Conotocaurius (Town Destroyer, Seneca: Handaganyas) was a nickname given to George Washington by Iroquois peoples in 1753. As one observer puts it, Nuance is sort of a quaint notion now.The Life of Washingtonwas intended as a teaching toolbut are only positive lessons allowed now, even when history itself was cruel and unfair? 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.". You have said we were in your hand, and that by closing it, you could crush us to nothing. US 2022, 55 min, Director: Alan Snitow, Deborah Kaufman, Is arts role to provoke or placate? Answer (1 of 4): The most famous nickname (really, more of an honorary title) associated with George Washington was The Father of His Country. When Seymour Hersh Strained to Keep Up With CounterPunch, Nichole Stephens, Administrative Assistant. For this Land Phelps agreed to pay us Ten thousand dollars in hand and one thousand dollars a year for ever. 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). Courtesy: the artist and Peabody Essex Museum, In 1779, Washington launched a full-scale invasion of Iroquoia, our extensive homelands. New York, 1939. description ends 197203). When the Ronald Reagan arrived to replace the George Washington in 2015 . 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? Town Destroyer contextualizes this fight within a landscape where similar battles are occurring (like over Confederate monuments), though often for different reasons. On the day on which we finished the treaty at Town Destroyer opens Fri/4 at the Roxie, with the filmmakers and special guests present at all shows. Derryveagh Evictions, and It will be essential to ruin their crops now in the ground and prevent their planting more., I would recommend, that some post in the center of the Indian Country, should be occupied with all expedition, with a sufficient quantity of provisions whence parties should be detached to lay waste all the settlements around, with instructions to do it in the most effectual manner, that the country may not be merely overrun, but destroyed.. They called us brothers and invited us to his protection. 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. that the King had ceded the lands to the thirteen fires, The Papers of George Washington, Confederation Series, David Humphreys Life of General Washington,, David Humphreys Life of General Washington with George Washingtons Remarks., Early American Land Companies: Their Influence on Corporate Development, Report on Canadian Archives . Town Destroyer, also translated as Town Taker, Burner of Towns, or Devourer of Villages, was a nickname given to George Washington by Iroquois Indians. A Living New Deal Webinar. Cart, Become a Member He signed the message "Conotocarious," or Town Devourer. 2.At this point the copyist inadvertently repeated the words and so long.. Main Image:Washington Square Park Arc, 2020. 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. What distinguishes her documentary is that she offers considerable insight into grassroots activism on both sides of the fence. New York, 1970. description ends 174). The Speech of the Corn-planter, Half-town and the Great-Tree chiefs of the Senecca Nation. Filmmakers Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman . 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. January 31, 2023. From George Washington to Major General John Sullivan, 31 May 1779, Simeon DeWitt Central NY Military Tract c.1792. Title to the land in New York west of Seneca Lake was claimed by Massachusetts. copy, DNA: RG 233, First Congress, 17891791, Records of the Office of the Clerk, Records of Reports from Executive Departments (War Department), Confidential Reports; But the Iroquois Indians of the time bestowed on Washington another, not-so-flattering epithet: Conotocarious, or "Town Destroyer. this morning set of about Day Break on the same line of march and went about 6 Miles when we halted, Capt. Wanting to remain neutral but forced to choose sides, some Haudenosaunee nations fought alongside the colonists during the war. We saw that we were wrong: we wished for peace. The time has come to even reconsider towering figures like Washington, honoured for their roles in founding the US, yet profoundly implicated in its colossal and, tragically, ongoing ethical and humanitarian failings. For first one, and then another, come and take it away, by order of that people, who promised to secure it to us. He was likewise unsuccessful in obtaining a settlement from the U.S. government on his own. 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. 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. There are passionate arguments on both sides, and they are not as simply divided by racial, cultural, or political identification as youd think. American soldiers burned forty villages to the ground, and displaced thousands of Indians. In 2018, he installed Mantle, a monument honouring Indigenous nations at the Virginia Capitol in Richmond. Courtesy: JASON SZENES/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock. 