Few people are more revered in the U.S. American lexicon than George Washington. Courtesy:JASON SZENES/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock. But most of the pro-lifers here seem to sincerely concur with such concepts as having a baby is more of a way to empower women. (Like every other abortion critic, however, these nice people never, ever mention mens responsibility in the matter.). But if Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman have their way, George Washington will also be remembered as "the town destroyer." That's the title of a new documentary that they have written,. We also invite you to join the conversation on ourFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram. All Events This event has passed. Conotocaurius (Town Destroyer, Seneca: Handaganyas) was a nickname given to George Washington by Iroquois peoples in 1753. To the great Councillor of the thirteen fires. description ends Colonial ser., 16:5078). Hes known as the Father of the Country and as the man who couldnt and wouldnt lie about chopping down a cherry tree. The Land we live on our Fathers received from God, and they transmitted it to us, for our Children and we cannot part with it. But instead of trying them according to your Law, the lowest of your people took them from your magistrate, and put them immediately to death. Revisiting George Washington's assault on the Haudenosaunee 240 Years Handagayas Alan Michelson START or Stop: Do Nuclear Weapons Treaties Matter? Many expressed distress at the revelation. In Snitows and Kaufmans documentary some George Washington students and their parents argue that the images on the walls are a relic of the past and not history, that they instill a sense of trauma and shame and ought to be eradicated. The Iroquois, whose tribes had lined up on both sides of the conflict, were too distracted by their own internal divisions to see the crisis coming. Join us for a free screening of TOWN DESTROYER - a new documentary about the furor over Victor Arnautoff's WPA murals at George Washington High School. To the Irouqois, General George Washington was Ha-no-da-ga-nears, which means Town Destroyer, and this remained the name they gave to all Presidents of the United States. Hundreds of Iroquois died of exposure to winter weather. When a circus tent gets erected in his Oakland neighborhood, it causes him to muse on the legacy of the freak show, and how his own status as a differently-abled person echoes both the conspicuousness and invisibility of those whose physicality makes them societal outliers. Wed. Nov. 9thBenefit forCalifornia Institute for Community, Arts & Nature Q & A with filmmakers + speakers TBA. Conotocaurious - Iroquois for Town Destroyer, also translated as Town Taker, Burner of Towns, or Devourer of Villages, was a nickname given to George Washington by Iroquois Indians. Before you determine on a measure so unjust, look up to the God who made us, as well as you, we hope he will not permit you to destroy the whole of our nation. Washington Square Park Arc, 2020. ERKURIES BEATTY, OF THE 4TH PENN LINE. New York, 1970. description ends 174). "It actually crushed their military power." While SFFilmsDoc Stories showcase runs through next Tues/8 (see our previewhere) , theres no lack of new documentary features concurrently finding their way to regular release. 48 Hills welcomes comments in the form of letters to the editor, which you can submithere. 3.By the terms of the Second Treaty of Fort Stanwix, completed in October 1784, the Six Nations agreed to relinquish a small tract of land in western New York and all that part of Pennsylvania north and west of the Indian boundary established by the First Treaty of Fort Stanwix of 1768, an area including all of the land in Pennsylvania west of the Allegheny River. copy, DNA: RG 233, First Congress, 17891791, Records of the Office of the Clerk, Records of Reports from Executive Departments (War Department), Confidential Reports; The nickname had previously been given to his great-grandfather John Washington in the late seventeenth century. In the fall of 1753, as French forces moved into the Ohio Valley to build a series of forts, George Washington offered his services to the Governor of Virginia as an envoy to carry a message to the French commander Jacques Le Gardeur. He demanded it: He insisted on his demand and declared that he would have it all. "And to this day when that name is heard, our women look behind them and turn pale, and our children cling close to the necks of their mothers," Cornplanter said. public. Washington High School Murals the Subject of 'Town Destroyer' Film If