This year is the Bicentennial of the Erie Canal's opening. I wanted to add a bit of a different perspective to this moment in history in this comic ft. Jennie/NY & Mr. Kanien'kehá:ka (who btw is still very much alive).
There is more context beneath the cut.
I made this post about four years ago exploring this moment in American History exclusively from Jennie/NY's perspective. She views this event as proving those like Alfred, and the other states, for doubting her expertise in financial manners as wrong, and also to prove she can be trusted with this type of work (lowkey throughout the colonial era and even up to the event in question, they view her with a sense of suspicion due to her Dutch origin). Alfred comes to trust her even moreso after this.
I also just want to quickly note that Alfred in my lore was highly immature with his duties as a nation given the weakness of the federal government at this time. He used to just let his states do much of his international relations, and trade and even most governance-- his role was really just to partake in wars. His original 13 states also weren't interested in this slightly younger kid telling them what to do. But this is another discussion.
Anyways, we often leave out that the Erie Canal was built upon the displacement of the Haudenosaunee following Sullivan's Expedition, dubious land sales, and broken treaties.
Mr. Kanien'kehá:ka, and his friends who make up the Haudenosaunee, were an extremely powerful force in the region prior to colonization. They made deals and treaties with the Dutch, French, and later the English that helped them maintain their power despite colonization, and allowed them to more easily facilitate trade. Some of these treaties included the Two Row Wampum with the Dutch. However, times change, and the Haudenosaunee increasingly become outnumbered by settlers and power has changed greatly too.
Mr. Kanien'kehá:ka thinks that Jennie, and Alfred who are the successors to these treaties (which are deeply regarded in his culture) will uphold them. But Jennie and subsequently Alfred view the Haudenosaunee as a hinderance to the expansion of their borders, of their land, and of their power (as in to expand, but also to show they can maintain independence from Europe). Furthermore, Jennie nor Alfred for that matter necessarily saw the point of upholding a treaty with a nation that was "in their way", and did not see themselves as the successor of treaties like the Two Row Wampum (they did sign the Treaty of Canandaigua but that also isn't really upheld) as they took power for themselves with independence and did not necessarily inherit the power thus believed they were not beholden to the inheritance of treaty.
Another thing to note is they don't really like Mr. Kanien'kehá:ka cause he sided with Arthur during the revolution, he's actually lowkey excluded from the Treaty of Canadaigua as per the American version of the story...but the Haudenosaunee highkey do everything together so....Also I have Mr. Kanien'kehá:ka direclty confronting Jennie rather than Ms. Onoñda'gegá who holds a more treaty/peace-making role, because Mr. Kanien'kehá:ka holds a more of a warrior/protector role and Jennie is being aggressive (is putting it lightly).
One final note is Alfred is off fighting Mr. Anigaduwagi (cherokee), and he isn't actually involved with the Erie Canal so that's why he isn't pictured here. Also jennie is being rude here by calling him Mr. Mohawk despite knowing his name is Mr. Kanien'kehá:ka
Hehe I commissioned @ironicorange again! Hehe little Alfred and Mah Oc Ohnekanos, I can't stop staring at it! It's so fucking cute and I love how Alfred looks like his momma hehe
Can you draw what the Iroquois Confederacy would look like?
well first of all, they call themselves the Haudenosaunee! And the second of all, as the word confederacy implies, there are multiple nations under that term: the Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora! Now designing six nations all at once is a tall order for even me, so for now, I’m going to stick to the Onondaga, Mohawk, and Seneca, the senior members of the Confederacy!
(From left to right: Mohawk, Seneca, and Onondaga in some modern dress)
Mohawk (Kanien’kehake)
a light-hearted and amiable fella; great with kids!
reigning smoke dance champion
likes to tell stories
not a fan of paperwork and slogging through layers of bureaucracy
got up to some very wild hijinks back in the day: he once stole all of France's clothes and left him out in the winter cold during the 1600s
has some very cool tattoos
Seneca (Onondowahgah)
holds a matriarchal role among the nation-tans of the Confederacy
mom friend
can be very no nonsense when provoked
makes a mean succotash
fantastic at embroidery and especially beadwork
Had a lot of beef with Mi’kmaqi (a lovely oc belonging to @hammyletto !) back in the day but now they settle for sniping at each other over embroidery and tea
Onondaga (Onundagaono)
a bit solemn; takes his responsibility as the "Keepers of the Fire" very seriously
really good at lacrosse; he keeps a running tally of him and Mohawk's lacrosse games. He lets himself take some smug satisfaction in the fact that he's currently ahead.
