John Arthur Gibson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chief or Royaner
John Arthur Gibson
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Seneca Nation Chief John A Gibson (circa 1912), Six Nations of the Grand River
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| Born | March 1, 1850 Tuscarora Township, Ontario, Six Nations of the Grand River reserve
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| Died | November 1, 1912 (aged 62) Tuscarora Township, Ontario, Six Nations of the Grand River reserve
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| Nationality | Seneca, Iroquois |
| Known for | renditions of the Great Law of Peace, 19-20th century lacrosse |
| Title | Ganio'dai'io and Skanyadehehyoh |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Skye Gibson |
| Children | 3 |
John Arthur Gibson (1850–1912) was an important leader of the Seneca nation, part of the North American Iroquois confederation. He lived on the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve in Ontario, Canada. Gibson was very knowledgeable about Iroquois culture. He is best known for sharing different versions of the Iroquois oral constitution, called the Great Law of Peace. He also advised the Canadian government on matters related to Indigenous peoples. He was a skilled lacrosse player until he lost his sight in a game at age 31.
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Family and Early Life
John Arthur Gibson was born on March 1, 1850, and passed away on November 1, 1912. He was also known by his traditional names "Ganio'dai'io'," and "Skanyadehehyoh." His father, also named John Gibson, was an Onondaga chief. A chief is sometimes called a royaner in the Iroquois language or a sachem in Algonquin. His mother, Hanna Gibson, was from the Turtle clan of the Seneca nation.
Gibson had two brothers and two sisters. One of his brothers, George, also became a chief. The family lived together on the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve in Ontario.
A New Home for the Iroquois
The Six Nations of the Grand River reserve was created about 80 years before Gibson was born. This happened after the American Revolution, thanks to the efforts of a Mohawk leader named Joseph Brant. It was meant to be a new beginning for the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois Confederacy.
Over time, more non-Indigenous people moved onto the reserve lands. This caused problems for the Iroquois. In the mid-1800s, a decision was made to divide the land among Iroquois families based on their family lines. This process created some disagreements among the Iroquois. There were differences between those who had adopted Christian ways and those who followed the traditional Longhouse Religion.
Understanding Iroquois Society
Iroquois society is matrilineal. This means that family lines and clan relationships are traced through the mother. So, John Arthur Gibson was raised according to the Code of Handsome Lake of his Seneca mother. The Seneca are considered "elder brothers" in the Iroquois confederacy, along with the Mohawk nation.
At the time, the Mohawk nation had a lot of influence in the central Iroquois council. They managed to move the council's meeting place and change some of its decision-making processes. This meant the traditional balance of power among all six nations was sometimes lost. Even so, the council worked hard to protect its traditional ways from the Canadian government, which wanted to introduce a more European-style democratic system. John Arthur Gibson grew up in this changing world, where traditional ways met new challenges.
The Lacrosse Player
John Arthur Gibson's wife, who was from the Cayuga nation, wrote about him. She described him as a "traditional man" who was very energetic and competitive when he was young. She especially highlighted his love for lacrosse, the traditional sport of the Iroquois.
In Haudenosaunee religious beliefs, lacrosse is one of the most important sacred ceremonies. For Iroquois men, the game of lacrosse became a way to show their strength and skill, much like military combat had been in earlier times. The games were very intense and important.
The Gibson family played a big role in organizing lacrosse events. They arranged payments for teams and players and charged supporters to watch. John Arthur Gibson even put together the first 12-player Iroquois team. This team was invited to play against non-Indigenous teams, and newspapers often wrote about their games.
Gibson's wife also mentioned that he brought new ideas, even though he was a "traditional man." For example, their marriage was arranged in a traditional way, but they lived in a nuclear family home, which was a newer custom. This change, however, fit with the Handsome Lake Code, so it wasn't completely new to Iroquois culture.
Many people recognized Gibson's deep knowledge of Iroquois culture. A famous scholar, William N. Fenton, called him "unquestionably the greatest mind of his generation among the Six Nations." Another anthropologist, Alexander Goldenweiser, said Gibson was "one of those wide-awake, keen-witted Indians… who spend hours and days listening to the stories of the old men."
Learning Onondagan Language
Even though Iroquois society valued a person's mother's family line more, John Arthur Gibson had strong connections to his father's Onondagan nation. He inherited land from his father and learned the Onondagan language. He also learned many stories and practices from a very old and respected Onondagan chief.
This old chief was said to be one of the oldest Onondaga, remembering the time after the Iroquois nations split up during the American Revolution. Gibson's knowledge of Onondagan language and customs became so strong that his father asked him to take his place in some ceremonies. From then on, Gibson always spoke Onondagan in public. People later said he was both Onondagan and Seneca.
