vengeance when it sank in that he needed the pro-life voters to win. After all, the issue goes back to 1779 when Washington ordered the destruction of the Iroquois villages. The brutal 1778 Cherry Valley Massacre prompted a wide-ranging punitive expedition that broke Iroquois power. In mid-2019 the School Board threw gas on the firestorm by voting to destroy the works outright. Every tax-deductible donation helps us grow to cover the issues that mean the most to our community. When you kindled your thirteen fires seperately, the wise men Often it took the army days to completely destroy all of the longhouses, fields, orchards and food stores. The film highlights the debate about controversial murals at George Washington High School. Roxie Theater: Town Destroyer November 4, 2022 @ 6:45 pm - 8:45 pm While SFFilmsDoc Stories showcase runs through next Tues/8 (see our previewhere) , theres no lack of new documentary features concurrently finding their way to regular release. This resulted in a companion mural from African American artist Dewey Crumpler, entitledMulti-Ethnic Heritage, being commissioned for an adjacent corridor. Both Washington and Jefferson enslaved and waged war against Indigenous nations to dispossess them of their homelands. 48 Hills welcomes comments in the form of letters to the editor, which you can submithere. 4.On John Livingstons role in the New York-Genesee Land Companys 999year lease with Cayuga, Oneida, and Seneca chiefs, see John Livingston Newsletter The current dispute over monuments in the US is not new. oy. Chief Cornplanter, who headed the Seneca tribe of the Iroquois, stressed "And to this day when that name is heard, our women look behind them and turn pale, And god knows he doesnt care about anyone elses rights. When that great Country was given up, there were but few Chiefs present, and they were compelled to give it up. We know that you are strong and we have heard that you are wise; and we wait to hear your answer to what we have said that we may know that you are just. Roxie Theater: Town Destroyer - Mission Local Gunman robs taco truck at 14th & Harrison at lunch hour Wind splits giant sequoia that may date to 1884 90-unit Irving St. housing OKed despite toxin fears Local news needs you! Pennsylvania Archives. As GW explained in an undated memorandum on David Humphreys draft biography of GW: It was on this occasion he was named by the half-King (as he was called) and the tribes of Nations with whom he treatedCaunotaucarius (in English) the Town taker; which name being registered in their Manner & communicated to other Nations of Indians, has been remembered by them ever since in all their transactions with him during the late war (Comments on David Humphreys Biography of George Washington, 178788, in Papers, Confederation Series description begins W. W. Abbot et al., eds. In the summer of 1790, Street was in New York to present these grievances to GW. Best of the Bay hidden? LS (signed with mark), DLC: Thomas Jefferson Papers; That did not happen, and in fact the murals fate (should they be removed? Pawpaws. The nickname had previously been given to his great-grandfather John Washington in the late seventeenth century. They would soon face one of the largest amphibious invasions yet seen. The title by which Washington was known to Native nations, Handaga:yas or Town Destroyer, was one he inherited from his great-grandfather, John Washington, a slave-owning planter and colonel in the Virginia militia who, during Bacons Rebellion of 1676, had the chiefs of several tribes killed. The artist, Victor Arnautoff, was a Russian emigre whod studied under Diego Rivera, and whose work reflected both that masters visual style and leftist politics. Police funding, tax cuts, and spending equity will be on the table as the supes take on a brutal budget season. The men who claimed this promise said that you were children and had no Guns that when they had shaken you, you would submit. Among the many discussions in the podcast, Estes brings up George Washington's reputation amongst indigenous people as "town destroyer" Washington was known as "town destroyer." Town Destroyer opens Fri/4 at the Roxie, with the filmmakers and special guests present at all shows. Innocent men of our nation are killed one after another, and of our best families: But none of your people who have committed the murders have been punished. Staked Plains. This project is supported by the Cynthia LowensBattlegroundoffers some insight on that score. OK, Ill admit it: I am a wee bit allergic to just this sort of Science made cute exercise, in which actual Mars discoveries take a backseat to contrived, very human dramatics. When your army entered the country of the Six Nations, we called you Hanadagyas (Town