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. It is interesting to see close-up the strategizing of such groups, including their straight-up asking citizens to be single-issue voters, even if they have to hold their noses in pulling the lever for last-minute ally Trump. texts. Summary: George Washington (1732-1799), nicknamed the "American Cincinnatus", was the 1st American President and served in office from 1789-1797. Separating the Red and Blue. Well, OK, a few personalities here do seem driven by things other than (or in addition to) moral uprightness, such as the founder of an SF-based group who says Im perfectly aligned with mainstream feminism aside from the abortion issue. Still, she grew up in a religious cult and seems to have some, er, issueslike the kind of inordinate fondness for picking verbal fights with total strangers that can lead to fanaticism, and/or Fox News punditry. When you kindled your thirteen fires seperately, the wise men UCLA Professor Kelley adds that its not about choosing sides and that no one person or group can tell the story.. Forty Indian villagesand a powerful indigenous nationwere razed on the orders of George Washington, Town Destroyer Versus the Iroquois Indians, By 1779, George Washington had already earned the famous moniker "Father of His Country." Ryan Whites documentary about the data-gathering land rover that was only expected to function on Mars surface for about 90 days, yet wound up lasting a remarkable 15 years. We told you we would open our hearts to you. by watchingGood Night Oppy, and this movies spoonful-of-sugar emotional appeal was really tailored for them. Alan Michelson is a Mohawk artist and a member of Six Nations of the Grand River. In recent times, probably no San Francisco news story has traveled as far or as wide as the story about Victor Arnautoffs murals which subvert the myths and depict the life of George Washington as a foe of the Iroquois and an owner of Black slaves. In Snitows and Kaufmans documentary some George Washington students and their parents argue that the images on the walls are a relic of the past and not history, that they instill a sense of trauma and shame and ought to be eradicated. From George Washington to Major General John Sullivan, 31 May 1779 Sir, The expedition you are appointed to command is to be directed against the hostile tri 21st. 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. The name in its original language(s) has been given variously as Conotocarius, Conotocaurious, Caunotaucarius, Conotocarious, Hanodaganears, and Hanadahguyus. In his general perspective and frequent logistical frustrations, his movie provides a challenge to the complacency of the able-bodied, and a chance to experience a very different relationship towards the external world. On 29 Oct. 1790 these chiefs appeared before the supreme executive council of Pennsylvania, seeking redress for a number of wrongs allegedly committed against the Seneca. Degrowth or Debunk: Do Degrowth proponents have a strategy? The surviving Onondaga were homeless; some began to rebuild; some headed west to find shelter with their brother nations the Cayuga and Seneca. When George Washington High Schooldesigned by architect Timothy Pfleuger, who also created the Castro and Paramount Theaters, among other landmarksopened in 1936, its hallways sported 13 impressive murals titledThe Life of Washington. Many expressed distress at the revelation. Nicole Flatterys Nothing Special Tackles Authorship inside Warhols Factory, Frieze Editors Picks: Jafar Panahis No Bears. It has also been translated as "Town Taker", "Burner of Towns", "Devourer of Villages . What Happens When Art Gets Competitive on Television? tr. Its minders at the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena demonstrate a very paternal mindset, saying things like Theres energy in its veins, it needs to be given love, and otherwise viewing Oppy more like a genius dog than a technological tool. Washington referred to himself as "Conotocaurious" in a letter he wrote to Andrew Montour dated October 10, 1755, in which he tried to manipulate the Oneida to resettle on the Potomac: In 1779 during the American Revolutionary War, the Sullivan Expedition, under Washington's orders,[6] destroyed over 40 Iroquois villages in New York, partially in response to Iroquois participation in attacks on the Wyoming Valley in July 1778 and Cherry Valley in November 1778. Larger questions arose: Is arts purpose to provoke, or placate? 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, What they said went to the bottom of our hearts: We accepted the invitation and promised to obey him. We asked each other what we had done to deserve such severe chastisement. 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. 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. It has also been translated as "Town Taker", "Burner of Towns", "Devourer of Villages", or "he destroys the town". George Washington for sure had that nickname. Listen 52:10 On this edition of Your Call, we're discussing Town Destroyer, a new 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. TOWN DESTROYER happening at Walnut Creek Library - Contra Costa County, 1644 N. Broadway,Walnut Creek,CA,United States, Walnut Creek, United States on Fri Jan 13 2023 at 07:30 pm . 