The Dish with one Spoon

Continued from last week

(William Johnson Papers, II,705)

After the defeat of the French in 1760,the British soon found themselves looked upon as possible arbitrators in hunting territory disputes between the nations who had been allies of France. The Algonquins and Nipissings complained that the Mohawks were trespassing on their Ottawa Valley hunting grounds, which they (the Algonquins and Nipissings) had been harvesting in a gradual and deliberate manner. The British Indian Department officials at first replied that the Royal Proclomation of 1763 had reserved the territory west of the Quebec boundary to all the Indian nations together, so that there were no more hunting grounds that could be claimed by individual nations exclusively. The same kinds of conflicts arose when the Haudenosaunee in general began to hunt northward into territory claimed by Kahnawake. The principles of the Dish with One Spoon began to be mingled with the terms of later treaties – between aboriginal nations and communities, with the French, and with the British. In these disputes, though, the issues were generally those which involved commercial trapping or hunting. The fundamental principle of the land being a source of food for all was never in issue.

On August 30, 1765, Daniel Claus, the Deputy Superintendent General of Indian Affairs, wrote to Sir William Johnson about the hunting rights of the people of Kahnawake and potential conflicts with the Mohawks, Oneidas and Onondagas. Claus and the Kahnawake people linked the Dish with one Spoon to the general Treaty with the French in 1701: he asked Johnson to “interfere” and remind those Nations of the old agreement made before the French Governor years ago, in the presence of Five Confederate, and all the other Nations in Canada, that when a general Peace was made, and concluded between these Nations, the Governor told them, that as they were to become one body, and of one mind, the Woods, and Hunting Grounds could be no otherwise than in common, and free to one Nation as to another, in the same manner as a large Dish of Meat would be to a Company of People who were invited to eat it, when every Guest has liberty to cut as they pleased, wherefore they hoped you would make these three Nations abide by that Agreement. (Sir William Johnson Papers, XI:917)

On October 4,1767, the Haudenosaunee communities of Kahnawake and Kanesatake met with the British Governor of Quebec (known by his Mohawk title, Asharekowa): In the afternoon they met and the Cagnawageys opened the Council Pr. Assarigoa with respect to their Message which is to put them in Mind & renew the old Agreement which was that all the Nations in Canada should enjoy a free hunting wherever they thought proper that there should be no claim of property of any particular spot, but all Indians in general should equally enjoy the liberty of hunting in the woods (whenever they thought proper) which their wise forefathers concerned & agreed upon in order to prevent jealousies & envy which they but justly foresaw must produce disputes & quarrels & finally bring on their destruction. And therefore have them their advice to (hear) use the woods with the same freedom as they would a kettle with victuals when invited to a feast and with one spoon & knife to eat all together sociably & without begrudging those that had a better appetite & eat more than others.

(Sir William Johnson Papers, Vol. XIII, p. 432)

In the early 1790’s, after the American Revolutionary War, the “Indian Confederacy” was meeting to explore ways of creating a united front to prevent further encroachment form the United States. This Confederacy – term some of the speakers used was “the people of our color” included most of the Nations east of the Mississippi from the Creeks of the southeast to the Ojibways of the Great Lakes to the “Seven Nations of Canada” on the St. Lawrence and the Sauks and Foxes in the west.

Since part of the Haudenosaunee homelands were now within the boundaries of New York State, there was pressure on their deputies to secure peace. Thayendenegea, or Joseph Brant, brought news of his negotiations with the United States at Philadelphia to a council held at the rapids of the Miami River in May,1793. Speaking on behalf of the Six Nations, he said that: we placed a Moon of Wampum and a Dish with One Spoon in the Council which signified that the country was in common.

Captain Johnny of the Shawnee replied for the Western Nation (for this Council, mirroring those of the Haudenosaunee, there are two “sides”, alternating in presenting their views). Thayendenegea’s record of the council states: about this time the Creeks arrived, after repeating what the Six Nations had said some days ago respecting the Moon of Wampum and the Dish with One Spoon, he produced four strings of Wampum and a pipe and tobacco which a Warrior of the Creeks took and spoke as follows: Brothers: I am happy that a Council was held in the Glaize last fall and that in consequence thereof the Confederacy are now met, and I am now come to strengthen the Union and altho’ these our Strings are small they are full of meaning, our Confederacy is like a house with four doors and all the Indian Country is in common, it appears most exposed to the Eastward but we are determined that no part of it shall suffer if in our power to support it.