Destroyer): and to this day when that name is heard our women look behind them and turn pale, and our children cling close to the necks of their mothers. The name in its original language (s) has been given variously as Conotocarius, Conotocaurious, Caunotaucarius, Conotocarious, Hanodaganears, and Hanadahguyus. On this edition of Your Call, we rebroadcast our discussion about Town Destroyer, a documentary that focuses on murals at San Francisco's George Washington High School, which praise Washington and critically depict him overseeing his slaves and directing the bloody seizure of Native lands. After all, the issues go back to 1779 when George Washington ordered the destruction of the Iroquois villages. But before we speak to you of this, we The 13 murals at George Washington High School were painted in 1936 by leftwing artist Victor Arnautoff, a student of Diego Rivera. The surviving Onondaga were homeless; some began to rebuild; some headed west to find shelter with their brother nations the Cayuga and Seneca. When the Ronald Reagan arrived to replace the George Washington in 2015 . In the American Revolutionary War, General Washington led Patriot forces to victory over the British and their allies. What was George Washington's favorite fruit? From George Washington to Major General John Sullivan, 31 May 1779, Simeon DeWitt Central NY Military Tract c.1792. Wanting to remain neutral but forced to choose sides, some Haudenosaunee nations fought alongside the colonists during the war. Report on Canadian Archives . It has also been translated as 'Town Taker', 'Burner of Towns', 'Devourer of Villages', or 'he destroys the town'. Pete Galindo, the director of the Great Wall Project, talks about the half-mile long Great Wall of LA which depicts the history of the city, including lynching. We see groups of collegiate women who travel to a D.C. March for Life in January 2020 to save the babies. They demand equal rights for unborn humans, hoping not just that abortion will become illegal, but abortion will become unthinkable. Organizations like Students for Life of America and the Susan B. Anthony List are very well-organized, and there is no questioning the earnestness of their members. These are to us very great things. He had risen quickly through the militia ranks by butchering Indian communities and burning their homes. More decades passed before the issue flared up again, though this time it seemed the criticisms were coming less from individual students than outside organizations. He insisted in killing as . In April 1779, the colonial army attacked the capital of the Haudenosaunee, the Onondaga Nation. . When Seymour Hersh Strained to Keep Up With CounterPunch, Nichole Stephens, Administrative Assistant. Larger questions arose: Is arts purpose to provoke, or placate? The name in its original language(s) has been given variously as Conotocarius, Conotocaurious, Caunotaucarius, Conotocarious, Hanodaganears, and Hanadahguyus. As the first president of the United States, he established America's nation-to-nation relationship with its Indigenous people. We saw that we were wrong: we wished for peace. In August and September, the Sullivan campaign resumed with multiple attacks against the Cayuga and Seneca Nations with the army again killing Haudenosaunee people and destroying their villages. Conotocaurius (Town Destroyer) was a nickname given to George Washington by Iroquois peoples in 1753. To some, the brouhaha confirmed a stereotype of SF as the kingdom of liberal snowflakes who experience a meltdown at anything potentially troubling. 6 vols. He suggests that Arnautoffs work ought to be preserved, not destroyed and used as a vehicle to teach students about both the past and the present. From his headquarters in Middlebrook, N.J., Washington authorized the "total destruction and devastation" of the Iroquois settlements across upstate New York so "that country may not merely be overrun but destroyed.". Philadelphia and Harrisburg, 18521949. Town Destroyer; George Washington/Nicknames. "It actually crushed their military power." If art (or history) is altered to blunt painful truths, isnt that dishonesty, whether coming from the political left or right? SFist spoke to the duo . To him we gave four miles round Niagara, as a place of Trade. Part of Colonial Williamsburg's "Prelude to Victory" weekend. His mural, "Life of Washington," is widely . Degrowth or Debunk: Do Degrowth proponents have a strategy? Art can make viewers uncomfortable. https://www.usnews.com/news/national/articles/2008/06/27/town-destroyer-versus-the-iroquois-indians, Massacre & Retribution: The 1779-80 Sullivan Expedition, How a Native American Prophecy Over George Washington Affected the Country. For we are about to speak of