6 vols. They told us they must have the whole: That it was already ceded to them by the great King at the time of making peace with you, and was their own. Pennsylvania Archives. Town Destroyer? Town Destroyer explores the ways we look at art and history at a time of racial reckoning. In the summer of 1788 Livingston accompanied Phelps to a meeting with the Seneca chiefs at Buffalo Creek, and on 8 July Phelps concluded an agreement to purchase the Indian rights to the eastern third of the area purchased from Massachusetts (Livermore, Early American Land Companies, description begins Shaw Livermore. Deeming attacks on statues a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values and indoctrinate our children, Trumps rhetoric echoes the description of Native people in the Declaration of Independence as merciless Indian savages. All the Lands we have been speaking of belonged to the Six Nations: no part of it ever belonged to the King of England, and he could not give it to you. Nov. 5thBenefit forPrecita Eyes Muralists Q & A with filmmakers + Precita Eyes founder Susan Cervantes. The elder Washington's reputation was remembered and when they met his great-grandson in 1753 they called George Washington by the same name, Conotocarious.[2][3]. All Events This event has passed. Tuesday, November 29, 2022, 5pm PST. 6.In addition to other alleged unpunished murders, this is undoubtedly a reference to the recent acquittal of Samuel Doyle by a Pennsylvania court for his reported role in the murder of a Seneca man (see Timothy Pickering to GW, 4 Dec. 1790, n.6). Plus: Julian Assange's father comes to Roxie with new doc, Oscar-nominated Irish-language 'Quiet Girl,' more, Plus: 8mm video diaries by late, great local residentGeorge Kuchar and a history of the Laemmle theatre chain, Plus: 'First Fallen" confronts AIDS in Brazil, beguiling mystery in 'Magoado,' Naples thriller 'Nostalgia,' more new movies. 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. But the conflict revealed particularly ugly ideological divides, as amply shown inTown Destroyer. The Game which the great Spirit sent into our Country for us to eat, is going from among us: We thought he intended we should till the ground as the white people do, and we talked to one another about it. The former vice president has become the Democratic front-runner with primary victories across the country. As the first president of the United States, he established America's nation-to-nation relationship with its Indigenous people. The issues reached a tipping point not long ago when the members of the San Francisco Board of Education listened to impassioned testimony and voted to cover up the murals. Several years after the Revolutionary War, Seneca chiefs told Washington, "When your army entered the country of the Six Nations, we called you Town Destroyer; and to this day when the name is heard, our women look behind them and turn pale and our children cling to the necks of their mothers." The 13 murals at George Washington High School were painted in 1936 by leftwing artist Victor Arnautoff, a student of Diego Rivera. The Mohawks saw the colonial settlements in violation of the Proclamation Line and trespassers in their territory. Others, like the Mohawk, fought with their longstanding allies, the British. description ends Colonial ser., 16:5018), as well as other grievances. We are community supported journalism. When last Spring they called on us to go to war to secure them a bed to lie upon, The Seneccas entreated them to be quiet until we had spoken to you: but on our way down we heard, your army had gone to the Country which those nations inhabit: and if they meet together the best blood on both sides will stain the ground. 9 ser., 138 vols. Battlegroundhas already had a brief run in theaters, but now is available for streaming on digital platforms including iTunes. Not all U.S. presidents are missed once they leave the White House. 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. ERKURIES BEATTY, OF THE 4TH PENN LINE. For we are about to speak of things which are to us very great. We have found no proof the great grandfather ever got that nickname. He was the ingenious and cunning general who overcame the most extensive empire in the world to create a brand-new, "free" nation: the United States of America. The Then and Now project examines three case studies of dispossession: the 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. It dates back to as early as 1776, inspired by his roles in the Revolutionary War and Constitutional Convention. George "Town Destroyer" Washington Hulton Archive/Getty Images The first president holds the leftmost spot on the Mount Rushmore memorial carving, the center of the US one-dollar bill, and a controversial spot in the hearts of the indigenous people of America. Do this and so long2 as the Land shall remain that beloved name shall live in the heart of every Senecca. Become a 48 Hills Hero and support the only daily progressive news source in the Bay Area. And at this moment his wife and children are lying on the Ground in want of food. 