We delivered up two men, accordingly. Conotocaurius (Town Destroyer) was a nickname given to George Washington by Iroquois Native Americans in 1753. But we are free men, if any choose to fight for you, they may.. 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. Would doing so be a redaction of history, identity politics gone off the railsor a justified blow to a lingering American colonized mentality as well as ongoing traumatization of young minds? Courtesy: JASON SZENES/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock. Good luck with that: GWHS is seldom if ever open to the general public. 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. The name in its original language (s) has been given variously as Conotocarius, Conotocaurious, Caunotaucarius, Conotocarious, Hanodaganears, and Hanadahguyus. with filmmakers Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman"Town Destroyer the Art of Controversy". He is silent for he has nothing to answer. Summary: George Washington (1732-1799), nicknamed the "American Cincinnatus", was the 1st American President and served in office from 1789-1797. The last reason he assigned for continuing to refuse paying us was, that the King had ceded the lands to the thirteen fires and that he had bought them from you and paid you for them. More info here. When Seymour Hersh Strained to Keep Up With CounterPunch, Nichole Stephens, Administrative Assistant. Conotocaurius (Town Destroyer) was a nickname given to George Washington by Iroquois peoples in 1753. Black muralist Dewey Crumpler came of age in the era of Black Power. Now Arnautoffs Works Progress Administration murals were being decried for depicting slavery and tribal genocide at all, something now criticized as triggering. He had been commissioned by the Five Nations in the spring of 1790 to seek redress of grievances against the New York lessees. Crushed power. Before you determine on a measure so unjust, look up to the God who made us, as well as you, we hope he will not permit you to destroy the whole of our nation. Several of the latter have a Bay Area slant, notably two opening this Fri/4 at SFs Roxie Theater. Gil Herkimer Roads to Niagara Year 2000 Categories: facts, texts Updated:May 29, 2004 Share on TwitterFacebookLinkedInPreviousNext The name in its original language(s) has been given variously as Conotocarius, Conotocaurious, Caunotaucarius, Conotocarious, Hanodaganears, and Hanadahguyus. 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. Its like a midpoint betweenWall-Eand those old Disney True-Life Adventures, which manipulated nature footage into sentimental narrative shapes. Longtime local nonfiction filmmaking team Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman (Blacks & Jews, Secrets of Silicon Valley, etc.) Conotocaurius ( Town Destroyer) was a nickname given to George Washington by Iroquois peoples in 1753. But instead of trying them according to your Law, the lowest of your people took them from your magistrate, and put them immediately to death. 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." 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. Report on Canadian Archives . CODE OF CONDUCT, Workshop: In Our Own Words: Poetry on Film. The voice of the Senecca Nation speaks to you the great Councillor, in whose heart, the wise men of the thirteen fires, have placed their wisdom. HAWARA, West Bank (AP) Israeli troops fired stun grenades and blocked hundreds of Israeli left-wing activists from staging a solidarity rally on Friday in a Palestinian town that was set . During the American Revolution, some Mohawks led by Joseph Brant chose to fight with the British and to defend the Proclamation Line. The George Washington's 2008 arrival in Yokosuka was preceded several months by more than 240 Navy families. Privacy Policy But no doubt more than a few young people will get turned on to robotics, space exploration, et al. This resulted in a companion mural from African American artist Dewey Crumpler, entitledMulti-Ethnic Heritage, being commissioned for an adjacent corridor. r e. s w. w. w. Tow. 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. For GWs reply, see GW to the Seneca Chiefs, 29 Dec. 1790. In retrospect, no one should be surprised: Trump is exactly the sort of person who will always be able to get an unwanted pregnancy handled, legally or not, as People With Money always have. The French came among us and built Niagara. Washington was elected with 69 of the 69 first-round votes cast in the United States Electoral College. Roxie Theater: Town Destroyer - Mission Local George Washington is a polarizing character in American Indian history. It also opens Fri/4 at the Roxie, with some screenings attended by Davenport and producer Keith Wilson. These are to us very great things. If you find our videos helpful you can support us by buying something from amazon.https://www.amazon.com/?tag=wiki-audio-20Town Destroyer Conotocaurious (Tow. From George Washington to Major General John