T h e C a n a n d a i g u a T r e a t y o f 1 7 9 4
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The Canandaigua Treaty Committee was established during 1984 in order to
promote and perpetuate the Great Peace Treaty of 1794. The goal of the
Committee is to affect a wider knowledge of this important document and
to help secure public interest and participation in this historic event.
The Canandaigua (or Pickering) Treaty was signed by the
Chiefs of the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy and
representatives of the United States government on November 11, 1794.
Here is the text of this treaty:
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Preamble of the Canandaigua Treaty
A Treaty Between the United States of America and the Tribes of Indians
Called the Six Nations:
The President of the United States having determined to hold a conference
with the Six Nations of Indians for the purpose of removing from their minds
all causes of complaint, and establishing a firm and permanent friendship with
them; and Timothy Pickering being appointed sole agent for that purpose; and
the agent having met and conferred with the sachems and warriors of the Six
Nations in general council: Now, in order to accomplish the good design of
this conference, the parties have agreed on the following articles, which,
when ratified by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate of
the United States, shall be binding on them and the Six Nations....
ARTICLE 1. Peace and friendship are hereby firmly established, and shall
be perpetual, between the United States and the Six Nations.
ARTICLE 2. The United States acknowledge the lands reserved to the Oneida,
Onondaga, and Cayuga Nations in their respective treaties with the State of
New York, and called their reservations, to be their property; and the
United States will never claim the same, nor disturb them, or either of the
Six Nations, nor their Indian friends, residing thereon, and united with
them in the free use and enjoyment thereof; but the said reservations shall
remain theirs, until they choose to sell the same to the people of the
United States, who have the right to purchase.
ARTICLE 3. The land of the Seneca Nation is bounded as follows: beginning
on Lake Ontario, at the northwest corner of the land they sold to Oliver
Phelps; the line runs westerly along the lake, as far as Oyongwongyeh Creek,
at Johnson's Landing Place, about four miles eastward, from the fort of
Niagara; then southerly, up that creek to its main fork, continuing the same
straight course, to that river; (this line, from the mouth of Oyongwongyeh
Creek, to the river Niagara, above Fort Schlosser, being the eastern boundry
of a strip of land, extending from the same line to Niagara River, which the
Seneca Nation ceded to the King of Great Britain, at the treaty held about
thirty years ago, with Sir William Johnson;) then the line runs along the
Niagara River to Lake Erie, to the northwest corner of a triangular piece of
land, which the United States conveyed to the State of Pennsylvania, as by
the President's patent, dated the third day of March, 1792; then due south
to the northern boundary of that State; then due east to the southwest
corner of the land sold by the Seneca Nation to Oliver Phelps; and then
north and northerly, along Phelps' line, to the place of beginning, on the
Lake Ontario. Now, the United States acknowledge all the land within the
aforementioned boundaries, to be the property of the Seneca Nation; and the
United States will never claim the same, nor disturb the Seneca Nation, nor
any of the Six Nations, or of their Indian friends residing thereon, and
united with them, in the free use and enjoyment thereof; but it shall remain
theirs, until they choose to sell the same, to the people of the United
States, who have the right to purchase.
ARTICLE 4. The United States have thus described and acknowledged what
lands belong to the Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas and Senecas, and engaged
never to claim the same, not disturb them, or any of the Six Nations, or
their Indian friends residing thereon, and united with them, in the free
use and enjoyment thereof; now, the Six Nations, and each of them, hereby
engage that they will never claim any other lands, within the boundaries
of the United States, nor ever disturb the people of the United States in
the free use and enjoyment thereof.
ARTICLE 5. The Seneca Nation, all others of the Six Nations concurring cede
to the United States the right of making a wagon road from Fort Schlosser to
Lake Erie, as far south as Buffalo Creek; and the people of the United
States shall have the free and undisturbed use of this road for the purposes
of traveling and transportation. And the Six Nations and each of them, will
forever allow to the people of the United States, a free passage through
their lands, and the free use of the harbors and rivers adjoining and within
their respective tracts of land, for the passing and securing of vessels and
boats, and liberty to land their cargoes, where necessary, for their safety.
ARTICLE 6. In consideration of the peace and friendship hereby established,
and of the engagements entered into by the Six Nations; and because the
United States desire, with humanity and kindness, to contribute to their
comfortable support; and to render the peace and friendship hereby estab-
lished strong and perpetual, the United States now deliver to the Six
Nations, and the Indians of the other nations residing among them, a
quantity of goods, of the value of ten thousand dollars. And for the same
considerations, and with a view to promote the future welfare of the Six
Nations, and of their Indian friends aforesaid, the United States will add
the sum of three thousand dollars to the one thousand five hundred dollars
heretofore allowed to them by an article ratified by the President, on the
twenty-third day of April, 1792, making in the whole four thousand five
hundred dollars; which shall be expended yearly, forever, in purchasing
clothing, domestic animals, implements of husbandry, and other utensils,
suited to their circumstances, and in compensating useful artificers, who
shall reside with or near them, and be employed for their benefit. The
immediate application of the whole annual allowance now stipulated, to be
made by the superintendent, appointed by the President, for the affairs of
the Six Nations, and their Indian friends aforesaid.