you thought you could now talk calmly about Victor Arnautoff and his art, Americans Indians and George Washington, think again. To some, the brouhaha confirmed a stereotype of SF as the kingdom of liberal snowflakes who experience a meltdown at anything potentially troubling. George Washington: US History for Kids - American Historama It involved members of both the Susquehannah and the Piscataway, an Algonquian tribe that lived across the Potomac River from Mount Vernon. We have found no proof the great grandfather ever got that nickname. Near the end of the documentary, Jessica Young, a Native American at the New College of Florida, says shes unsure which side shes on. Allegedly both George Washington and his Great Grandfather, John Washington shared an unusual nickname. US Presidents - Hanadagyas - Onondaga Nation It dates back to as early as 1776, inspired by his roles in the Revolutionary War and Constitutional Convention. Pennsylvania Archives. On the one hand, things were said like If you support this mural, you have a colonized mentality and (on a signboard) Stop Protecting White Supremacy. On the other, the whole situation was termed identity politics gone off the rails, and the suggestion that the murals were traumatizing an easy way to justify the erasure of things you dont like.. It opens with audio from a closed-door meeting Trump, Steve Bannon and others held with leaders of the religious right forty days before the 2016 election. On 29 Oct. 1790 these chiefs appeared before the supreme executive council of Pennsylvania, seeking redress for a number of wrongs allegedly committed against the Seneca. George Washington (Greenough) - Wikipedia More decades passed before the issue flared up again, though this time it seemed the criticisms were coming less from individual students than outside organizations. When we saw we were deceived and heard the invitation which you gave us to draw near to the fire you had kindled and talk with you concerning peace we made haste towards it. TOWN DESTROYER | CAFILM EDUCATION CURRICULUM GUIDE by MVFF - Issuu Snitow and Kaufman try to walk a fine line and to offer a balanced perspective in their 58-minute documentary which includes on camera interviews with well known historians such as UCLA Professor Robin D. G. Kelley, plus famed San Francisco muralist Dewey Crumpler, along with community activists, local political figures, members of Indians tribes close to home and from far away. copy, MHi: Timothy Pickering Papers; Its minders at the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena demonstrate a very paternal mindset, saying things like Theres energy in its veins, it needs to be given love, and otherwise viewing Oppy more like a genius dog than a technological tool. His mural, "Life of Washington," is widely . By the standards of the era, the work was indeed pretty progressive in content, mixing a standard, celebratory depiction of early US history with images that clearly indicted treatment of Native Americans, the institution of slavery, and so forth. You must log in or register to reply here. Town Destroyer - Wikiwand Answer (1 of 4): The most famous nickname (really, more of an honorary title) associated with George Washington was The Father of His Country. It also illuminates a work of. Docuseek | Town Destroyer A collection of moments during and after Barack Obama's presidency. It is interesting to see close-up the strategizing of such groups, including their straight-up asking citizens to be single-issue voters, even if they have to hold their noses in pulling the lever for last-minute ally Trump. Town Destroyer | Bullfrog Films: 1-800-543-3764: Environmental DVDs and Town Destroyer is playing as part of the Mill Valley Film Festival with a screening Saturday afternoon at The Roxie (and with an extended run at the Roxie November 4-10). Theres just brief note of the flurry of drastic state rulings since then, and a tag re: Roes June overturn. Alan Michelson, Handaga:yas (Town Destroyer), 2019, video, bonded stone Houdon replica bust, antique surveyor's tripod, artificial turf, sound, 190 183 cm. George Washington for sure had that nickname. On display since San Franciscos George Washington High School opened in 1936, it offers a view of the Founding Father both celebratory and critical, referencing his involvements in slavery and Native American genocide. Nov. 10thBenefit forThe Living New Deal Q & A with filmmakers + speakers. If you find our videos helpful you can support us by buying something from amazon.https://www.amazon.com/?tag=wiki-audio-20Town Destroyer Conotocaurious (Tow. What distinguishes her documentary is that she offers considerable insight into grassroots activism on both sides of the fence. It may be very small in your ears, & we therefore entreat you to hearken with attention. 