things which are to us very great. When your army entered the Country of the Six Nations, we called you the Town-destroyer and to this day, when that name is heard, our women look behind them and turn pale, and our children cling close to the neck of their mothers.1 Our Councillors and warriors are men, and can not be afraid; but their hearts are grieved with the fears of our women & children, and desire, that it may be buried so deep, as to be heard no more. Washington received his commission on October 31, 1753 and set out immediately. Courtesy:JASON SZENES/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock. Town Destroyer. Roxie Theater3117 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103. https://www.roxie.com/ai1ec_event/town-destroyer/. Town Destroyers armies burned and plundered 60 of our towns and hundreds of our farms, fields, orchards and livestock, forcing our people to evacuate. What they said went to the bottom of our hearts: We accepted the invitation and promised to obey him. The board rescinded its decision, perhaps because it was embarrassed by the national publicity that depicted its decision as a form of censorship. Trump, who is running for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, announced a slate of futuristic new policies in a campaign video Friday. American soldiers burned forty villages to the ground, and displaced thousands of Indians. We told you we would open our hearts to you. All rights reserved. He told us he was sent by Congress to do this for us and we fear he has deceived us on the writing he obtained from us: For since the time of our giving that power, a man of the name of Phelps has come among us, and claimed our whole Country northward of the line of Pensylvania under purchase from that Livingston to whom he said he had paid twenty thousand dollars for it.4 He said also he had bought likewise from the Council of the thirteen fires, and paid them twenty thousand dollars more for the same. AI Chatbots are Even Scarier Than You Think, DeSantiss Educational Policies Come Right Out of the Fascist Playbook, Erase the Memory to Erase a People? The Onondagas, who were honoring the neutrality agreement, were not prepared for the attack. Perhaps only in a city that loves its murals, some by Diego Rivera, and hates its murals, could murals painted in the 1930s under a New Deal art program, divide citizens from one another and stir up deeply seated passions. In Wolf Nation, my 2019 exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, I marked the 240th anniversary of Washingtons ruthless invasion with an augmented reality version of this work. He told the council of the murder of the husband of his wifes sister by a white man four years earlier, the robbery of his company at Cat Fish (Washington, Pa.) while returning from the treaty at Fort Harmar in early 1789, and the murder of his nephew by a white man in the winter of 178990 (Pa. Archives, description begins Samuel Hazard et al., eds. In sentence 4 Cornplanter's reference to Washington as "the Town-destroyer" recalls a time during the American Revolution (1779) when he ordered the burning of Seneca villages. Jonah Raskin is the author of Beat Blues, San Francisco, 1955. Courtesy: the artist and Peabody Essex Museum, In 1779, Washington launched a full-scale invasion of Iroquoia, our extensive homelands. An installation of video projected onto a bust of George Washington mounted on a surveyor's tripod. On display since San Francisco's George Washington High School opened in 1936, it offers a view of the Founding Father both celebratory and critical, referencing his involvements in slavery and Native American genocide. Ottawa, 1891. description ends 15354). . Few visitors to the museum had ever heard of the Sullivan Campaign, or knew that most of New York state was our original homeland. His great-grandson lived up to the name of Town Destroyer in his treatment of Indigenous nations both during and after the Revolutionary War (177583). Presented by the California Film Institute (CAFILM), the 45th Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF45) runs October 6-16, 2022. George Washington is called "The Father of our Nation" and by some "Cincinnatus" but the Iroquois had a nickname for him as well "Conotocaurius"(Town Destroyer) We talk about the Indian wars of the late 19th century but the late 18th century had Indian wars too and George Washington was the man behind it George Washington had complicated relationships with Native Americans. left as is, but with explanatory text?) Streets mission to New York probably contributed to GWs decision to send Timothy Pickering on a special mission to pacify the Seneca a few weeks later. All three had participated in the Iroquois campaigns during