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52-621: Thomas Charles Longboat (4 July 1886 – 9 January 1949, Iroquois name: Cogwagee ) was an Onondaga distance runner from the Six Nations Reserve near Brantford, Ontario and, for much of his career, the dominant long-distance runner. He was known as the "bulldog of Britannia" and was a soldier in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) during the First World War . When Longboat

104-596: A leak in the roof of the residential school building caused significant damage to the historic site. As a result of this leak a community input process was established within Six Nations of the Grand River to determine what the local community wanted to do with the building, 98% of participants voted to save the historic building. In March 2014 the "Save the Evidence" campaign was started to raise money to preserve

156-525: A long distance until he gave his brother a half an hour head start driving a horse and buggy while he ran on foot, and yet he still made it to Hamilton first. Longboat's chief rival was Alfred Shrubb, who he raced ten times, winning all the races at 20 miles (32 km) or more and losing all those at shorter distances. Longboat was a dispatch runner in France in World War ;I while maintaining

208-600: A poor family who lived on a small farm. His father died when Longboat was three years old. He was enrolled at the Mohawk Institute Residential School at age 12, a legal obligation under the Indian Act at that time. He hated life at the school, where he was pressured to give up his Onondaga beliefs in favour of Christianity . He was also expected to give up his language. After one unsuccessful escape attempt, Longboat tried again and reached

260-484: A professional career. He was twice wounded and twice declared dead while serving in Belgium. Stories said that he had entered a communication trench which was buried by an exploding shell, where he and his comrades were trapped for six days (albeit with sufficient oxygen and provisions) before being rescued. However, Longboat himself debunked that particular myth in an interview with Lou Marsh in 1919. He retired following

312-594: A public confession of sins upon a string of wampum (shell beads). The wampum is employed in all matters of public importance. Their funerals were known to be quiet and solemn, with the women covering their faces. There were also special events such as the Planting Feast which would happen in May or when the Onondaga believed the ground was ready. This was three days for penitential and religious services. One day for

364-543: A traditional matriachal form of government, wherein chiefs are nominated by clan mothers, rather than elected. One's clan is determined by their matrilineal lineage, meaning that clan membership is inherited from the mother. Membership in the Onondaga is also exclusively inherited matrilineally. The clan system extends throughout the Haudenosaunee, and clan members from other nations are considered family. In total there are nine clans: Onondaga peoples believe it

416-694: Is their duty to help and support their clan in tough times, sickness, and death. Interclan marriages are mandatory, so a member of one clan can only marry someone outside of their clan. On March 11, 2005, the Onondaga Nation in the town of Onondaga, New York , filed a land rights action in federal court, seeking acknowledgment of title to over 3,000 square miles (7,800 km ) of ancestral lands centering in Syracuse, New York . They hoped to obtain increased influence over environmental restoration efforts at Onondaga Lake and other EPA Superfund sites in

468-695: The Six Nations reserve and died of pneumonia on January 9, 1949. After Longboat's death, Alfred Shrubb stated in an interview that "he was one of the greatest, if not the greatest marathoner of all time." In 1951, the Tom Longboat Awards were instituted by Jan Eisenhardt. This program, administered since 1999 by the Aboriginal Sport Circle, annually honours outstanding First Nations athletes and sportsmen in each province; national male and female winners are selected from

520-474: The Boston Marathon in a record time of 2:24:24 over the old 24 + 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (39.4 km) course, four minutes and 59 seconds faster than any of the previous ten winners of the event. He collapsed in the 1908 Olympic Games marathon , along with several other leading runners. In response to Longboat's performance in the marathon, Canadian team manager J. Howard Crocker reported that Longboat

572-543: The British Crown at Six Nations . In the aftermath of the "Sullivan Expedition", following the brutal winter of 1780, there was a massive swarm of periodical cicadas , which emerge from underground every seventeen years. The sudden arrival of such a large quantity of the insects provided a source of sustenance for the Onondaga people who were experiencing severe food insecurity following the Sullivan campaigns and

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624-618: The CEF in France, the consequent American newspaper stories were often illustrated by photos of the imposter, Edgar Laplante. On the basis that Longboat really was dead, his wife Lauretta remarried during 1918. Although pleased to find out he had survived, she had no desire to leave her new husband. Longboat later married Martha Silversmith, with whom he had four children. After the war, Longboat settled in Toronto where he worked until 1944. He retired to

676-843: The Confederacy relocated there as a result of the American Revolution. Although the British promised the security of Haudenosaunee homelands, the 1783 treaty of Paris ceded the territory over to the United States. According to oral tradition, the Great Peacemaker approached the Onondaga and other tribes to found the Haudenosaunee . The tradition tells that at the time the Seneca nation debated joining