5 Essential Books on George Washington John Reeves We mean to open our hearts before you, and we earnestly desire, that you will let us clearly understand, what you resolve to do. And it is not the Six nations only, that reproach those Chiefs, with having given up that Country; the Chipaways and all the nations who lived on those lands westward, call to us & ask us brothers of In retrospect, no one should be surprised: Trump is exactly the sort of person who will always be able to get an unwanted pregnancy handled, legally or not, as People With Money always have. A dispute erupts at a San Francisco high school over Depression-era murals about the life of George Washington: slaveowner, military leader, land speculator, President, and a man Native leaders. We have already said how we came to join against you. During the Revolutionary War, Washington, known to the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations) as Handaga:yas, or Town Destroyer, ordered a brutal campaign against them in which his generals devastated some 60 villages, and hundreds of prosperous houses, farms, and orchards. The first screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers and special guests to be announced. What happens when it no longer reflects current societal views? The spring of 1780 saw the surviving Haudenosaunee forced to rebuild their lives with broken families and destroyed villages. Sign up for email updates on the latest frieze talks, fairs and events. Ironically, his choice of words more aptly applies to the American campaigns against Indigenous nations, which erased our histories, demonized our heroes, scorned our values and acculturated our children in boarding schools. The story focuses on a dispute over historic murals depicting the life of George Washington: slaveowner, general, land speculator, President, and a man Seneca leaders called "Town Destroyer" after he ordered their villages destroyed during the Revolutionary War. George Washington: Father of His Country? Town Destroyer? New Anti He was likewise unsuccessful in obtaining a settlement from the U.S. government on his own. It has also been translated as "Town Taker", "Burner of Towns", "Devourer of Villages . 1.By GWs account the name Towntaker (variously rendered as Town-destroyer) was bestowed upon him by the Seneca chief Half-King in 1753, when he met that chief on his way to Fort Le Boeuf. In the American Revolutionary War, General Washington led Patriot forces to victory over the British and their allies. No such document has been found, but the presence of the cover letter to Wadsworth in the Knox Papers suggests that Wadsworth gave the document to GW, who referred it to Knox. At least thats the impression we get from this very slick package, which numbers Spielbergs production company among its makers and isnt so far in cuddly tone from hisE.T. It did not leave our 1st POTUS unblemished as a participant in both those officially sanctioned wrongs. Through its grants program, the NHPRC supports a wide range of activities to The homeless traveled to Fort Niagara for safety and shelter but found none with the British there. facts, TOWN DESTROYER less than 1 minute read To the Irouqois, General George Washington was Ha-no-da-ga-nears, which means Town Destroyer, and this remained the name they gave to all Presidents of the United States. Become a member. Nov. 6thBenefit forThe Association of Ramaytush Ohlone Q & A with filmmakers + Jonathan Cordero, chair of Ramaytush Ohlone peoples. In 2019, he had a solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, USA. He then threatened us with immediate war if we did not comply. Sullivan-Clinton Campaign, For first one, and then another, come and take it away, by order of that people, who promised to secure it to us. About | Town Destroyer Note: The annotations to this document, and any other What was the color of george washington's white horse At fort Stanwix we agreed to deliver up those of our people, who should do you any wrong, that you might try them, and punish them according to your Law. Needless to say, those lamentable future occupiers of the White House are highly accommodating, providing perhaps the most egregious example of Twitlers lack of backbone on any issue save self-interesthe had always been publicly pro-choice, then began waffling, switching sides with a vengeance when it sank in that he needed the pro-life voters to win. While there he met with Alexander McGillivray in