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.1Our Councillors and warriors are men, and can not be afraid; but their hearts are grieved with the fears of our women The nickname had previously been given to his great-grandfather John Washington in the late seventeenth century. Town Destroyer will shed new light on our first president. While there he met with Alexander McGillivray in August in an effort to enlist the Creek leader in a common effort to obtain a settlement with the United States but was rebuffed. JavaScript is disabled. Hear us once more. George Washington: Father of His Country? California Indian Artist Judith Lowry describes the Gold Rush as ground zero for Native Americans and a time when they experienced searing losses.She adds that Arnautoff aimed to subvert the dominant narrative about Indians, pioneers and settlers. All rights reserved. History first: in 1779, three years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence and in the thick of a violent revolution, Washington ordered the total destruction and devastation of Iroquois villages allied with King George. This line was established after the French and Indian War by King George as a boundary between the colonists and Native lands. Legendary rock scene photographer's retrospective at Haight Street Art Center glittered with familiar faces. Conotocaurius (Town Destroyer, Seneca: Handaganyas) was a nickname given to George Washington by Iroquois peoples in 1753. (Being an Appendix to Report of the Minister of Agriculture.). The first screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers and special guests to be announced. to GW, 15 Aug. 1789, note 1. To the Irouqois, General George Washington was Ha-no-da-ga-nears, which means Town Destroyer, and this remained the name they gave to all Presidents of the United States. On display since San Franciscos 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. Plus: 'I Didn't See You There' on disability, 'Battleground' on abortion, and 'Good Night Oppy' on cute little Mars rovers. 'Town Destroyer' Versus the Iroquois Indians Forty Indian villagesand a powerful indigenous nationwere razed on the orders of George Washington By Johannah Cornblatt | June 27, 2008, at. held a Council and they agreed that no event of war could be worse than being driven with our wives & children from the only Country which we had any right to. 1788-89 United States presidential election [ edit] Washington is inaugurated as president of the United States in 1789. Rafa Sales Ross, a former employee of the now-closed Belmont Filmhouse in Aberdeen, describes what's at stake with public funding cuts across film and culture, On her latest album,the musician tackles mourning and uses memory as a way to enrich lifes soil, Salena Barry reflects on how the public art commission captures the pioneering spirit of Britains Caribbean community, Imani Mason Jordan speaks to the artist about how the pandemic has affected her work and what her plans are for Venice, The Austrian artist Wolfgang Zinggl looks back on his social practice collectives project for the 1999 Venice Biennale, Huw Lemmy tracks the rise and fall of the UKs most iconic purveyor of teenage cool, and the desires, hopes and aching failures it left its wake, Jamila Prowse reflects on how disability-inclusive resources can create a better art world, As Silicon Valleys latest buzzword picks up traction, Kyle Chayka investigates if this new utopian space is just yet another poorly regulated economy, As protests roil the opening of New York's Museum of Chinese Art (MOCA), we revisit the role of artist-led activism in Chinatown, Organic Music Societies shows the nomadic world the late American jazz icon and Swedish artist created for their friends, collaborators and children, Neneh and Eagle Eye Cherry, MTV's The Exhibit: Finding the Next Great Artist is supposed to celebrate art as such, but traps its players in the same tropes they typically oppose, Set in 1960s New York, the author's debut novel looks at who is given a voice, as well as satirizing the concept of work as a cure for alienation, This weeks selection also revisits the works of two literary giants and Yo Yo Mas electrifying rendition of a Bach classic, Using web3 technologies, the Berlin-based artist collective attempts to grant sovereignty to nature, FRIEZE 2020 Cookie Settings | Do Not Sell My Personal Information. George Washington is a polarizing character in American Indian history. ", This lesser-known title also had its origins in 1779, when General Washington ordered what at the time was the largest-ever campaign against the Indians in North America. The supreme executive council of Pennsylvania had informed Cornplanter and the other Seneca chiefs on 30 Oct. 1790 that Conotocaurius ( Town Destroyer) was a nickname given to George Washington by Iroquois peoples in 1753. 