Seneca Chief
Traditional Iroquois society has 50 chiefs who serve on the governing Council. These chief positions are not passed down from parent to child. Instead, each chief, or royaner, is chosen by a woman or group of women. These women have the authority to appoint a chief based on what the community agrees upon.
John Arthur Gibson was not appointed as a "Pine Tree Chief," which is a title given to men who achieve greatness through their own actions, not by inheriting a chief's title. However, because of his family background and his achievements, he was appointed to the Seneca chief position as "Skanyadehehyoh" (meaning "Handsome Lake") in 1872.
In 1876, Gibson was chosen to be on a committee that honored Joseph Brant 100 years after his death. Around 1880–1882, when he was 31 years old, Gibson lost his sight during a lacrosse game.
In 1883, Gibson was seen telling part of the epic story about the Great Peacemaker. He also helped the Canadian Department of Indian Affairs with issues concerning both Iroquois and other Indigenous peoples. He played a key role in a land dispute between the Six Nations Reserve and the Mississaugas, who originally owned the land. He also represented the council at government and historical meetings.
In 1893, a newspaper, the New York Tribune, mentioned Gibson leading a special ceremony called a condolence ceremony. It also noted that he earned a living by making lacrosse sticks. In 1895 and again in 1904, Gibson was one of two people asked by the Council to update the official list of chiefs. In 1908, he led another condolence ceremony for naming a new chief.
During this time, many Iroquois stories were being collected. Gibson was known to travel to other Iroquois communities to share the Code of Handsome Lake. He once said, "Another generation and there will be no custom; still another generation and there will be no memory." This shows how much he cared about preserving his culture.
John Arthur Gibson passed away in 1912 and was buried in the Onondaga Township Indian Cemetery.
Sharing the Great Law of Peace
The Great Law of Peace is a very important part of Iroquois society. It was developed by the Great Peacemaker and acts as their central system of law, traditions, history, and religion. This epic story is told orally on special occasions by people known as "Keepers." It's similar to how important documents like the Declaration of Independence are read aloud.
John Arthur Gibson and Seth Newhouse (1842-1921) were two of the most famous "Keepers" of their time. Newhouse, who was part Mohawk and part Onondagan, was self-taught in Iroquois history. He was involved in politics on the reserve.
Gibson, like Newhouse, was well-known for telling the epic story and laws. However, Gibson was especially focused on keeping the traditional way of telling these stories alive. He strongly supported the traditional council system, where chiefs were appointed by women leaders of clans. Some people saw Gibson as a very traditional chief, while others thought he was more innovative in how he organized and shared the different versions of the Great Law of Peace.
The 1899 Version
Seth Newhouse tried many times to get his version of the epic approved by the Grand River Council, but it was rejected in 1899. This was partly because his version emphasized the Mohawk nation too much within the Iroquois confederacy.
Gibson's first attempt to share the epic in the Onondagan language for publication was recorded and translated in 1899 by J. N. B. Hewitt. It wasn't fully published until 1928, though parts came out earlier. Gibson might have wanted his version to be known in the United States to influence the U.S. government against Canadian actions.
In Gibson's 1899 version, the Great Peacemaker's canoe is made of white birch. His mother is Jigonhsasee, the "Peace Queen" and "Mother of Nations." She is often seen as a co-founder of the confederacy with Peacemaker and Hiawatha. In this version, Jigonsaseh is the first to accept Peacemaker's message. This is why women have the power to appoint chiefs in traditional Iroquois culture.
In this first version, Hiawatha is the cannibal in the story, but he later changes his ways and helps Peacemaker. All three of Gibson's versions include Hiawatha losing his daughters. While this version has fewer story elements than his later ones, it is considered a very good version from that time.
The 1900 Version
Gibson was the main author of the "Chiefs' version" of the Great Law. This version was supported by the Council of Chiefs of the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve. It was a response to Seth Newhouse's earlier version. This version was translated into English by the Council's committee and later published by Duncan Campbell Scott in 1911 and Arthur C. Parker in 1916.
The Chiefs' version was considered very important. It was presented in English possibly to show both outsiders and insiders how strong and real their traditional ways were. This happened during a time when there was tension between traditional Iroquois and those who had adopted Christian beliefs. There were also disagreements with the Canadian government, which wanted to change how chiefs were chosen.
The 1912 Version
In 1912, Gibson shared another version of the Great Law in Onondagan. This was written down by Alexander Goldenweiser on 525 pages. Gibson passed away suddenly four months after giving this version to Goldenweiser.
Goldenweiser never published a translation himself. Later, William N. Fenton worked on a translation with Gibson's sons. Hanna Woodbury later used these notes and worked with Onondaga speakers to complete the translation, which was published in 1992. Woodbury called the 1912 version Gibson's "most mature understanding" of the Great Law.
In 1924, the Canadian government finally put in place a system where only Iroquois men on the reserve could vote for their leaders. This changed several traditional Iroquois practices.
