Chief Canaqueese facts for kids

Canaqueese was a brave Mohawk war chief and a skilled go-between who lived in the 1600s. He lived in the Mohawk Valley, which is now part of New York state in the United States. His mother was Mohawk, and his father was Dutch. He grew up as a Mohawk and always thought of himself as one.

Canaqueese was very important in helping different groups talk to each other. These groups included the French, the Dutch, the Mahican (who spoke Algonquian), and his own Mohawk people (who spoke Iroquoian). He was especially key during the Beaver Wars, which were fights over the valuable fur trade. He worked hard many times to create peace agreements between the Mohawk and the French, who were based in Quebec.

People called him by different names. Canaqueese was his Mohawk name. The Dutch called him Smits Jan, probably a name he got when dealing with them. The English, after taking over New Netherland in 1664 and renaming it New York, called him Smits Jon. French missionaries sometimes called him "Flemish Bastard," but this was a mean name they used because of his mixed background.

Who Was Canaqueese?

Historians today are looking at the area around the Hudson, Mohawk, and St. Lawrence Rivers in a new way. They see it as a place where alliances and conflicts often changed. There were no clear borders between the English and French colonies, or between different Native American nations. People like Canaqueese were special because they could work with all these groups. He always focused on protecting the interests of the Mohawk people.

Canaqueese's Early Life

Canaqueese was born in the 1600s near what is now Schenectady. His mother was Mohawk, and his father was Dutch. The Mohawk had a matrilineal system, which means children belonged to their mother's family and clan. Their social standing and property came from her side. A mother's oldest brother was often more important to children than their biological father. So, Canaqueese was raised by his Mohawk mother and her family. He learned Dutch and understood Dutch customs, which helped him later.

We don't hear about him in historical records until 1650. At that time, he was leading a group of Mohawk warriors in an attack on the French settlement at Trois Rivières. This happened during the First French–Iroquois War (around 1650–1667).

Dutch records didn't mention his Dutch father, which might mean he looked and acted fully Mohawk. Only the French Jesuit Relations (reports) noted his Dutch father. Canaqueese probably fought in the Mourning Wars of the late 1640s. In these wars, the Seneca and Mohawk teamed up to attack the Huron Confederacy. There's no direct proof he was there. But warriors were promoted based on skill. Since he was called a war chief in 1650, it suggests he had already proven himself in battles, likely the Mourning Wars.

Working as a Mediator

Canaqueese used his mixed background and his ability to speak Dutch to become an interpreter and messenger. He worked between the European colonies and Native American groups. Even though he had a Dutch father, he fully identified as Mohawk, following his mother's clan. He learned Dutch partly by trading beaver furs with Dutch officials at places like Fort Orange.

The Dutch started working with Canaqueese and hired him as a messenger in 1653. He carried letters from Fort Orange to Canada to help make a peace deal between the French and Mohawk during the First French–Iroquois War. The Dutch even told the French that Canaqueese was a "savage much loved by the Mohawk." His ability to understand both cultures made him a great mediator. In 1663, he helped settle disputes between the Dutch and Algonquian-speaking peoples in the Upper Hudson Valley.

By helping others, Canaqueese also became more important among the Mohawk. He gained valuable information about European plans that affected his people.

The "Chimney" Speech

In 1654, Canaqueese worried that the French making deals with other Iroquois nations would hurt the Mohawk's control over trade. So, he made two trips to Canada to talk about it. He warned the French that they should work directly with the Mohawk. The Mohawk saw themselves as the main leaders of the Iroquois nations, not the Onondaga, who lived to the west. The Five Nations often called themselves the "Longhouse" or "completed cabin," showing their strong connection.

Canaqueese gave a famous speech to some French missionaries, including Father Simon Le Moyne. He said:

Shouldn't you enter a house through the door, not the chimney or roof? Only a thief would do that! We, the five Iroquois Nations, are one house. We share one fire and have always lived under the same roof. So, why don't you come in through our door, which is with us [the Mohawk]? Instead, you start with the [Onondagas], trying to enter through the roof and chimney. Aren't you afraid the smoke will blind you, or that you'll fall?

Despite the Mohawk's efforts, they couldn't keep all the trade with Europeans for themselves. The Jesuit Relations said the Mohawk tried to stop Father Le Moyne from going to the Onondaga. When he went anyway, they held him and his group captive. Eventually, the Onondaga convinced the Mohawk to let Father Le Moyne continue. This event showed the disagreements among the Iroquois nations, even though they claimed to be united. The profitable trade with Europeans was something many tribes wanted.

Canaqueese and the Beaver Wars

Chief Canaqueese was both a military leader and a mediator during the Beaver Wars. These were a series of fights over the fur trade between the French and the Iroquois in the mid-1600s.

Canaqueese is first mentioned as a war chief in 1650, leading an attack on Trois-Rivières. He likely earned this title by fighting in earlier Iroquois-Huron conflicts in the 1640s. During the Beaver Wars, he was often mentioned for his role in mediating between the Mohawk and French. From 1653 to 1654, he carried letters between Fort Orange and Quebec to help create a peace treaty. He used his connections with the Dutch, who wrote a letter to the French recommending Canaqueese and saying the Mohawk had good intentions. Canaqueese's good reputation helped secure the peace deal. His work as a mediator helped the French trust the Mohawk's commitment to peace. Soon after, he gave his famous "chimney" speech in Quebec.

In the late 1660s, Canaqueese again played a key role in making peace between the Mohawk and French. In July 1666, the Mohawk knew the French were planning an attack. A group of Mohawk warriors ambushed some French officers in Lake Champlain, killing seven and capturing four. In response, Governor Alexandre de Prouville de Tracy imprisoned some members of an Oneida people group who were in Quebec. Canaqueese and three other Mohawk leaders went to Quebec to exchange prisoners and agree to a peace treaty. These Mohawk leaders were worried because their English and Dutch allies weren't helping much, so they decided to seek peace with the French.

The Mohawk delegation arrived on August 28, but talks broke down in early September when Governor de Tracy imprisoned the Mohawk delegates. Fighting between the French and Mohawk started again in the fall of 1666. Canaqueese was released in November by Jean Talon, a French official. He was sent back to Mohawk country with an official offer for peace. The Mohawk had to release some of their Huron, Algonquin, and French captives. These captives had been adopted into Mohawk villages, which was a common practice.

After Canaqueese made several diplomatic trips in spring 1667, peace was finally made between the Mohawks and French. The Mohawk released some captives. This peace lasted for over ten years. Some Mohawk, including Canaqueese, moved to Montreal in 1667 and settled nearby in the St. Lawrence Valley.

Later Life and Alliances

Canaqueese isn't mentioned again in records until 1687. At that time, he is listed as one of the "Christian Iroquois" who fought against the Seneca people with the forces of Governor Denonville. Some historians believe that fighting against other Iroquois didn't mean he stopped being Iroquois. Instead, the Christian Iroquois communities near the French were politically separate from the Five Nations. So, Canaqueese might have truly seen the Seneca as a problem for the Christian Native Americans. For Mohawk people who became Catholic and settled near the French, their ideas about Iroquois alliances seemed to change. Some even teamed up with the French against their original communities.