the Revolution; Cornplanter as a principal war chief and the others as head warriors. January 31, 2023. The name in its original language(s) has been given variously as Conotocarius , Conotocaurious , Caunotaucarius , Conotocarious , Hanodaganears , and Hanadahguyus . Dennis Harvey. The NASA scientists interviewed more than do their bit to anthropomorphise our heroine, particularly in choosing various golden oldies as Oppys (and their own) wake-up song, including the B-52s Roam, ABBAs SOS, plus Born to be Wild, Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, etc. description ends Colonial ser., 16:5078). But if Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman have their way, George Washington will also be remembered as the town destroyer. Thats the title of a new documentary that they have written, directed and produced about the controversial murals in San Francisco at George Washington High School. Hear our case, many nations inhabited this Country, but they had no wisdom, and therefore they warred, together. By Josh Sippie / July 27, 2022 11:39 pm EST. It also opens Fri/4 at the Roxie, with some screenings attended by Davenport and producer Keith Wilson. Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. Sun. and therefore weak as our nation was, they determined to take the chance of war rather than submit to such unjust demands, which seemed to have no bounds. The political doesnt get any more personal than when it comes to abortion, and now thanks to an activist conservative Supreme Court, it appears the era of Roe v. Wadeand choicemay well be over. Sr William Johnson came and took that Fort from the French; he became our father and promised to take care of us and did so till you were too strong for his King. He lives in New York. He had been commissioned by the Five Nations in the spring of 1790 to seek redress of grievances against the New York lessees. Our nation empowered John Livingston to let out a part of our lands on rent. We mean to open our hearts before you, and we earnestly desire, that you will let us clearly understand, what you resolve to do. r e. s w. w. w. Tow. Completed in 1840, the statue was soon exhibited in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol and then moved to the Capitol's east lawn in 1843. Ironically, his choice of words more aptly applies to the American campaigns against Indigenous nations, which erased our histories, demonized our heroes, scorned our values and acculturated our children in boarding schools. The name in its original language(s) has been given variously as Conotocarius, Conotocaurious, Caunotaucarius, Conotocarious, Hanodaganears, and Hanadahguyus. You have said we were in your hand, and that by closing it, you could crush us to nothing. (The Iroquois dubbed him "Town Destroyer.") Several of the latter have a Bay Area slant, notably two opening this Fri/4 at SFs Roxie Theater. 3.By the terms of the Second Treaty of Fort Stanwix, completed in October 1784, the Six Nations agreed to relinquish a small tract of land in western New York and all that part of Pennsylvania north and west of the Indian boundary established by the First Treaty of Fort Stanwix of 1768, an area including all of the land in Pennsylvania west of the Allegheny River. The founder of the San Francisco Jewish Festival and its director for 13 years, Kaufman teamed up with Alan Snitow, the former news director at KPFA, to make Blacks and Jews in 1997, Secrets of Silicon Valley in 2001, and this year Town Destroyer which premiered at the Mill Valley Film Festival. In obeying him we did no more than you yourselves had lead us to promise. After suffering for nearly two years from Iroquois raids on the Colonies' northern frontier, Washington and Congress decided to strike back. Town Destroyer is playing as part of the Mill Valley Film Festival with a screening Saturday afternoon at The Roxie (and with an extended run at the Roxie November 4-10). Just an hour long, Snitow and Kaufmans documentary offers a fascinating overview of a case that encapsulates many of the bitterest divisions of our era. We will not conceal from you, that the great God, and not man has preserved the Corn planter from his own nation: for they ask continually, where is the Land which our children and their children after them are to lie down on? to GW, 15 Aug. 1789, note 1. This line was established after the French and Indian War by King George as a boundary between the colonists and Native lands. The Mohawks saw the colonial settlements in violation of the Proclamation Line and trespassers in their territory. They told us he resided beyond the great waters where the sun first rises: That he was a King whose power no people could resist, and that his goodness was bright as that