George Henry Martin Johnson
Encyclopedia
George Henry Martin Johnson (Onwanonsyshon) (October 7, 1816 – February 19, 1884) was a chief
of the Mohawk
of the Six Nations
in Canada and an interpreter.
on the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation near Brantford
in 1816. He was the son of John Smoke Johnson
, a Mohawk
Bear clan chief, and Helen Martin, a Mohawk whose Dutch mother Catherine Rolleston had been captured and adopted into the Wolf clan. Her father Ohyeatea (George Martin) was also Mohawk. Helen Martin was of the Wolf clan, whose members had founded the Reserve after resettling from New York
during the American Revolution
.
and English language
s.
as an interpreter. In 1840, he became interpreter for the Anglican
mission at the Reserve. He became influential in both the English and Mohawk communities.
. Both families, and the Native community in general, opposed Johnson's interracial marriage
to a white woman, although he also had European ancestry. Reverend Elliot refused to perform the marriage ceremony, so the couple found an Anglican priest who would.
The couple educated their four children to embrace both their Mohawk and English heritage. The Johnsons entertained leading figures of the time at their home of Chiefswood, which George had built in 1856. His youngest daughter Pauline Johnson
became a well-known poet and performer.
and sale of whiskey on the reserve by unscrupulous non-native men, he was badly beaten in 1865. He was attacked again and shot in 1873.
In 1884 Johnson died at his estate Chiefswood on the Grand River near Brantford in 1884. It has been listed as a National Historic Site, as it is the only Native mansion surviving from the pre-Confederation years.
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
of the Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
of the Six Nations
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
in Canada and an interpreter.
Early life
Johnson was born at Bow Park on the Grand RiverGrand River (Ontario)
The Grand River is a large river in southwestern Ontario, Canada. From its source, it flows south through Grand Valley, Fergus, Elora, Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, Paris, Brantford, Caledonia, and Cayuga before emptying into the north shore of Lake Erie south of Dunnville at Port Maitland...
on the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation near Brantford
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
in 1816. He was the son of John Smoke Johnson
John Smoke Johnson
John Smoke Johnson or Sakayengwaraton , was a Mohawk chief and leader in Canada. Johnson fought for the British Crown in the War of 1812 and was elected by his tribal council as a "Pine Tree Chief", a non-hereditary position...
, a Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
Bear clan chief, and Helen Martin, a Mohawk whose Dutch mother Catherine Rolleston had been captured and adopted into the Wolf clan. Her father Ohyeatea (George Martin) was also Mohawk. Helen Martin was of the Wolf clan, whose members had founded the Reserve after resettling from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
.
Education
George Johnson was educated at the Mohawk Institute, established by the British for the education of Native children, where he became fluent in both the MohawkMohawk language
Mohawk is an Iroquoian language spoken by around 2,000 people of the Mohawk nation in the United States and Canada . Mohawk has the largest number of speakers of the Northern Iroquoian languages; today it is the only one with greater than a thousand remaining...
and English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
s.
Career
In 1838, Johnson was hired by the Reverend Adam ElliotAdam Elliot (missionary)
Adam Elliot, , was a 19th century missionary for the Church of England in Canada.-External links:*...
as an interpreter. In 1840, he became interpreter for the Anglican
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
mission at the Reserve. He became influential in both the English and Mohawk communities.
Marriage and family
In 1853, Johnson married Emily Susanna Howells, a native of England whose family had immigrated to the United States in 1832. She was said to be a cousin of the American author William Dean HowellsWilliam Dean Howells
William Dean Howells was an American realist author and literary critic. Nicknamed "The Dean of American Letters", he was particularly known for his tenure as editor of the Atlantic Monthly as well as his own writings, including the Christmas story "Christmas Every Day" and the novel The Rise of...
. Both families, and the Native community in general, opposed Johnson's interracial marriage
Interracial marriage
Interracial marriage occurs when two people of differing racial groups marry. This is a form of exogamy and can be seen in the broader context of miscegenation .-Legality of interracial marriage:In the Western world certain jurisdictions have had regulations...
to a white woman, although he also had European ancestry. Reverend Elliot refused to perform the marriage ceremony, so the couple found an Anglican priest who would.
The couple educated their four children to embrace both their Mohawk and English heritage. The Johnsons entertained leading figures of the time at their home of Chiefswood, which George had built in 1856. His youngest daughter Pauline Johnson
Pauline Johnson
Emily Pauline Johnson , commonly known as E. Pauline Johnson or just Pauline Johnson, was a Canadian writer and performer popular in the late 19th century...
became a well-known poet and performer.
Later life
Johnson became friends with Jasper Tough Gilkison, superintendent to the Six Nations. He was appointed government interpreter. He was also elected as a chief of the Six Nations, succeeding his mother's brother, Henry Martin. For Johnson's efforts to control the theft of timberTimber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
and sale of whiskey on the reserve by unscrupulous non-native men, he was badly beaten in 1865. He was attacked again and shot in 1873.
In 1884 Johnson died at his estate Chiefswood on the Grand River near Brantford in 1884. It has been listed as a National Historic Site, as it is the only Native mansion surviving from the pre-Confederation years.
See also
- Alexander Graham Bell honors and tributes