Hendrick Theyanoguin
Hendrick Theyanoguin (c. 1691 – September 8, 1755), whose name had several spelling variations, was a Mohawk leader and member of the Bear Clan. He resided at Canajoharie or the Upper Mohawk Castle in colonial New York. He was a Speaker for the Mohawk Council. Hendrick formed a close alliance with Sir William Johnson, the Superintendent of Indian affairs in North America.
Hendrick Theyanoguin | |
|---|---|
This engraving was sold in London after Hendrick's death in the Battle of Lake George. He holds a belt of wampum in his left hand. | |
| Chief of the Mohawk Bear Clan | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1691 Westfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony |
| Died | September 8, 1755 (aged 64) near Lake George, Province of New York |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Iroquois Confederacy |
| Battles/wars |
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Until the late 20th century, Hendrick's biography was conflated with an older Mohawk leader given the same first name in baptism, Hendrick Tejonihokarawa (also known as Hendrick Peters) (c. 1660 – c. 1735). The latter was a member of the Wolf Clan (an important difference, as shown by the historian Barbara Sivertsen) and based in Tiononderoge, the Lower Castle, closer to the English base in Albany. The English built Fort Hunter in Tionondaga in 1711 with an Anglican mission. The Mohawk village became mostly Christianized early in the eighteenth century.