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! Good luck with that: GWHS is seldom if ever open to the general public. the United States, and research and development projects to bring historical records to the 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 will not join either side. Our chiefs were unable to contend at that time, & therefore they sold the Lands up to the line which was then shewn to them as the line of that State. The Death and Rebirth of the Seneca. Town Destroyers armies burned and plundered 60 of our towns and hundreds of our farms, fields, orchards and livestock, forcing our people to evacuate. Following the 2017 clashes at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Trump presciently observed: So, this week its Robert E. Lee [] I wonder, is it George Washington next week [] Thomas Jefferson the week after [] Where does it stop? The short answer is that it doesnt stop until the US contends not only with its history of slavery but also its history of dispossession. The Iroquois Confederacy, arguably the strongest Indian government during the colonial period, would never recover. (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. Thus he claimed the whole country North of Pensylvania and west of the Lands belonging to the Cayugas. Now Arnautoffs Works Progress Administration murals were being decried for depicting slavery and tribal genocide at all, something now criticized as triggering. 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). Best of the Bay During George Washington's presidency, Indian delegates were regular visitors to the seat of government. 4.On John Livingstons role in the New York-Genesee Land Companys 999year lease with Cayuga, Oneida, and Seneca chiefs, see John Livingston 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. Its time to reckon with a US founding father who waged genocidal warfare against Indigenous nations. light grey. Graham with his Compy. 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. He loves peace, and all that he had in store he has given to those who have been robbed by your people, lest they should plunder the innocent to repay themselves: the whole season which others employed in providing for their families, he has spent in his endeavors to preserve peace. Full schedule and info here. We also invite you to join the conversation on ourFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram. In the summer of 1790, Street was in New York to present these grievances to GW. Jimmy Carter is a Liberal Saint Now, Was a War Criminal Then. 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. And it is not the Six nations only, that reproach those Chiefs, with having given up that Country; the Chipaways and all the nations who lived on those lands westward, call to us & ask us brothers of In a letter written by tribal leaders in 1790, Washington is described as an unjust killer and referred to as the "Town Destroyer." Crops such as corn, beans, potatoes, pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, and melons grew in an abundance that astonished the invading soldiers. One commentary points out that by excluding the face of the Indian, the artist has respected the identity and the spirit of the dead person. Battlegroundis almost entirely limited to the game-changing year of 2020, when RBGs death, Amy Coney Barretts appointment, and other events turned a tide. 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. The Onondagas, who were honoring the neutrality agreement, were not prepared for the attack. To Natives, Washington was both the "Great White Father" and "Conotocarious," which means "Town Destroyer" or "Devourer of . . For my 2018 video installation Handaga:yas (Town Destroyer), I projected video referencing this scorched-earth campaign onto a replica portrait bust of Washington. Since that day, the Haudenosaunee have referred to all of the Presidents of the United States as Hanadagyas The Town Destroyer. White supremacy, grounded in the Doctrine of Discovery the absurd claim by European Christians and their American descendants that they were more entitled to our lands than we were was the rationale for dispossession. The men who claimed this promise said that you were children and had no Guns that when they had shaken you, you would submit. In fact, it dates back at least to 9 July 1776 when, after a public reading of the Declaration of Independence, a group of Continental soldiers and New Yorkers, calling themselves the Sons of Freedom, pulled down the equestrian statue of King George III on Bowling Green. public. We recollect that you did not promise to punish those who killed our people, and we now ask, Was it intended that your people should kill the Seneccas, and not only remain unpunished by you: but be protected by you against the next of kin?6. Filmmaker Alan Snitow stands in front of an audience after a screening of the film Town Destroyer at the Little Roxie Theater in San Francisco Calif., on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. Philadelphia and Harrisburg, 18521949. Washington received his commission on October 31, 1753 and set out immediately.