Sullivan, 31 May 1779, Simeon DeWitt Central NY Military Tract c.1792. For this Land Phelps agreed to pay us Ten thousand dollars in hand and one thousand dollars a year for ever. It is an ideology that has been so thoroughly internalized that it has never prompted a national reckoning. left as is, but with explanatory text?) Does this promise bind you? When the Ronald Reagan arrived to replace the George Washington in 2015 . Revisiting George Washington's assault on the Haudenosaunee 240 Years Ottawa, 1891. description ends 15354). We know that you are strong and we have heard that you are wise; and we wait to hear your answer to what we have said that we may know that you are just. US 2022, 55 min, Director: Alan Snitow, Deborah Kaufman, Is arts role to provoke or placate? UCLA Professor Kelley adds that its not about choosing sides and that no one person or group can tell the story.. After all, the issue goes back to 1779 when Washington ordered the destruction of the Iroquois villages. History of Relations with our Brothers: 1613 to Today, Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), MAGAZINE OF SMITHSONIANS NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN. When he met with Washington 11 years after the devastating campaign, Chief Cornplanter, who headed the Seneca tribe of the Iroquois, stressed the durability of "Town Destroyer" as the commander in chief's nickname. 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. 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.". The name in its original language (s) has been given variously as Conotocarius, Conotocaurious, Caunotaucarius, Conotocarious, Hanodaganears, and Hanadahguyus. For over 8 miles south of Onondaga Lake, the colonial army followed the orders of General Washington killing and burning. Roxie Theater: Town Destroyer November 4, 2022 @ 6:45 pm - 8:45 pm The Onondagas, who were honoring the neutrality agreement, were not prepared for the attack. 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.. Our nation empowered John Livingston to let out a part of our lands on rent. Thus he claimed the whole country North of Pensylvania and west of the Lands belonging to the Cayugas. Near the end of the documentary, Jessica Young, a Native American at the New College of Florida, says shes unsure which side shes on. TOWN DESTROYER - Mill Valley Film Festival 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. USS George Washington destined for Japan to replace USS Ronald Reagan George Washington (1700s), also known as Hanadaguyus , had become famous as an Indian killer during the French and Indian War. 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 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. Hundreds of Iroquois died of exposure to winter weather. But the issue was more complex than that, with painfully strong feelings on all sides, many of whose participants more typically found themselves on thesameside. Thurs. For first one, and then another, come and take it away, by order of that people, who promised to secure it to us. Many expressed distress at the revelation. We told you we would open our hearts to you. We have nothing to answer to the children of the brothers of our fathers. 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. Years later when George Washington was elected President of the newly formed United States, Seneca Chief Corn Planter addressed President Washington in 1790. We have already said how we came to join against you. New York, 1939. description ends 197203). copy, DNA: RG 233, First Congress, 17891791, Records of the Office of the Clerk, Records of Reports from Executive Departments (War Department), Confidential Reports; To Natives, Washington was both the "Great White Father" and "Conotocarious," which means "Town Destroyer" or "Devourer of . Filmmakers Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman . We debated with him six days during all which time he persisted in refusing to pay us our just demand; and he ins[is]ted that we should receive the five hundred dollars, and Street from Niagara, also insisted on our receiving the money as it was offered to us. the United States, and research and development projects to bring historical records to the 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 . Revisiting George Washingtons assault on the Haudenosaunee 240 Years Later. Town Destroyeran anti-imperialist, anti-colonialist film is likely to stir up all over again fundamental issues about censorship, trauma, genocide and ethnicity. . 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. Trump, who is running for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, announced a slate of futuristic new policies in a campaign video Friday. Full schedule and info here. Hundreds perished of starvation, disease and exposure a Haudenosaunee Trail of Tears. The first U.S. presidential election was held over a period of weeks from December 1788 to January 1789. . All Events This event has passed. The board rescinded its decision, perhaps because it was embarrassed by the national publicity that depicted its decision as a form of censorship. That time George Washington ordered "total destruction and devastation Dennis Harvey. What the Senecca Nation promise they faithfully perform; and when you refused obedience to that King he ordered us to assist his beloved men in making you sober. 