728-857: The Five Nations. The Cayuga and Seneca have territory to their west and the Oneida and Mohawk to their east. For this reason, the League of the Iroquois historically met at the Iroquois government's capital at Onondaga , as the traditional chiefs do today. In the United States, the home of the Onondaga Nation is the Onondaga Reservation . Onondaga people also live near Brantford, Ontario on Six Nations territory. This reserve used to be Haudenosaunee hunting grounds, but much of

780-779: The Green Bean dance. This day there are three days for religious services, one for the children, one for the Four Persons, one for the Holder of the heavens, and one for the Thunder with the feast. The Onondaga's Thanksgiving feast in October closely resembled the Green Corn Dance. The Onondaga peoples place great emphasis on giving thanks, and this is reflected in their ceremonies. Ceremonial songs would be performed in

832-747: The Haudenosaunee based on the Great Peacemaker's teachings, a solar eclipse took place. The most likely eclipse visible in the area was in 1142 AD. This oral tradition is supported by archeological studies. Carbon dating of particular sites of Onondaga habitation shows dates starting close to 1200AD ± 60 years with growth for hundreds of years. In the American Revolutionary War , the Onondaga were at first officially neutral, although individual Onondaga warriors were involved in at least one raid on American settlements. After Americans attacked their main village on April 20, 1779,

884-762: The Mohawk Institute and to raise awareness about the history of residential schools. Following the 2021 discovery of previously unknown burials at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia , Six Nations of the Grand River chief Mark Hill called on the Canadian federal government to support a search for missing children who could have been buried on the Mohawk Institute's grounds. The search began around November 2021. As of September 2022, about 1.5% of

936-539: The Mohawk Institute during its operation: Following the closure of the Mohawk Institute in 1970, the Woodland Cultural Centre opened on the site in 1972, as an organization focused on research, history, and later the arts. Woodland's cultural and historical interpretation programming utilizes the historic Mohawk Institute building to teach about the history of residential schools in Canada. In 2013

988-568: The Onondaga later sided with the majority of the League and fought against the American colonists in alliance with the British . In 1779, George Washington ordered the termination of the Onondaga people, in an operation known as " The Sullivan Expedition ", breaking the neutrality agreement and devastating the Onondaga people. When the United States won independence, many Onondaga followed Joseph Brant to Upper Canada, where they were given land by

1040-530: The Onondaga people. They also adopted many games from European settlers such as mumble the peg, marbles, some games of ball, pull away, and fox and geese in the snow. Hide and seek and blindmanbajj's bluff were played but no games with song. Mohawk Institute Residential School The Mohawk Institute Residential School was a Canadian Indian residential school in Brantford , Ontario , Canada. The school operated from 1831 to June 27, 1970. Enrollment at

1092-548: The United States, in which their right to their homeland was acknowledged by the United States in article II of the treaty. In 1816, 450 Onondaga were living in New York , 210 of whom lived on Buffalo Creek Reservation . The Onondaga Nation was crucial in forming the Iroquois League which led them to be very well revered by their peers. The "Tree of Peace" was planted on Onondaga Land. Onondaga has been regarded as

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1144-589: The United States. Tom Longboat appears as a character in Zoe Leigh Hopkins 's 2021 film Run Woman Run , portrayed by Asivak Koostachin . Historica Canada released a Heritage Minute about Tom Longboat on June 4, 2022. Onondaga people Being centrally located, they are considered the "Keepers of the Fire" ( Kayečisnakwe’nì·yu in Tuscarora ) in the figurative longhouse that shelters

1196-403: The bed. "They used to bring in a battery—a motor of some sort or some kind of gadget, and he’d put the girl’s hand on it and it would jerk us and it would go all the way through us from end to end—it would travel. And we would do that about three times." Another former student, Dawn, said sexual abuse took place in the boiler room in the basement: "You couldn’t hear their screams over the noise of

1248-478: The boiler." Sally General, a former student who attended the Mohawk Institute from age four to thirteen, recalled having all of her hair cut off, along with all of the other students. They were branded "Mush Hole Baldies". Sally also remembered being locked in a dark room with her friend and being told by staff that "the rats were gonna get us". They would cry for hours, not knowing why they were being punished. It wasn't until she learned English that she realized she

1300-503: The capital of Iroquois land. The Onondaga were known as the Central Fire-Keepers of the Confederacy. The Onondaga were known as the guardians or watchkeepers of the league. They were keepers of the law in order to preserve traditions and institutions. The culture hero Hyenwatha was an Onondaga Indian and was essential in the early organization of the league. The title of Tadodaho was always held by an Onondaga chief; he

1352-487: The children's dance, and one each for the Four Persons, the Holder for the Heavens, the Thunder, and for gambling. The Strawberry Feast comes when the berries are ripe. This day there are dancing for the Thunder and a feast of strawberries. The Green Bean Dance comes when the green beans are fit for use. This day there are dances for the Thunder and a mixture of war and feather dances. The Green Corn dance always comes after

