Onontio
Encyclopedia
Onontio was a title used by North American Indians of the Great Lakes region to refer to the governor
of New France
. The title was first given to Charles de Montmagny
and was subsequently applied to all later French governors. Onontio is a Mohawk rendering of "great mountain", the literal translation of "Montmagny". Each Onontio was the head of the Franco-Indian alliance, and as such was expected to mediate quarrels, provide supplies, and, in general, maintain the alliance. The title was used by both Iroquoian- and Algonquian
-speaking natives, who addressed Onontio as "Father".
Onontio fell from power in 1763 with the conquest of New France by the British empire in the Seven Years' War
. The British conquerors seemed unwilling or unable to fulfill the role of Onontio, which was, as a father, that of a mediator and provider rather than a conqueror. As a result, the natives of the Great Lakes rose up against British rule in Pontiac's Rebellion
, attempting in part to restore Onontio to power. The native war effort was a failure militarily, but the British revised their policies and began to fulfill some of Onontio's duties. The new Anglo-Indian alliance proved beneficial to the British empire in subsequent decades as the British were able to enlist native allies in struggles with the United States
.
Governor of New France
The Governor of New France was the viceroy of the King of France in North America. A French noble, he was appointed to govern the colonies of New France, which included Canada, Acadia and Louisiana. The residence of the Governor was at the Château St-Louis in the capital of Quebec City...
of New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
. The title was first given to Charles de Montmagny
Charles de Montmagny
Charles Jacques Huault de Montmagny was governor of New France from 1636 to 1648. He succeeded Champlain, who was Lieutenant General of New France, although treated de facto as if he were governor...
and was subsequently applied to all later French governors. Onontio is a Mohawk rendering of "great mountain", the literal translation of "Montmagny". Each Onontio was the head of the Franco-Indian alliance, and as such was expected to mediate quarrels, provide supplies, and, in general, maintain the alliance. The title was used by both Iroquoian- and Algonquian
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
-speaking natives, who addressed Onontio as "Father".
Onontio fell from power in 1763 with the conquest of New France by the British empire in the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
. The British conquerors seemed unwilling or unable to fulfill the role of Onontio, which was, as a father, that of a mediator and provider rather than a conqueror. As a result, the natives of the Great Lakes rose up against British rule in Pontiac's Rebellion
Pontiac's Rebellion
Pontiac's War, Pontiac's Conspiracy, or Pontiac's Rebellion was a war that was launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of elements of Native American tribes primarily from the Great Lakes region, the Illinois Country, and Ohio Country who were dissatisfied with British postwar policies in the...
, attempting in part to restore Onontio to power. The native war effort was a failure militarily, but the British revised their policies and began to fulfill some of Onontio's duties. The new Anglo-Indian alliance proved beneficial to the British empire in subsequent decades as the British were able to enlist native allies in struggles with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
See also
- Western ConfederacyWestern ConfederacyThe Western Confederacy, also known as Western Indian Confederacy, was a loose confederacy of North American Natives in the Great Lakes region following the American Revolutionary War...
— Confederacy of Onontio's "children" formed after the American Revolution - Covenant ChainCovenant ChainThe Covenant Chain was a series of alliances and treaties involving the Iroquois Confederacy , the British colonies of North America, and a number of other Indian tribes...
— the Anglo-Iroquois relationship