Daniel Garakonthie

Background

Daniel Garakonthie was an Onondaga and is thought to be identical with the Sagochiendaghte, a title applied to the head councilor not only of his tribe but of the Iroquois Confederacy, which had its chief council house among the Onondaga.

Career

As a chief counselor or Sagochiendaghte, Daniel visited Montreal with the embassy of 1654 which came seeking peace. This embassy, which seems to have been the result of Iroquois reverses in the West, was a welcome surprise for the harassed French colonists.

In token of their good faith the Iroquois left hostages, among whom was Garakonthie ; and it was doubtless at this time that he conceived a strong admiration for French persons and customs.

Two years later, he returned to Montreal with two rescued prisoners, one of whom was Adrien Jolliet. In a hazardous attempt to make peace, Canada sent to the Iroquois country in 1657 a colony of over fifty Frenchmen, who settled on the Onondaga canton and were destined for capture and torture when in March 1658, by a curious ruse, they made their escape.

It is stated, although without positive evidence, that the colony was warned by Garakonthie. He does not appear in the Jesuit Relations under his personal name until 1661 when Father Simon Le Moyne visited the Iroquois. The chief village of the Onondaga at this time was two miles from the present Manlius, New York, on what is known as Indian Hill.

Garakonthie and all his warriors went out to meet the Jesuit priest and paid him signal honors. The chief announced himself publicly as the protector of the French and had near him nineteen captives whom he had rescued from the several Iroquois tribes.

He arranged his own cabin as a chapel for the use of the priest, and after a council in which he announced his purpose to unite Onontio and Sagochiendaghte, accompanied Le Moyne to Canada with nine of the rescued captives.

The next year, he brought as many more to Montreal and despite continued attacks on the colonists by hostile war parties, chiefly from the Mohawk tribe, was received with great honor, loaded with gifts, and returned to his country still more favorably inclined to the French.

In 1664, on a new errand of mercy to Montreal, he was defeated en route by French allied Indians, Algonquian and Montagnais. Nevertheless, he refused to take vengeance and made overtures of peace.

The next year, Father Le Moyne died, and Garakonthie on a visit to Quebec in December 1665, delivered an oration of marked eloquence to the spirit of his departed friend.

Peace with the Iroquois was finally made in 1667 after the governor had invaded the Mohawk country.

During all the period of hostilities, the Onondaga chief had remained true to his purpose.

Achievements

• During all the period of hostilities, the Onondaga chief had remained true to his purpose. He was called the “Father of the French” and had rescued over sixty white captives from death and torture. One of the things for which he was noted was his opposition to the sale of liquor in his country. Since the Jesuit missions had, on the whole, little success with the chiefs and warriors of the tribes, the adherence and conversion of a well-known chief like Garakonthie was much exploited.

Religion

On a visit to Quebec during the winter of 1669-70, Daniel declared himself a convert to Christianity and asked for baptism. This ceremony was performed by Bishop Laval in the cathedral at Quebec.

The governor, Rémy de Courcelles, stood as godfather, giving in baptism his own name of Daniel; the daughter of the intendant, Mademoiselle Bouteroue, was godmother.

Thenceforward the proselyte was firm in his new faith, and he learned to read and write in order to use the sacred books.

On a visit to New Netherland, he entered the Protestant church and falling on his knees repeated the Catholic prayers taught him by the Jesuits.

Just before his death, at Onondaga, he gave three feasts in which he besought his people to listen to the Jesuit teachings, and when he died he asked to be buried in the French manner.

Personality

He was called by the writer of the Relation of 1661 “a man of excellent intelligence, a good disposition, fond of the French. ”

Quotes from others about the person

• Charlevoix, the Jesuit historian, said of him: “Garakontie, by birth and education a savage, had a noble natural manner, a disposition of much sweetness, a superior genius with much integrity and uprightness of character, His bravery in war, his dextrous diplomacy, his lively spirit in council had acquired for him the greatest esteem in his nation. ”
  
  He was called by the writer of the Relation of 1661 “a man of excellent intelligence, a good disposition, fond of the French. ”