chief concluded by stating: Brother, I will not interfere in this dispute between you and Your Father, defend Your rights, and when I hear the thunder of your arms, I will consider in my breast whether I am not obliged to assist you (in Girod 1924: 377-8). Yet, the next day, the Kanesateke chiefs gave their cannon to the St. Andrew's Loyalist Volunteers (Greer 1993: 321).

A second version of this event is provided by François Bertrand, who was brought over to serve as interpreter. In his view, this is a peu près the talk which took place:

Girod: Veux-tu être un de nos amis?

Sauvage: Je veux bien être ton ami mais ne pas remuer.

Girod: Pourquoi ne veux-tu pas remuer?

Sauvage: Vous autres êtes mes [frères] mais j'ai un père (voulant dire le Roi) je vous aime bien mais j'aime mieux mon père [...]

Girod: Veux-tu nous prêter les canons que vous avez [...]?

Sauvage: Nous n'en avons qu'un que notre père nous a donné pour s'en servir dans des fêtes, je ne veux point le prêter.

Girod: Où est votre canon?

Sauvage: Je n'en sais rien, j'arrive de la chasse.

Girod: Tu est bon père, j'en convient (sic) mais il a de mauvais sujets qui te trichent sur les couvertes et les présents.

Sauvage: Je suis content de ce que mon père me donne.

Girod: Ne serais-tu pas plus content d'être avec nous, si tu nous joignais nous te donnerions du terrain? (my emphasis)

Sauvage: Je suis bien comme je suis, je ne veux point de changement.

(voluntary examination of François Bertrand, ANQM 1837-38, no. 736)

As in the version found in Girod's journal, the unnamed chief refused to help the Patriotes. However, in the latter text, the chief clearly reminded the insurgent leader that he was satisfied with his British father although the recent quantity of presents had been unsatisfactory. Also, it is very interesting to see that Girod used the issue of land as a means of obtaining Native support. Indeed, in seeking to gain Kanesatake's assistance, Girod did not mention the advantages of having an elective legislative council as well as other political aspirations animating the Patriotes. Instead, the Patriote leader tried to gather Kanesatake's support by making a relatively empty promise that he would give more terrain to the Indians if they actively joined the insurgents.

Recent work at the National Archives of Canada has led me to a third and much different account of the same incident. According to this source, on the day of Girod's march on Kanesatake, there was a rumor in Kahnawake that the Patriotes of St.Eustache

had invaded the Indian village of the Lake of Two Mountains [Kanesatake], that a battle had taken place and that Indians and Rebels had fallen in the contest, that the Rebels had been victorious, had pillaged the village and taken away three pieces of cannon. (Hughes to Napier, 5 December 1837, NAC RG10 vol. 94: 38822)

To clear all doubts and fears, Superintendent Hughes sent Kahnawake war chief Ignace Kaneratahere Delisle to verify the state of Kanesatake and obtain an accurate account of what had occurred there. According to what Delisle was told by the people he spoke to,

on the 30th [...] about 350 armed men, most of them on horse back, entered the village [...]. On their arrival, [...] they [...[ called for the chiefs and Indians, who were only sixteen in number (the whole of the rest, owing to the failure of their crops of Indian Corn, having resorted to their hunting grounds) and already assembled with their arms. The Indian women were also mostly armed with knives and axes under their blankets. One of the leaders of the Rebels demanded of the chiefs to deliver up all their ammunition, as well as their arms. The chief, Onarahison (a brave fellow) told him that the Indians had arms and ammunition given to them by their Great Father the King to support themselves and families and that they could not think of giving [them] up. The Rebels then demanded of the Chief to deliver up their cannon, that they had come for the special purpose of taking them and that they must give it up. Onarahison said yes we have got a cannon, a gift from our Father the Earl of Dalhousie to salute our officers when they visit us. We value our cannon and will never give it up but with our lives. You have come here, at this moment, because you know that we were but few and that all our brothers were gone to their hunting grounds to live? You wish and think that you can frighten us, but you are mistaken. Few as we are, we are not to be intimidated. Before you pillage us, you must kill us. Your numbers are great and you can easily do it. But think of the future and depend upon it. If you do us harm, you will repent it, we will be revenged. (account as told by Delisle and cited by Hughes to Napier, 5 December 1837, NAC RG10 vol 94: 38823-4, Hughes' emphasis)

The Patriotes replied: keep your cannon and be quiet at home and take care that you do not give up your cannon to our Enemies (ibid.). After pillaging shoresheds and attempting to disarm the local priest and British officers living in the village (ibid.: 38824), the Patriotes later returned to Onarahison, who had sent for them. He remarked that he had sent

for you (Patriotes) to tell you not to come back again to frighten our women and children, we do not molest you and what is your business with us? We are Indians. If you Whites have quarrels, settle them amongst yourselves. Do not come and trouble us. (ibid.: 388244, my emphasis)

The Patriote leaders replied: If you Indians keep quiet at home, [and not] [...] interfere in this busyness, we will leave you in Peace. Onarahison answered: I can promise nothing. I am a Child, my hands are tied, I am under the laws of my Great Father and that of the Council of the Seven Fires -Caughnawaga-, whatever takes place must be decided there. (ibid.: 38825, my emphasis). Overall, according to James Hughes' interpretation of Ignace Delisle's account, in response to warnings not to get involved, the Kanesatake chief expressed a simultaneous attachment to the Seven Fires of Canada and the British Crown. Further, the chief indicated...