Catharine Brant facts for kids

Catharine Brant (born around 1759, died 1837) was also known by her Mohawk name, Ahdohwahgeseon. She was a very important leader, called a clan mother, among the Mohawk nation. She was the third wife of the famous Mohawk leader Joseph Brant. Catharine played a big role in the Six Nations of the Grand River community.

Who Was Catharine Brant's Family?

Catharine's father was George Croghan, who worked for the British government with Indigenous peoples. Her mother came from a respected Mohawk family. In the Haudenosaunee culture, family lines are traced through the mother (this is called matrilineal society). Because of her mother's family, Catharine became a Yakoyaner, or Clan Mother. This special role gave her the power to choose the Tekarihogen. The Tekarihogen was the most important civil chief of the Mohawk people.

Moving to a New Home in Canada

During the American Revolutionary War, many Mohawks had to leave their homes. They sought safety with the British at Niagara. This was because American forces were destroying Haudenosaunee villages. It was at Niagara, in the winter of 1779–1780, that Catharine married Joseph Brant.

After the British lost the war, Catharine and Joseph Brant, along with many other Indigenous families, moved. They found a new home on the Grand River in what was then the Province of Quebec.

Around 1802, Joseph Brant received a large piece of land at Burlington Beach. He moved there with his family. They lived in a big house where many people helped with the household tasks. Joseph Brant passed away at his Burlington Bay home in 1807.

Catharine Brant's Later Life and Leadership

After Joseph's death, Catharine returned to the Grand River. She continued to be a very important leader in her community. In 1828, she used her power as a Clan Mother to appoint her son, John Brant, as the Tekarihogen.

Sadly, John died in the cholera epidemic of 1832. After his death, Catharine chose her grandson, Walter Kerr, to be the next Tekarihogen. Walter was the son of her daughter Elizabeth Brant and William Johnson Kerr.

Catharine Brant died on the Grand River in 1837. Throughout her life, she was a strong and respected leader among the Six Nations. She worked hard to keep their old traditions alive, even as new settlers moved into their lands.