Celebrating Akwesasne History

By Darren Bonaparte

Visitors to the Akwesasne Powwow may have noticed some new additions to the grounds of the A'nowara'ko:wa Arena: three new historical markers, the first of twelve that celebrate the history of Akwesasne.

I am proud to say that I have been a part of this project. I researched and wrote the text of these markers and came up with the overall design. My daughter Jade Thompson, a graduate of the art program at St. Lawrence College in Brockville, did the pyrographic art that graces each marker.

Unlike Cornwall's historical markers, which focus on the buildings and structures from the city's glory days, the first three markers are all about people. The three individuals chosen for the first markers were larger-than-life historical figures worthy of such a memorial.

The first was Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, a Mohawk woman of the 17th century. Tekakwitha was born in our old homelands of the Mohawk River valley. She survived a smallpox outbreak as a child as well as the fiery destruction of her village five years later. When she grew up, she converted to the Roman Catholic faith, and was part of a wave of Mohawks who relocated to mission villages along the St. Lawrence River. She died with a reputation of holiness at the age of twenty-four, and soon after began to appear in visions to those who knew her, including the priests of the mission. Numerous miracles are attributed to her intercession. Pope Benedict XVI canonized her as a saint in 2012.

The illustration for her marker was based on a portrait by one of the Jesuit priests who knew her, Father Claude Chauchetière. This painting can be seen at the Mission of Saint-François-Xavier in Kahnawake, the site of her tomb.

The second marker celebrates the life of Colonel Louis Cook, the son of an African slave and an Abenaki woman. He was captured in the French attack on Fort Saratoga in 1745 and adopted by the Mohawks of Kahnawake. As a young warrior, he fought in the French and Indian War on the side of the French along with others from his village. When the American Revolution broke out two decades later, Cook rallied to the American cause and was commissioned as an officer of the Continental Army. He led Oneida and Tuscarora warriors throughout the conflict. Cook fought for the Americans again in the War of 1812, when he was in his late seventies. He was given an honourary commission as a general, saw action on the Niagara frontier, and died from injuries sustained in combat. His descendants make up the second largest family in Akwesasne today.

The illustration for Colonel Louis is based on an image of him that is found in The Death of General Montgomery at the Battle of Quebec, a well-known painting by John Trumbull at the Yale University Art Gallery.

The third marker commemorates one of his descendants, Captain Bill Cook, a Marine Corps fighter pilot in World War II. At a young age, Cook proudly represented and shared Mohawk culture at summer camps in the Adirondacks. During the war, he served in the Pacific theatre, and survived being shot in the shoulder by a Japanese sniper. He was one of more than 330 Akwesasne men who helped defeat the Axis powers in that conflict. He returned to service during the Korean War, and tragically lost his life in a plane crash while training new pilots. His illustration is based on service photographs submitted by his family.

Future markers will focus on other aspects of Akwesasne history. We hope to involve new artists in the creation of the art.

Many people were a part of this initiative. Nola Benedict, Project Development Officer for Mohawk Council of Akwesasne's Department of Economic Development, has been the driving force behind it from the beginning. Bruce Boots of Akwesasne photographed the art. Dave's Reliable Signs of Cornwall did graphic work and created the custom cedar posts. The sign panels were made by iZone Imaging. The UPS Store handled shipping. Dean Point of Akwesasne made the custom post brackets and concrete pads and installed the finished signs. Robert Bedard of Quality Concrete Floors did the concrete stamping. I would like to acknowledge the staff of the A'nowara'ko:wa Arena for giving the markers such a prominent location, and to Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program, Secretariat aux affaires autochtones Aboriginal Initiatives Fund, and the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne for their financial contributions and support.