shot off Alfred's nose in the American War for Independence
worked alongside Mohawk in the late 1800s on a number of New York construction projects
got called pogchamp and none of the younger members of the confederacy will tell him what it means
Historical Footnotes:
I specifically designed these three with the story of the Confederacy’s founding in mind. Specifically, the three figures who played a major role in its establishment- the Peacemaker, who first convinced the Mohawk nation to give up war and adopt peace, Hiawatha, an Onondaga chief who lost his wife and daughters to war and decided to join the Peacemarker’s cause, and Jigonhsasee, a elderly woman from the Seneca who also joined the Peacemaker and convinced the women of the nations to agree to the Great Law of Peace. The Great Law of Peace is the oral constitution of the Confederacy, and outlines laws as well as ceremonies to be performed at specific times.
For Mohawk and Onondaga, I heavily referenced the regalia of the Haudenosaunee dancers in the Indian Village of the 2017 New York State Fair! Mohawk’s clothing is specifically based on Haneh Brandt of the Mohawk nation.
During community and ceremonial gatherings, men will wear gustowehs, a frame cap decorated with hawk, pheasant, or turkey feathers. They could be decorated with silver, animal hide, and hair. Each nation of the confederacy had their own unique gustoweh, denoted by the number and position of the feathers. Mohawk and Onondaga's own gustowehs reflect their unique styles.
Haudenosaunee beadwork, or "raised beadwork", was developed by the women in the early 18th century and has a very distinctive style. Small white beads create lacelike decorations around the edges of the dress's collar, skirt, and leggings. Men's clothing and accessories like purses and satchels were also decorated with raised beadwork.
I referenced this design for the embroidery, but sadly, I can’t seem to find a source for this :( If you do, please let me know so I can credit it!
The hummingbird pendant Mohawk is wearing was inspired by this beaded mask made by Callie Konwanonhsiyohstha Hill of the Turtle Clan Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory!
Women hold an especially large role in Haudenosaunee society. Both men’s and women’s councils could propose legislation to the Grand Council. Haudenosaunee clans, which are like extended family, were matrilineal, and the eldest woman, known as the Clan Mother, had a number of responsibilities. It was Clan Mothers who nominated the Hoyaneh, or chief, of the clan, and they could choose to remove him if he failed in his duties. Historically, Clan Mothers also had the right to call for a war party.
Upon first contact, the Haudenosaunee weren’t on great terms with the French, particularly because the French had chosen to ally with the Wyandot (Huron), who were bitter enemies with the Confederacy. They fought the decades long Beaver Wars against numerous other indigenous nations and their French allies.
The Haudenosaunee fought numerous wars against their neighbors, including the Mi’kmaq, who live in what is now Canada as well as the northeastern Maine.
The Three Sisters refer towards the three main agricultural crops of the Haudenosaunee, though many other indigenous groups also depended on them- Squash, maize/corn, and climbing beans. Maize was used not just in dishes like succotash, hominy, and many others, but it was also used in weaving, baskets, and clothing. Women were responsible for crop cultivation, though men took part in the initial preparation by clearing the planting ground.
During the American War of Independence, the Confederacy attempted to stay neutral. However, the Tuscarora and Oneida ended up siding with the colonists, whereas the Seneca, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Mohawk remained loyal to the British.
The Smoke Dance is a social dance unique to the Haudenosaunee; though its origins are not clearly known, one theory says it originated from a war dance once exclusively performed by men. Nowadays, it’s primarily a competitive dance; men and women both compete during festivals and powwows.
Numerous Haudenosaunee men were hired to work on major construction projects starting in the late 19th century. They were called “Ironwalkers,” and many left their native communities to seek work in the cities. Due to the danger of the work, ironworkers partner up, and Haudenosaunee ironworkers typically partner with a brother or a relative. Some projects that the Haudenosaunee worked on include the George Washington Bridge, the Empire State Building, the United Nations, and the World Trade Center.
Lacrosse originates from the Confederacy. The Haudenosaunee call it Tewaarathon, which means “they bump hips”, and it is seen as a gift from the Creator. It’s considered to be a medicine game, or a game to be played to heal and strengthen people, along with resolving disputes and dispelling negative feelings between clans and nations. Recently, the Irish Lacrosse team voluntarily stepped down from competing in the 2022 World games so the Haudenosaunee team could play!
