Nikonha facts for kids

Nikonha, also known as Waskiteng or Mosquito, was a very important person in the history of the Tutelo people. He was born around 1765 and lived to be about 106 years old, passing away in 1871. He is remembered as the last person who spoke the Tutelo language fluently. The Tutelo language is a special kind of Siouan language from Virginia. Nikonha lived at the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation in Ontario, Canada. His people had moved there with the Cayuga during the American Revolutionary War.

Meeting Horatio Hale

In 1870, just one year before Nikonha passed away, a person named Horatio Hale visited him. Hale was an ethnologist, which means he studied different cultures and their languages. He wanted to learn about the languages spoken by the many different groups living at the Six Nations Reserve.

Hale's Description of Nikonha

Horatio Hale was very impressed by Nikonha. He described him when talking about his discoveries at a meeting in 1883:

His appearance, as we first saw him, basking in the sunshine on the slope before his cabin, confirmed the reports, which I had heard, both of his great age and of his marked intelligence. "A wrinkled, smiling countenance, a high forehead, half-shut eyes, white hair, a scanty, stubby beard, fingers bent with age like a bird's claws" is the description recorded in my note-book. Not only in physiognomy, but also in demeanor and character, he differed strikingly from the grave and composed Iroquois among whom he dwelt. The lively, mirthful disposition of his race survived in full force in its latest member. His replies to our inquiries were intermingled with many jocose remarks, and much good-humored laughter.

Hale noted that Nikonha was very intelligent and had a cheerful personality. This was different from the serious nature of the Iroquois people he lived among.

Nikonha's Early Life

Nikonha shared details about his family with Horatio Hale. He said his father was a Tutelo chief named Onusowa.

Family Traditions

Nikonha's mother passed away when he was a child. He was then raised by his mother's brother, his uncle. This was because his people followed a matrilineal kinship system. In this system, children are considered part of their mother's family and clan. They are often raised by their mother's relatives. Nikonha's Tutelo people had slowly moved north from their original lands in Virginia.

Moving North During War

By 1779, when Nikonha was about 14 years old, his Tutelo people were living in a Cayuga village. This village was called Coreorgonel, located in New York, near where the city of Ithaca is today.

The Sullivan Expedition

The Cayuga were one of the Six Nations of the Iroquois League, also known as the Haudenosaunee. These nations spoke Iroquoian languages. In 1779, during the American Revolutionary War, the village of Coreorgonel was attacked. Forces led by Colonel Dearborn carried out this attack as part of the Americans' Sullivan Expedition. This expedition destroyed about 40 Iroquois villages. It also ruined most of the winter crops the Cayuga had stored.

Fleeing to Canada

After the attack, the Tutelo survivors fled north with the Cayuga and other Iroquois groups. They settled on land given to them by the British Crown. This new home was at Grand River in Ontario, Canada.

Serving in the War of 1812

Nikonha later served with the British and their allies during the War of 1812. They hoped to remove the Americans from the lands that once belonged to the Cayuga and other Iroquois.

Family Life

Nikonha's wife was Cayuga. He had learned the Cayuga language when he was young. For many years, he spoke only Cayuga at home with his family.

Preserving the Tutelo Language

When Horatio Hale worked with Nikonha, Nikonha was able to share about 100 words from the Tutelo language. This was the language he had spoken when he was a child. Hale was trying to gather information about Tutelo from the few people who still knew parts of it.

Language Classification

Nikonha was special because other speakers often mixed Tutelo words with Cayuga words. Based on the words and grammar Hale collected from Nikonha, he later confirmed something important. He proved that Tutelo is a Siouan language. This means it is related to languages like Dakota and Hidatsa. These languages are spoken by tribes mostly located west of the Mississippi River. Historically, other Siouan-speaking tribes also lived in the southeastern part of America.