August in an effort to enlist the Creek leader in a common effort to obtain a settlement with the United States but was rebuffed. Conotocaurius (Town Destroyer) was a nickname given to George Washington by Iroquois Native Americans in 1753. But no doubt more than a few young people will get turned on to robotics, space exploration, et al. The current dispute over monuments in the US is not new. Many colonial homes were attacked. Forty Indian villagesand a powerful indigenous nationwere razed on the orders of George Washington, Town Destroyer Versus the Iroquois Indians, By 1779, George Washington had already earned the famous moniker "Father of His Country." Battlegroundhas already had a brief run in theaters, but now is available for streaming on digital platforms including iTunes. According to its production company: "TOWN DESTROYER explores how to look at art and history at a time of polarized national debate over the power of images, racism, trauma, and what . Our counsellors and warriors are men, and cannot be afraid; but their hearts are grieved with the fears of our women and children, and desire that it may be buried so deep as to be heard no more.. We recollect that you did not promise to punish those who killed our people, and we now ask, Was it intended that your people should kill the Seneccas, and not only remain unpunished by you: but be protected by you against the next of kin?6. Town Destroyer. Roxie Theater3117 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103. https://www.roxie.com/ai1ec_event/town-destroyer/. light grey. To George Washington from the Seneca Chiefs, 1 December 1790 - Archives The Current TikTok Ban Doesnt Go Far Enough. The Messed Up History Of Mount Rushmore - Grunge.com ), Timothy Pickering to GW, 4 Dec. 1790, n.6, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-07-02-0005, From Washington to Seneca Chiefs [29 December 1790], All correspondence between Washington and Seneca Chiefs, National Historical Publications and An Arab stallion with a light grey . You demanded a great Country to be given up to you. 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Dennis Harvey. The Mohawks saw the colonial settlements in violation of the Proclamation Line and trespassers in their territory. The chiefs remained in Philadelphia until GW arrived in Philadelphia and Congress reconvened. After fighting with the Haudenosaunee in the French and Indian War, the colonists called upon the Haudenosaunee to a meeting at Ft. Pitt in 1775 to ask in their aide in the upcoming revolution against the British. Just an hour long, Snitow and Kaufman's documentary offers a fascinating overview of a case that encapsulates many of the bitterest divisions of our era. (The Iroquois dubbed him "Town Destroyer.") 53 minutes SDH Captioned>> Directed by Alan Snitow, Deborah Kaufman Produced by Snitow-Kaufman Productions Executive Producer: Peggy Berryhill (Muscogee) Writers: Alan Snitow, Deborah Kaufman John Washington, Great Grandfather of GW - fortloudounva ", This lesser-known title also had its origins in 1779, when General Washington ordered what at the time was the largest-ever campaign against the Indians in North America. He signed the message "Conotocarious," or Town Devourer. The elder Washington's reputation was remembered and when they met his great-grandson in 1753 they called George Washington by the same name, Conotocarious.[2][3]. to GW, 15 Aug. 1789, note 1. Another local, Reid Davenport, is both director and star ofI Didnt See You Therealthough we do not, in fact, see him onscreen. The name in its original language(s) has been given variously as Conotocarius, Conotocaurious, Caunotaucarius, Conotocarious, Hanodaganears, and Hanadahguyus. The exploration vehicle/device dubbed Opportunity was sent into space in 2003, landed on the Red Planet six months later, and sent a steady stream of photos and intel back to NASA long after. History of Relations with our Brothers: 1613 to Today, Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), MAGAZINE OF SMITHSONIANS NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN. In the summer of 1788 Livingston accompanied Phelps to a meeting with the Seneca chiefs at Buffalo Creek, and on 8 July Phelps concluded an agreement to purchase the Indian rights to the eastern third of the area purchased from Massachusetts (Livermore, Early American Land Companies, description begins Shaw Livermore. that the King had ceded the lands to the thirteen fires, The Papers of George Washington, Confederation Series, David Humphreys Life of General Washington,, David Humphreys Life of General Washington with George Washingtons