They became our fathers, and took care of us. Town Destroyer - Wikipedia 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. However, theres one thing almost everyone will agree on: After seeing the film, you will most likely be jonesing to see Arnautoffs magnum opus in person, because it looks quite stunning. Presented by the California Film Institute (CAFILM), the 45th Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF45) runs October 6-16, 2022. On this edition of Your Call, we rebroadcast our discussion about Town Destroyer, a 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. The Iroquois, whose tribes had lined up on both sides of the conflict, were too distracted by their own internal divisions to see the crisis coming. Conotocaurius (Town Destroyer) was a nickname given to George Washington by Iroquois Native Americans in 1753. 48 Hills welcomes comments in the form of letters to the editor, which you can submithere. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy. That did not happen, and in fact the murals fate (should they be removed? Town Destroyer examines how a changing society should reckon with 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. ), Timothy Pickering to GW, 4 Dec. 1790, n.6, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-07-02-0005, From Washington to Seneca Chiefs [29 December 1790], All correspondence between Washington and Seneca Chiefs, National Historical Publications and The name in its original language(s) has been given variously as "Caunotaucarius", "Conotocarious", "Hanodaganears", and "Hanadahguyus." It is translated as "Town Taker", "Burner of Towns", "Devourer of Villages", or "he destroys the town". Town Destroyer, also translated as Town Taker, Burner of Towns, or Devourer of Villages, was a nickname given to George Washington by Iroquois Indians. All rights reserved. Washington himself was given or assumed an Indian name, Conoto carious, meaning "Town Destroyer" or "Devourer of Villages," and an Indian messenger who arrived at Fort Harmar in July 1788 was identified as "George Washington, a Delaware." He was not the only Indian to bear Washington's name. Thus he claimed the whole country North of Pensylvania and west of the Lands belonging to the Cayugas. An installation of video projected onto a bust of George Washington mounted on a surveyor's tripod. 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. They would soon face one of the largest amphibious invasions yet seen. Tuesday, November 29, 2022, 5pm PST. Years later when George Washington was elected President of the newly formed United States, Seneca Chief Corn Planter addressed President Washington in 1790. 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When you kindled your thirteen fires seperately, the wise men Alan Michelson is a Mohawk artist and a member of Six Nations of the Grand River. 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." Town Destroyer - Roxie The film highlights the debate about controversial murals at George Washington High School. Did George Washington Burn New York? - The Atlantic George Washington (Greenough) - Wikipedia Main Image:Washington Square Park Arc, 2020. During the American Revolution, some Mohawks led by Joseph Brant chose to fight with the British and to defend the Proclamation Line. In Town Destroyer, the filmmakers focus on the image of a dead Indian lying face down on the ground while settlers with guns stand close-by. Town Destroyer - History Attend the World Premiere of Town Destroyer at the Mill Valley Film Crushed power. The surviving Onondaga were homeless; some began to rebuild; some headed west to find shelter with their brother nations the Cayuga and Seneca. Great Tree was shot in the leg during his stay in Philahdelphia (Wallace, Death and Rebirth of the Seneca, description begins Anthony F. C. Wallace. 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. It involved members of both the Susquehannah and the Piscataway, an Algonquian tribe that lived across the Potomac River from Mount Vernon. Conotocaurius (Town Destroyer, Seneca: Handaganyas) was a nickname given to George Washington by Iroquois peoples in 1753. American soldiers burned forty villages to the ground, and displaced thousands of Indians. copy, MHi: Timothy Pickering Papers; George Washington and the Iroquois - YouTube Often it took the army days to completely destroy all of the longhouses, fields, orchards and food stores. Our writings were lodged in the hands of Street of Niagara, as we supposed him to be our friend; but when we saw Phelps consulting with Street, on every occasion, we doubted of his honesty towards us, and we have since heard, that he was to How did we get here after 50 years, during which span a majority of Americans came to support abortion access? 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. . In obeying him we did no more than you yourselves had lead us to promise. Gen, George Washington meets with representatives of the Iroquois nation before departing for Y. (The Iroquois dubbed him "Town Destroyer.") Will California Save the Iconic Joshua Tree? The name in its original language(s) has been given variously as Conotocarius , Conotocaurious , Caunotaucarius , Conotocarious , Hanodaganears , and Hanadahguyus . George Washington, Town Destroyer | Frieze Indigenous Values Initative. Summary: George Washington (1732-1799), nicknamed the "American Cincinnatus", was the 1st American President and served in office from 1789-1797. "Town Destroyer" is a translation of the name given to George Washington by the Iroquois nation after he demanded the total destruction of their settlement and crops in a 1779 attack against the tribe that was aligned with the British. He then threatened us with immediate war if we did not comply. Notes towards a Native American history of George Washington "[8][9], Last edited on 11 February 2023, at 23:33, George Washington: A Biographical Companion, From George Washington to Andrew Montour, 10 October 1755, From George Washington to Major General John Sullivan, 31 May 1779, "Madam Sacho: How One Iroquois Woman Survived the American Revolution", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Town_Destroyer&oldid=1138845464, This page was last edited on 11 February 2023, at 23:33. 1890. Washington received his commission on October 31, 1753 and set out immediately. They called us brothers and invited us to his protection. 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.". Why does Cornplanter bring this up? To this day, "Town Destroyer" is still used as an Iroquois name for the president of the United States. 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The Expedition you are appointed to command is to be directed against the hostile tribes of the Six Nations of Indians, with their associates and adherents. Town Destroyer - Wikiwand Both Washington and Jefferson enslaved and waged war against Indigenous nations to dispossess them of their homelands. The name in its original language (s) has been given variously as Conotocarius, Conotocaurious, Caunotaucarius, Conotocarious, Hanodaganears, and Hanadahguyus. A dispute erupts at a San Francisco high school over Depression-era murals about the life of George Washington: slaveowner, military leader, land speculator, President, and a man Native leaders.