ARTICLE 7. Lest the firm peace and friendship now established should be
interrupted by the misconduct of individuals, the United States and the Six
Nations agree, that for injuries done by individuals, on either side, no
private revenge or retaliation shall take place; but, instead thereof,
complaint shall be made by the party injured, to the other; by the Six
Nations or any of them, to the President of the United States, or the
superintendent by him appointed; and by the superintendent, or other person
appointed by the President, to the principal chiefs of the Six Nations, or
of the Nation to which the offender belongs; and such prudent measures shall
then be pursued, as shall be necessary to preserve or peace and friendship
unbroken, until the Legislature (or Great Council) of the United States
shall make other equitable provision for that purpose.
NOTE: It is clearly understood by the parties to this treaty, that the
---- annuity, stipulated in the sixth article, is to be applied to the
benefit of such of the Six Nations, and of their Indian friends
united with them, as aforesaid, as do or shall reside within the
boundaries of the United States; for the United States do not
interfere with nations, tribes or families of Indians, elsewhere
resident.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the said Timothy Pickering, and the sachems and
war chiefs of the said Six Nations, have hereunto set their hands
and seals.
Done at Canandaigua, in the State of New York, in the eleventh day
of November, in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-four.
TIMOTHY PICKERING
Witnesses: Interpreters:
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Israel Chapin Horatio Jones
Wm. Shepard, Jun'r Joseph Smith
James Smedley Jasper Parrish
John Wickham Henry Abeele
Augustus Porter
James H. Garnsey
Wm. Ewing
Israel Chapin, Jun'r
(Signed by fifty-nine Sachems and War Chiefs of the Six Nations.)
CANANDAIGUA, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 11, 1794
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O-NO-YE-AH-NEE O-NA-AH-HAH TUG-GEH-SHOT-TA
KON-NE-AT-OR-TEE-OOH HOT-OSH-A-HENH TEH-ONG-YOO-WUSH
or Handsome Lake
KAU-KON-DA-NAI-YA TEH-ONG-YA-GAU-NA
TO-KENH-YOU-HAU
or Capt. Key NON-DI-YAU-KA KON-NE-YOO-WE-SOT
O-NES-HAU-EE KOS-SISH-TO-WAU TI-OOH-QUOT-TA-KAU-NA
or Woods On Fire
HENDRICK AUPAUMUT TO-HE-ONG-GO
TA-OUN-DAU-DEESH
DAVID NEESOONHUK OO-JAU-GEHT-A
or Fish Carrier HO-NA-YA-WUS
KANATSOYH or Farmer's Brother
or Nicholas Kusick OOT-A-GUAS-SO
SOG-GOO-YA-WAUT-HAU
SOH-HON-TE-O-QUENT JOO-NON-DAU-WA-ONCH or Red Jacket
OO-DUHT-SA-IT KAU-NEH-SHONG-GOO KON-YOO-TAI-YOO
KO-NOOH-QUNG KI-YAU-HA-ONH SAUH-TA-KA-ONG-YEES
or Two Skies Of A Length
TOS-SONG-GAU-LO-LUSS OO-TAU-JE-AU-GENH
or Broken Axe OUN-NA-SHATTA-KAU
JOHN SHEN-EN-DO-A
TAU-HO-ON-DOS KA-UNG-YA-NEH-QUEE
O-NE-AT-OR-LEE-OOH or Open The Way
or Handsome Lake SOO-A-YOO-WAU
TWAU-KE-WASH-A
KUS-SAU-WA-TAU KAU-JE-A-GA-ONH
SE-QUID-ONG-QUEE or Heap Of Dogs
E-YOO-TEN-YOO-TAU-OOK
KO-DJEOTE SOO-NOOH-SHOO-WAU
KOHN-YE-AU-GONG or Half Town
or Jake Stroud THA-OG-WAU-NI-AS
KEN-JAU-AU-GUS
SHA-QUI-EA-SA or Stinking Fish SOO-NONG-JOO-WAU
TEER-OOS SOO-NOH-QUA-KAU KI-ANT-WHAU-KA
or Capt. Prantup or Cornplanter
TWEN-NI-YA-NA
HENRY YOUNG BRANT
JISH-KAA-GA
SOOS-YOO-WAU-NA or Green Grasshopper
or Big Sky or Little Billy
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+ ----------------- The Native American Council at Kodak ----------------- +
Dave