Bringing Mohawk Chief Karonghyontye out of Benjamin West’s Shadow
Discover Mohawk Chief Karonghyontye’s pivotal role in the American Revolution and the Haudenosaunee’s enduring fight for land rights, as shown in West’s powerful portrait.
Colonel Guy Johnson and Karonghyontye (Captain David Hill) (1776) by Benjamin WestNational Gallery of Art, Washington DC
In 1775 a merchant ship named the Adamant wove across the Atlantic Ocean headed toward England. Among the passengers was Colonel Guy Johnson, the British superintendent of northern American Indians.
Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant) (1776/1776) by Romney, GeorgeNational Gallery of Canada
With him was a group of leaders of the Kanyen'kehà:ka (Mohawk) people, the easternmost tribe of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy): Thayendanegea, also known as Joseph Brant, and Oteroughyanento, also known as John Hill.
On this trip, Johnson intended to secure Haudenosaunee loyalty to Britain amid the American Revolution.
Colonel Guy Johnson and Karonghyontye (Captain David Hill) (1776) by Benjamin WestNational Gallery of Art, Washington DC
No records of passengers list a third Mohawk leader, Karonghyontye, also known as David Hill. The only evidence that he joined this trip is a later letter in which he references this 1776 painting by Benjamin West, Colonel Guy Johnson and Karonghyontye (Captain David Hill).
An audience with King George III was planned for the group. But the Kanyen'kehà:ka leaders had their own agenda—they wanted assurances that, in exchange for their loyalty, Britain would respect their land rights.
British officials agreed to honor Mohawk territorial claims...so long as they won the war.
Watson and the Shark (1778) by John Singleton CopleyNational Gallery of Art, Washington DC
Coincidentally, the Adamant was owned by British trader Brook Watson, the subject of John Singleton Copley’s painting Watson and the Shark. On this trip, Watson was also escorting Canadian and American prisoners, including Ethan Allen, the founder of Vermont.
Colonel Guy Johnson and Karonghyontye (Captain David Hill) (1776) by Benjamin WestNational Gallery of Art, Washington DC
At some point during their trip Johnson and Karonghyontye must have sat for this portrait by West, a London-based American painter. Johnson likely commissioned it to celebrate his appointment as superintendent of the “Six Nations”, as the British called the Iroquois Confederacy.
Colonel Johnson’s clothing
Since this is the only existing portrait of Colonel Guy Johnson, we don’t know how he typically dressed. But the clothing in this portrait tells a story.
Johnson wears a pseudo-military outfit. The red jacket and magenta sash around his waist are based on military styles. In his left hand, he grasps the barrel of a musket. But there is no braid or medal to indicate his rank.
Johnson’s outfit is full of other details—ones borrowed from Native American dress. They are probably meant to reinforce his image as a British official with close connections to the Native communities he “supervised.”
The underside of Johnson’s robe is decorated with a red and black geometric pattern.
The black cap Johnson holds in his right hand may have been inspired by West’s own collection of Indigenous garments. It is decorated with glinting beading, geometric patterns, and feathers.
He wears moccasins beaded with red and gold details. An identical pair is now in the collection of the British Museum, one of 12 objects the museum holds that were once part of West's personal collection.
The cap may also have been inspired by West’s collection. Its rows of beading and quillwork may come from this object (possibly a garter) made of moose skin, porcupine quills, birchbark, and glass beads.
The exact origin of the objects is unknown. West appropriated the patterns and styles without any consideration for the differences in Native American cultures. This might not have been what Johnson wore for his portrait sitting. West may have added these details later.
An unequal alliance
Karonghyontye was an important ally to Johnson. He led military attacks against the Americans.
But it’s clear from the painting that West, or Johnson, did not see Karonghyontye as Johnson’s equal. The artist made Johnson the highlight of the painting and Karonghyontye a secondary figure.
Karonghyontye is in the background, looking at Johnson from the shadows. With his face shaded, we can barely make out his features. He wears a black and red feathered headdress on his shaven head. His ears are split and bound with silver wire.
We can see woven or beaded textile on his neck and wrists and across his chest. The artist seems more interested in painting those objects than a portrait of Karonghyontye.
He holds a quill wrapped pipe in his right hand, and his left hand points toward a scene in the distance.
There, a group of figures gathers around a fire. A waterfall beyond them is likely meant to represent Niagara Falls—the historic homeland of the Haudenosaunee.
Unfulfilled agreement
The scene establishes the region over which Johnson held power. But this was also Karonghyontye’s home. When the British lost the American Revolution, Haudenosaunee loyalists lost their homeland. They were forced to relocate to British territory.
In 1784 Sir Frederick Haldimand, Governor in Chief of the Provinces of Quebec and Territories, established a treaty with the Six Nations promising 950,000 acres of land along the Grand River in current-day Ontario.
Today, the Six Nations of the Grand River only holds approximately 50,000 of those acres. They are suing the governments of Canada and Ontario for their land rights.
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