1404-633: The claimed area. The Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit rejected the Onondagas' claim in 2012, and the Supreme Court in 2013 declined to hear an appeal. On June 29, 2022, 1,023 acres of land were returned to the Onondaga Nation. On September 30, 2024, 1,000 acres of land were returned to the Onondaga Nation. The Onondaga very much enjoyed sports and physical activity. Lacrosse and foot races were always known to be favorites of

1456-554: The facts of Longboat's racing career and post-athletic work appear to be in strong contradiction. It has been suggested that efforts to encourage the temperance movement within First Nations may have been the cause of such reporting. Regardless of the intentions behind such coverage, not a month later Longboat won two major races at Hanlan's Point Stadium, setting a personal best in the 12-mile (19 km) race. Members of his family did not believe how fast he could run over such

1508-433: The home of his uncle. His uncle hid him from authorities. After Longboat's athletic successes, he was invited to speak at the institute. He refused: "I wouldn't even send my dog to that place." In 1908, he married Lauretta Maracle. In February 1916, he enlisted in the CEF running messages between military posts. While he was serving with the CEF, he fell victim to what would later be termed identity theft. From late 1916 until

1560-438: The impostor's antics and wrote a letter about them, which ended up being quoted in several American newspapers. In his letter he threatened legal action against the impostor. "I am going to have three charges against this man, one for making false statements, second for impersonation, third [for] intent to defraud the public at large." When erroneous reports reached America that Longboat had been killed in action while serving with

1612-611: The longhouse, and danced to in a counter-clockwise direction since this is the life-providing direction of Mother Earth, moon, and stars. The more spirited the singing and dancing, the more thanks is given to the Creator. The Onondaga peoples rely on the lunar calendar for their ceremonies that occur, and there are faith-keepers responsible for initiating the ceremonies based on the different moons. Some factors that defined pre-colonial Onondaga life were: The Onondaga in New York have

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1664-514: The military generated numerous American newspaper stories, which were illustrated by photographs of Laplante, who looked nothing like the real Longboat. During Laplante's initial voyage aboard the S.S. Antilles , a debate raged in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle regarding whether the real Longboat was in France or serving with the U.S. Army Transport Service. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle sided with the imposter. Eventually, Longboat heard about

1716-530: The naming of many lanes in their area of the City of Toronto. A lane south of Longboat Avenue was officially named Tom Longboat Lane in 2013. In 2008, 4 June was officially declared "Tom Longboat Day" in Ontario with the passage of Bill 120, a Private Member's Bill put forward by MPP Michael Colle . Google's 4 June 2018 Doodle celebrates the life and legacy of Tom Longboat, and was distributed across Canada and

1768-727: The provincial winners. Longboat was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (in 1955), the Ontarian Sports Hall of Fame and the Indian Hall of Fame. Longboat is also commemorated annually by the Toronto Island 10   km race. In 1976, Longboat was designated a National Historic Person . In 1978, in honour of Longboat, the Scarborough Board of Education opened the doors to their newest school: Tom Longboat Junior Public School. Tom Longboat

1820-796: The school ranged from 90 to 200 students per year. Operated by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in New England (commonly known as the New England Company) from its founding in 1828 as the "Mechanics' Institute" (a day school for boys on the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve) until 1922, when the Canadian federal government took control. The Mohawk Institute was established on 350 acres of farmland, all of which

1872-536: The school was closed. Six Nations assumed ownership of the building the following year. Many former students have described suffering physical, sexual and emotional abuse at the school. The poor quality of food served to students led to the school's nickname, The Mush Hole. In 1914 two former students from the Mohawk School charged the school's principal for cutting off their hair, imprisonment, and physical abuse. The case went to trial on March 31, 1914 where

1924-543: The school was formally taken over by the Canadian government, though the New England Company retained ownership, and the agreement required that the principal be Anglican. A chapel was added to the school in 1930. By 1955, enrollment reached 185 children. In 1963, farming was discontinued as the children were now given a full day of education without requiring manual labour. Enrollment decreased as schools were built on reserves throughout Ontario, and in 1970,

1976-537: The school was originally near the Mohawk village, in 1837 the colonial government of Upper Canada ordered Six Nation residents to resettle south of the Grand River , kilometres from the school. Between 1854–1859, the building was destroyed by fire and rebuilt a few hundred metres from its original location. Around the same time, the school acquired more land, and farming became a prominent part of life for children at

2028-401: The school. The school buildings were rebuilt the following year. The new school building contained separate boys and girls wings, principal's and teachers quarters, as well as administrative offices. This new school building was designed to hold 150 students and the new complex also included the development of barns, stables, and other agriculture related out buildings. In 1922, management of

