Donnacona

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Chief Donnacona (died c. 1539 in France) was the chief of Stadacona, a St. Lawrence Iroquoian village located at the present site of Quebec City, Canada. When French explorer Jacques Cartier first arrived there in 1534. Cartier seized Donnacona's sons, Dom Agaya and Taignoagny, and took them to France. They returned to Canada with Cartier the following year, showed him the entrance to the St. Lawrence River, and piloted him up the river to Stadacona, where this time, the French wintered.

Relations between the St. Lawrence Huadenosaunees and French deteriorated over the winter. In spring, Cartier invited Donnacona to a feast, also inviting his companions, and seized them. During the journey to France twenty-five died of scurvy; only Donaconna and nine others from the tribe, including his two sons, made it to France. Donnacona was well treated in France, being looked after at the king's expense. He whetted the French appetite for New World exploration with tales of a golden kingdom called "Saguenay", however he soon took sick and died from European diseases. So did all but one of the natives -- a little girl whose fate is unknown. When Cartier returned to Stadacona with French colonists from prison five years later, he told the Haudenosaunee that Donnacona was dead. But, he told the others that the other Haudenosaunees were very wealthy and did not wish to come back. However, many of the natives did not believe Cartier, and Cartier's relationship with the natives became even worse. Some colonists were even killed.

[edit] References

• Richter, Daniel K. (2001). Facing east from Indian country. A native history of early America.. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-00638-0. 

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