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). Town Destroyer is playing as part of the Mill Valley Film Festival with a screening Saturday afternoon at The Roxie (and with an extended run at the Roxie November 4-10). description ends , 5:51426; Zagarri, David Humphreys Life of General Washington, description begins Rosemarie Zagarri, ed. by watchingGood Night Oppy, and this movies spoonful-of-sugar emotional appeal was really tailored for them. The Mohawks saw the colonial settlements in violation of the Proclamation Line and trespassers in their territory. Philadelphia and Harrisburg, 18521949. By the standards of the era, the work was indeed pretty progressive in content, mixing a standard, celebratory depiction of early US history with images that clearly indicted treatment of Native Americans, the institution of slavery, and so forth. Nov. 5thBenefit forPrecita Eyes Muralists Q & A with filmmakers + Precita Eyes founder Susan Cervantes. TOWN DESTROYER - Sullivan-Clinton Campaign Docuseek | Town Destroyer On the next day we let them know, that we were unwilling to sell all the Lands within their State, and proposed to let them have a part of it which we pointed to them in their map. 5.Samuel Street, reportedly born in New England, kept a store at Niagara. Phelps (17491809) was a Massachusetts merchant, politician, and large-scale land speculator. It also illuminates a work of. Newsletter When I was a child, I was told that George Washington was our first president and that he had . Electoral history of George Washington - Wikipedia As the first president of the United States, he established America's nation-to-nation relationship with its Indigenous people. Among the many discussions in the podcast, Estes brings up George Washington's reputation amongst indigenous people as "town destroyer" Washington was known as "town destroyer." Archives. By August, the expedition was moving through Iroquois country, meeting almost no resistance. According to its production company: "TOWN DESTROYER explores how to look at art and history at a time of polarized national debate over the power of images, racism, trauma, and what . Hear our case, many nations inhabited this Country, but they had no wisdom, and therefore they warred, together. Graham with his Compy. Mural That Helped Ignite School Board Recall Inspires Debate Bob Spiegelman has been a freelance author and film producer, screenwriter, project-developer, multimedia advisor, research director and story consultant on a growing array of film, museum and multimedia projects. Conotocaurious(Town Destroyer) was a nicknamegiven to George Washingtonby IroquoisNative Americansin 1753. The father of his country massacred men, women and children. Street the great trader at Niagara was then with us having come at the request of Phelps, and as he always professed to be our great friend we consulted him on this subject; He also told us, that our Lands had been ceded by the King and that we must give them up.5. Handagayas Alan Michelson Town Destroyer - en-academic.com This is an analysis of a controversy that was all over the local and national news not so long ago even if it seems very long ago, as it was just-pre-COVID. 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. Just an hour long, Snitow and Kaufmans documentary offers a fascinating overview of a case that encapsulates many of the bitterest divisions of our era. Advertise Town Destroyer - Rotten Tomatoes Tuesday, November 29, 2022, 5pm PST. oy. The Seneca address was transmitted to Henry Knox for report; Knox replied on 27 Dec. 1790 with a report on the Seneca address and a draft of GWs reply (see Knox to GW, 27 Dec. 1790). This address was signed by the Allegheny Seneca chief, Cornplanter (for an identification, see GW to Timothy Pickering, 4 Sept. 1790), and the minor chiefs Half Town (Gahgeote, Achiout) and Great Tree (Kiandoch-gowa, Big Tree, Big Log, not to be confused with a more important Seneca chief named Big Tree or Great Tree; see Henry Knox to GW, 27 Dec. 1790, n.4). The supreme executive council of Pennsylvania had informed Cornplanter and the other Seneca chiefs on 30 Oct. 1790 that America's love affair with mass murderers has a long history - whether it unfolds as empathizing with Ted Bundy or as the canonization of town destroyer George Washington as a founding father . The documentary also provides a platform for experts about the representations and misrepresentations of Indians in American culture, including commercial advertisements and the names of military helicopters like Apache and Comanche to Barbie Dolls with feathers and beads. In the summer of 1790, Street was in New York to present these grievances to GW. Sign up for email updates on the latest frieze talks, fairs and events. For we are about to speak of things which are to us very great. nD. It dates back to as early as 1776, inspired by his roles in the Revolutionary War and Constitutional Convention. 