sun. George Washington's favorite native fruit is ripe in the HFH orchard >> the pawpaw. The exploration vehicle/device dubbed Opportunity was sent into space in 2003, landed on the Red Planet six months later, and sent a steady stream of photos and intel back to NASA long after. (The Iroquois dubbed him Town Destroyer.) But some present-day students, parents, and observers found those depictions racially offensive, calling for the work to be removed or destroyed. It will be essential to ruin their crops now in the ground and prevent their planting more.. Separating the Red and Blue. He wants to remind Washington that Cornplanter understands that he is a powerful warrior and has defeated the Seneca in the past. must know from you, whether you mean to leave us, and our children, any land to till. (The Iroquois dubbed him "Town Destroyer.") But some present-day students, parents, and observers found those depictions . Screen Grabs: 'Town Destroyer' dives into the George Washington Supes fail by one vote to approve Sanctuary City resolution that challenges ICE, Biden, Herb Greenes 60s Haight-Ashbury shots immortalize era, Grace Slicks bird, The tragic toxic legacy of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, Screen Grabs: Of Cocaine Bears and Jesus freaks, Screen Grabs: WinterFest brings Ukrainian kids, artificial shtetls, orthodox drama, Screen Grabs: Noise Pop Film Fest brings space bubbles, rap spoofs, toxic New Wave fans, Budget Chair Chan prepares for serious challenges to mayors budget priorities, Best of the Bay 2022 Editors Pick: Red Poppy Art House. The former vice president has become the Democratic front-runner with primary victories across the country. The Current TikTok Ban Doesnt Go Far Enough. Town Destroyer A high profile battle erupts over images of African American slaves and Native Americans in New Deal-era murals at a San Francisco high school. According to historian George Bancroft, they were having a cordial visit and then the old chief, pointing to Washington, spoke the amazing prophecy. The Iroquois, whose tribes had lined up on both sides of the conflict, were too distracted by their own internal divisions to see the crisis coming. Philadelphia and Harrisburg, 18521949. Town Destroyer explores the ways we look at art and history at a time of racial reckoning. Not all U.S. presidents are missed once they leave the White House. Street the great trader at Niagara was then with us having come at the request of Phelps, and as he always professed to be our great friend we consulted him on this subject; He also told us, that our Lands had been ceded by the King and that we must give them up.5. But the Iroquois Indians of the time bestowed on Washington another, not-so-flattering epithet: Conotocarious, or "Town Destroyer. His heart is in pain for them; but he percieves that the great God will try his firmness in doing what is right. Cornplanter had intended to make the trip at an earlier date but had been delayed by the alarm among the Indians caused by the murder of two Seneca men on Pine Creek (see GW to Pickering, 4 Sept. 1790). Kevin McCarthy is No Edward Snowden, But He Should Find the Comparison Flattering, Assessing Nicaraguas Long Haul toward Liberation and Economic Democracy, A National Divorce? 1890. George Washington: Father of His Country? The supreme executive council of Pennsylvania had informed Cornplanter and the other Seneca chiefs on 30 Oct. 1790 that Matt Dorsey, who wants to deport Fentanyl dealers, blocks approval, as 10 board members say his approach is deeply misguided. New Anti-Colonialist Documentary Asks Big Questions, California Institute for Community, Arts & Nature, The CIAs Changing Take on the Climate Emergency, Emancipation, Hollywoods Best Civil War Film Ever. On the one hand, things were said like If you support this mural, you have a colonized mentality and (on a signboard) Stop Protecting White Supremacy. On the other, the whole situation was termed identity politics gone off the rails, and the suggestion that the murals were traumatizing an easy way to justify the erasure of things you dont like.. Speak plainly to us concerning this great business. Battlegroundhas already had a brief run in theaters, but now is available for streaming on digital platforms including iTunes. copy, MHi: Timothy Pickering Papers; But the conflict revealed particularly ugly ideological divides, as amply shown inTown Destroyer. An Arab stallion with a light grey . Like the statue of Christopher Columbus targeted in Boston last month, it was beheaded and the crown finials of its surrounding fence sawn off.

Dodd Payne Funeral Home Obituaries, Tribute Automotive Z3gt Build, Kankakee Daily Journal Obituaries Today, Dbt Residential Treatment Centers Florida, Articles T