Kanati
01-04-2009, 14:15
For those who are interested, I thought I would expand on JJMcK's revelation of who Warraghiyagey was and tell something of his place in the history of our country. The following is historical fact.
In Alan W. Eckert's book: Wilderness Empire, A narrative, the story is told of a boy being born in Ireland about the year 1712. This boy was named William Johnson. As a teenager, he came to the American colonies with his uncle who was a business man, merchant, etc.. William worked for uncle for several years learning the trade and later went into business for himself establishing a store/mill/trading post north of the Mohawk river in what is the state of New York. He became a wealthy man. The indians observed that William was not the typical British businessman. William dealt fairly with them instead of getting them drunk and cheating them out of their furs and other items of trade as they were accustomed to. William would let them get drunk if they so desired but when they sobered up, they would find that all their goods were still in tact. In fact William had a deep respect and admiration for the indians. One chief in particular, old Tiyanoga of the Mohawk, eastern most tribe of the Great League of Nations known as the Iroquois, had a personal fondness for William and invited him to be adopted into their tribe. William was honored, humbled, and immediately accepted. In a great cermony cc 1745 he became a Mohawk and was adopted as a full member of the Iroquois League which included six tribes. Tiyanoga named him, Warraghiyagey, which means, The-Man-Who-Undertakes-Great-Things.
William dedicated the remainder of his life to fighting for the Indians rights and became hated by many people for it. In the end he could not help them.
He also fathered many, some say a hundred or more half indian children.
Other great historical books by Alan Eckert included: The Frontiersman and The Conquerors.
Good hiking :)
Kanati
In Alan W. Eckert's book: Wilderness Empire, A narrative, the story is told of a boy being born in Ireland about the year 1712. This boy was named William Johnson. As a teenager, he came to the American colonies with his uncle who was a business man, merchant, etc.. William worked for uncle for several years learning the trade and later went into business for himself establishing a store/mill/trading post north of the Mohawk river in what is the state of New York. He became a wealthy man. The indians observed that William was not the typical British businessman. William dealt fairly with them instead of getting them drunk and cheating them out of their furs and other items of trade as they were accustomed to. William would let them get drunk if they so desired but when they sobered up, they would find that all their goods were still in tact. In fact William had a deep respect and admiration for the indians. One chief in particular, old Tiyanoga of the Mohawk, eastern most tribe of the Great League of Nations known as the Iroquois, had a personal fondness for William and invited him to be adopted into their tribe. William was honored, humbled, and immediately accepted. In a great cermony cc 1745 he became a Mohawk and was adopted as a full member of the Iroquois League which included six tribes. Tiyanoga named him, Warraghiyagey, which means, The-Man-Who-Undertakes-Great-Things.
William dedicated the remainder of his life to fighting for the Indians rights and became hated by many people for it. In the end he could not help them.
He also fathered many, some say a hundred or more half indian children.
Other great historical books by Alan Eckert included: The Frontiersman and The Conquerors.
Good hiking :)
Kanati