5 Essential Books on George Washington John Reeves To the great Councillor of the thirteen fires. Do this and so long2 as the Land shall remain that beloved name shall live in the heart of every Senecca. 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. After fighting with the Haudenosaunee in the French and Indian War, the colonists called upon the Haudenosaunee to a meeting at Ft. Pitt in 1775 to ask in their aide in the upcoming revolution against the British. 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. 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. We are community supported journalism. Conotocaurius ( Town Destroyer, Seneca: Handaganyas) was a nickname given to George Washington by Iroquois peoples in 1753. This is the skeleton of Napoleon Bonaparte's favourite steed, "Marengo". Town Destroyer, also translated as Town Taker, Burner of Towns, or Devourer of Villages, was a nickname given to George Washington by Iroquois Indians. hidden? Note: The annotations to this document, and any other By Josh Sippie / July 27, 2022 11:39 pm EST. AI Chatbots are Even Scarier Than You Think, DeSantiss Educational Policies Come Right Out of the Fascist Playbook, Erase the Memory to Erase a People? In April 1779, the colonial army attacked the capital of the Haudenosaunee, the Onondaga Nation. 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? modern editorial content, are copyright The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. The Haudenosaunee pledged neutrality with this statement, We see this as a fight between father and son. New York, 1970. description ends 174). To him we gave four miles round Niagara, as a place of Trade. 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" 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. Battlegroundis almost entirely limited to the game-changing year of 2020, when RBGs death, Amy Coney Barretts appointment, and other events turned a tide. He lives in New York. When we saw we were deceived and heard the invitation which you gave us to draw near to the fire you had kindled and talk with you concerning peace we made haste towards it. Since that day, the Haudenosaunee have referred to all of the Presidents of the United States as Hanadagyas The Town Destroyer. Jonah Raskin is the author of Beat Blues, San Francisco, 1955. They then left us to consider the bargain till the next day. Town Destroyer is a 2022 documentary that discusses the art, history, struggle, and politics around the Victor Arnautoff murals at George Washington High School. Often it took the army days to completely destroy all of the longhouses, fields, orchards and food stores. The Current TikTok Ban Doesnt Go Far Enough. Screen Grabs: 'Town Destroyer' dives into the George Washington Supes fail by one vote to approve Sanctuary City resolution that challenges ICE, Biden, Herb Greenes 60s Haight-Ashbury shots immortalize era, Grace Slicks bird, The tragic toxic legacy of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, Screen Grabs: Of Cocaine Bears and Jesus freaks, Screen Grabs: WinterFest brings Ukrainian kids, artificial shtetls, orthodox drama, Screen Grabs: Noise Pop Film Fest brings space bubbles, rap spoofs, toxic New Wave fans, Budget Chair Chan prepares for serious challenges to mayors budget priorities, Best of the Bay 2022 Editors Pick: Red Poppy Art House. It involved members of both the Susquehannah and the Piscataway, an Algonquian tribe that lived across the Potomac River from Mount Vernon. In July 2020, Americans are once again divided, gathering in the streets and tearing down statues. And he said also that it did not belong to us for that the great King had ceded the whole of it when you made peace with him. 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." The exploration vehicle/device dubbed Opportunity was sent into space in 2003, landed on the Red Planet six months later, and sent a steady stream of photos and intel back to NASA long after. preserve, publish, and encourage the use of documentary sources, relating to the history of (The Iroquois dubbed him "Town Destroyer.") It is just to punish murder with death, but the Seneccas will not deliver up their people to men, who disregard the treaties of their own nation. The Speech of the Corn-planter, Half-town and the Great-Tree chiefs of the Senecca Nation. In mid-2019 the School Board threw gas on the firestorm by voting to destroy the works outright. Part of Colonial Williamsburg's "Prelude to Victory" weekend. 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. Sat. . How did we get here after 50 years, during which span a majority of Americans came to support abortion access?