cris de ses mauvais oiseaux, qui essayent peut-etre a les Desbaucher pour les rendre aussi Traitres et malheureux comme eux memes.

Dites a Mes Enfants qu'ils restent en paix chez eux, qu'ils ayent soin de leurs femmes et Enfants, que pour le present je n'ai point besoin de leurs services. Mais je pris mes Enfants de n'endurer aucunes insultes de ces Traitres et Rebels en question. Si mes Enfants sauvages sont le moindrement menaces ou maltraités par ces Traitres et Rebelles, qu'ils m'avertissent Et ils peuvent se fier sur la Protection de leurs Père.

Et dites l'eux aussi, si un jour a venir, j'ai besoin de leurs services, je suis persuadé qu'ils jetteront le cri de joie et qu'ils seront prets a se rendre au premier commandement.

Vous aimez votre Religion mes Enfants (c'est moi [Hughes] maintenant qui vous addresse), vous faites Bien. Votre Curé doit absolument vous avoir annoncé a la fin du mois passé, de sa Chaire, le Mandement de votre Reverend Pere sa seigneurie l'Eveque de Tellemesse [Lartigue]. Ecoutez les avis que vous donne votre Pere l'Eveque, suivez les, et soyez persuadé que vous serai dans le chemin droit.

Mes Enfants, je n'ai a present plus a vous dire. Vous avez Ecoutez mes Parolles. Maintenant, donnez moi en des votres. Dites moi sans Cachette, s'il y a de vos freres ici, dans le vilage, assez simples de s'avoir laissé debaucher, s'il y en a nommez les. Et dites moi si vous connaissez celui, ou ceux qui ont essayés a les Rendre Traitres et Rebelles. Voux Etes hommes, ne craignez rien, et ne me cachez rien. S'il y en a des pareils Traitres, il faut les punir, tot ou tard.

The chief Kanasontie got up and spoke for the whole, and they all sanctioned what he said. Father, we know of none among us that have strayed from the beaten path; we are now, what we have always been, we have no one but our Father to look up to for Protection, our sentiments are the same as those of our Brothers at the Lake [Kanesatake]. Our Father tells us to keep quiet, we obey him, and when called upon, it is our duty as his children, to listen to his words. We were told as we informed you at your house that we were threatened by the Traitors. But none of them have as yet Insulted us. If they do, you shall hear of it. (as cited in a letter by Hughes to Napier, 22 November 1837, NAC RG10 vol. 94: 38813-6, emphasis added)

As with previous speeches given by Hughes to the Iroquois people of Kanesatake, the words quoted above were intended to remind the Kahnawake Iroquois that they had always been loyal to the Crown and that the authorities expected that loyalty to their generous and protective British Father would continue. Through Hughes, Gosford informed the Kahnawakehro:non that the government knew that some Patriotes has threatened them and that some had even tried to rally Native people to the rebel side. In response, Gosford's words and blankets were meant to secure Kahnawake's loyalty by reminding the Iroquois that paternal protection and material benefits can only come from the government, not the malheureux Traitres et Rebelles. Hughes also wished to find out if, as in Akwesasne's case, people in Kahnawake had been tempted to join the rebel cause. Hughes also encouraged the Iroquois to listen to the church, an indispensable partner in the authorities' quest to halt any uprising. Grand Chief Martin Tekanasontie responded to Hughes by stating that the village would follow official orders and alert British authorities if they were attacked ( insulted ) by Patriotes. He also indicated that if the need of Native assistance should arise, the Kahnawakehro:non would cooperate with the Crown. Following a series of similar conferences, essentially aimed to establish military alliances with Indians on the eve of a feared civil war, Hughes concluded that the Indians of all the villages I have visited appear to be loyal and good subjects, except a few insignificant fellows at St. Regis [...], and were most grateful for their presents (Hughes to Napier, 22 November 1837, NAC RG10 vol. 94: 38812).

Near the end of November, soldiers were trooped in and around Kahnawake. On the 28th, people from Châteauguay walking through Kahnawake were arrested by what seems to have been a picquet of troops at the Indian village (Montreal Daily Star 14/01/1888: 5). Moreover, some Kahnawake residents were now carefully monitoring the area for any signs of disloyal actions. On the 29th, Kahnawake war chief Ignace Kaneratahere Delisle testified against several people from the Châteauguay area qui ont fait tout dans leurs pouvoirs pour inciter les habitants a prendre les Armes contre le Gouvernement (I. Delisle, ANQM 1837-38, no. 870).

Following confrontations between Patriotes and British soldiers at St. Denis and St. Charles in November 1837 (Leclerc 1983: 109-110), 300 Patriotes from St. Eustache mobilized. Led by Amury Girod, they assembled on the morning of 30 November to march on the Iroquois village of Kanesatake to obtain arms and désarmer les sauvages (G. Spenard, ANQM 1837-38, no. 767). Upon their arrival, they pillaged a Hudson's Bay Company storehouse and took eight muskets, three barrels of musket balls and a cannon which was used by the Indians for firing salutes. They also plundered the storeshed belonging to the priest and secured a barrel of pork and ammunition (ibid.; Girod 1924).

In Kanesatake, Girod obtained permission to speak with an Iroquois chief. This conversation has been cited in Girod's journal (Girod 1924) and elsewhere (Gabriel-Doxtater and Van des Hende 1995; Leclerc 1983; Trudel 1991). The unnamed chief expressed his wish to remain neutral ( we wish to remain as we are ) and refused to lend or sell his guns and cannons to the Patriotes. The anonymous...