2080-470: The school. In 1885, the school began to accept students from reserves beyond Six Nations. On April 19, 1903, the main school building was again destroyed by fire. In May, the barns of the Mohawk School were also destroyed by fire. On June 24, 1903 the playhouse which had been serving as the boys' dorm since the main fire in April was also burned down. All three of these fires have been attributed to students at

2132-428: The students were awarded $ 400 for two of the claims and the principal was fined. Students frequently ran away from the Mohawk Institute, so the staff built a prison cell to hold captured runaways in the basement. It resembled a dark closet, and students were often left there for days at a time. One former student, Lorna, who attended the Mohawk Institute from 1940 to 1945, recalled being given shock treatment for wetting

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2184-473: The subsequent brutal winter. The seemingly miraculous arrival of the cicadas (specifically, Brood VII also known as the Onondaga brood) is commemorated by the Onondaga as though it were an intervention by the Creator to ensure their survival after such a traumatizing, catastrophic event. On November 11, 1794, the Onondaga Nation, along with the other Haudenosaunee nations, signed the Treaty of Canandaigua with

2236-510: The summer of 1917, a white Rhode Island-born vaudeville singer, conman and onetime medicine show performer named Edgar Laplante (1888-1944) travelled around America pretending to be him and giving concerts that profited from Longboat's continued celebrity. In August 1917 Laplante arrived in New York City, where he enrolled under Longboat's name as a civilian crewman with the U.S. Army Transport Service. News of Longboat joining this branch of

2288-478: The war. While officially an amateur, Longboat had lost only three total races, one of which was his first, the Victoria Day race. By the time he had turned professional, he owned two national track records and several unofficial world records. After joining the professional ranks, he set world records for the 24- and 32-kilometre races and had nearly set the world record for 19 kilometres. Longboat grew up in

2340-702: Was a child, a Mohawk ( Kanienʼkehá꞉ka ) resident of the reserve, Bill Davis, who in 1901 finished second in the Boston Marathon , interested him in running races. He began racing in 1905, finishing second in the Victoria Day race at Caledonia, Ontario . His first important victory was in the Around the Bay Road Race in Hamilton, Ontario , in 1906, which he won by three minutes. In 1907 he won

2392-410: Was a professional, these recovery periods annoyed his promoters and the sports press often labelled him "lazy", although the practice of incorporating "hard", "easy", and "recovery" days into training is normal today. Because of this and other disputes with his managers Longboat bought out his contract, after which his times improved. Knee and back issues began to plague Longboat post-1909. Although this

2444-456: Was being punished for not knowing or speaking English. Sally was also sexually abused. After one assault, she began to bleed and went to the nurse. When she told the nurse what happened, the nurse gave her a beating, told her she was lying, and that she should never say anything like that again. Male children at the Mohawk Institute were forced to get a circumcision and have their tonsils removed. The following individuals served as principals of

2496-545: Was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. He was the first person of Native American descent ( Onondaga ) to win the Boston Marathon, and one of only two Native Americans ever to win it (the other being Ellison Brown , a Narragansett ). A 46-cent first-class postage stamp honouring Longboat was issued by Canada Post on 17 February 2000. In 2008, the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association organized

2548-596: Was likely "doped", explaining his collapse and subsequent condition. An Olympic rematch was organized the same year at Madison Square Garden in New York City . Longboat won this race, turned professional, and in 1909 at the same venue won the title of Professional Champion of the World by defeating Dorando Pietri and Alfred Shrubb in front of sell-out crowds. His coaches did not approve of his alternation of hard workouts with "active rest" such as long walks. When he

2600-482: Was or had been part of the Six Nations reserve at some point. In 1831, the New England Company operated this residential school for boys, and starting in 1834, Indigenous girls attended this school as well. They were from Six Nations, along with some from the New Credit , and Moraviantown , Sarnia , Walpole Island , Muncey , Scugog , Stoney Point , Saugeen , Bay of Quinte and Kahnawake reserves. While

2652-465: Was public knowledge, reporters and fans often blamed "Indian laziness" for his occasional poor showing. Longboat's former manager, Tom Flanagan, spread false rumours that Longboat trained infrequently, contributing to this public attitude of sportswriters towards Longboat. In 1911, he was given a suspended sentence in Toronto for drunkenness, which led to additional criticism from reporters. While many newspaper columns were devoted to his supposed alcoholism,

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2704-402: Was to be the chief arbitrator of the Lords of the Confederacy. The Onondaga maintained the largest number chieftainship titles as well as the largest number of clans among the Iroquois. Handsome Lake , the Seneca half-brother of Cornplanter and author of his eponymous Code, died at Onondaga. The Onondaga practice the sprinkling of ashes when juggling the treatment of the sick. They also do

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