Remarks., Early American Land Companies: Their Influence on Corporate Development, Report on Canadian Archives . Did George Washington Burn New York? - The Atlantic UCLA Professor Kelley adds that its not about choosing sides and that no one person or group can tell the story.. In a letter written by tribal leaders in 1790, Washington is described as an unjust killer and referred to as the "Town Destroyer." Crops such as corn, beans, potatoes, pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, and melons grew in an abundance that astonished the invading soldiers. An installation of video projected onto a bust of George Washington mounted on a surveyor's tripod. that assembled at them told us you were all brothers, the children of one great Father who regarded also the red people as his children. After some days he proposed to run a line at a small distance Eastward of our western boundary which we also refused to agree to. You told us say they, that the line drawn from Pensylvania, to lake Ontario, would mark it for ever on the East, and the line running from Beaver Creek, to Pensylvania, would mark it on the west; and we see that it is not so. Town Destroyer is a 2022 documentary that discusses the art, history, struggle, and politics around the Victor Arnautoff murals at George Washington High School. That time George Washington ordered "total destruction and devastation Police funding, tax cuts, and spending equity will be on the table as the supes take on a brutal budget season. (Its twin sister robot, named Spirit, conked out pretty quickly by contrast.). https://www.usnews.com/news/national/articles/2008/06/27/town-destroyer-versus-the-iroquois-indians, Massacre & Retribution: The 1779-80 Sullivan Expedition, How a Native American Prophecy Over George Washington Affected the Country. We know that you are strong and we have heard that you are wise; and we wait to hear your answer to what we have said that we may know that you are just. This is an analysis of a controversy that was all over the local and national news not so long ago even if it seems very long ago, as it was just-pre-COVID. The Indian World of George Washington | AMERICAN HERITAGE Yet to this day, the Iroquois (more properly, the Haudenosaunee) call Washington Conotocaurius, or "Town Destroyer." His army razed their well-constructed, permanent villages and laid waste to huge quantities of their food. remains uncertain. He is silent for he has nothing to answer. Degrowth or Debunk: Do Degrowth proponents have a strategy? Though we do visit Davenports family in Connecticut, we do not get a lot of insight into him as an individual. Do this and so long2 as the Land shall remain that beloved name shall live in the heart of every Senecca. For my 2018 video installation Handaga:yas (Town Destroyer), I projected video referencing this scorched-earth campaign onto a replica portrait bust of Washington. Town Destroyer? Snitow & Deborah Kaufman Executive Producer Peggy . The Speech of the Corn-planter, Half-town and the Great-Tree chiefs of the Senecca Nation. Following the massacre of five chiefs who had come out to negotiate under a flag of truce to the colonizers, the Susquehannahs gave John Washington an Algonquian name that translated to "town taker" or "devourer of villages." "It was disastrous to the Iroquois," says Barbara Graymont, author of The Iroquois in the American Revolution. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The Game which the great Spirit sent into our Country for us to eat, is going from among us: We thought he intended we should till the ground as the white people do, and we talked to one another about it. Pete Galindo, the director of the Great Wall Project, talks about the half-mile long Great Wall of LA which depicts the history of the city, including lynching. Washington himself was given or assumed an Indian name, Conoto carious, meaning "Town Destroyer" or "Devourer of Villages," and an Indian messenger who arrived at Fort Harmar in July 1788 was identified as "George Washington, a Delaware." He was not the only Indian to bear Washington's name. Sat. All three had participated in the Iroquois campaigns during the Revolution; Cornplanter as a principal war chief and the others as head warriors. To him we gave four miles round Niagara, as a place of Trade. The Iroquois Confederacy, arguably the strongest Indian government during the colonial period, would never recover. The time has come to even reconsider towering figures like Washington, honoured for their roles in founding the US, yet profoundly implicated in its colossal and, tragically, ongoing ethical and humanitarian failings.