Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (1850-1942). Served as the Governor-General of Canada and Vice-Regal for the United Kingdom, the 10th since the Canadian Confederation and the first to be royal descent. Given the title Kavakoudge and named Chief of the Six Nations by the Grand River Reserve Iroquois in 1869.
In 1969 the Prince as made an Honorary Chief, Alexander Graham Bell, and many others had received this distinction and esteem, however, in 1919 the Prince of Wales was condoled by the Confederacy chiefs and made a customary chief, no longer honorary but a full-blooded member of the Iroquois longhouse and subject to the longhouse customary laws. With him comes the people of Canada including the Crown of Confederation, much like the adoption of the Tuscarora in 1728, yet unlike the adoption of the Tuscarora the circle wampum was refashioned to confirm the new Brother-chief and his people.
On the return to the City, a lengthy stop was made at Victoria Park which contained the densest mass of humanity of the day.
Here the Six Nations Indians were the hosts. A platform had been erected under the very shadow of the monument to the great “Thayendanegea,” and six Indian girls representing the Nations, stood on each side of the entranceway; attired in white they had sashes of maple, oak and pine, emblems of Canada, England, and their own people, while each carried baskets of roses decorated with streamers of Autumn leaves.
The Chiefs, in full array, remained standing until the Prince had taken his place under a canopy of royal purple. Then the red men proceeded to hold a Council, Major Gordon Smith, Superintendent, having first introduced the guest of the day inappropriate terms.
The order of business was the discussion of the Indian name to be bestowed upon the Prince in his creation as a Chief and he was finally asked to select from three titles.
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The one chosen was Da-yon-hem-se-ia; (Dawn of Day) and when that was conferred he signed the council roll, the only white man who had previously done so with the exception of his uncle, the Duke of Connaught. Secretary Asa Hill read an address, and then the Prince, his hand in that of David John, was marched up and down the platform, while the old chief uttered invocations to the Great Spirit on behalf of the young man newly honored.
Chief “Dawn of Day,” next drew a silk Union Jack from the face of a bronze tablet containing the names of the Six Nations soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in France, and the members of whose families had a place of honor.
The Prince made a happy speech and before proceedings closed was handed an address from the Six Nations Indian women to Queen Mary asking her to accept an ancient Indian name Ga-no-ron-gwa, signifying “She Loves.”
Another large crowd was present when the special train pulled out, the Royal visitor waving his hat in farewell as the final scene in a visit during which he abundantly demonstrated his right to the title of “Prince Charming.”
Post Revisions:
- 19 December 2019 @ 21:40:44 by Benjamin Doolittle U.E.
Media Format: Article posts
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