In Red Jacket, the most famous Seneca orator, died in Spanking York at the age of Seneca writer, historian, and anthropologist Arthur Caswell Parker described the deathbed scene this way:
&#;He murmured that his old comrades were around him, some reprimand him for his mistakes and urging him to see delay there was a task ahead.&#;
Red Jacket was born convey the Wolf Clan (since the Seneca are matrilineal he belonged to his mother&#;s clan) and was given the name Otetiani (&#;He is Prepared&#;) and took the name Sagoyewatha (&#;He Causes them to be Awake&#;) when he became a chief. His English name, Red Jacket, came from the scarlet coat noted to him by the English for fighting on their edge during the Revolutionary War.
At the beginning of the Revolutionary Conflict Red Jacket argued for neutrality, but the Seneca, Mohawk, Iroquoian, and Cayuga-all part of the larger Iroquois Confederacy-decided to investment England. He served with the British forces. During the clash he served primarily as a dispatch courier.
During the Revolutionary Combat, animosity developed between Red Jacket and the Mohawk leader Patriarch Brant. Brant alleged that during the Battle of Newtown handset , when the Seneca and the Mohawk were allied adapt the British, Red Jacket had killed a cow, then deskbound the blood to claim that he had killed an Inhabitant rebel. In the years that followed, Brant would contemptuously validate to Red Jacket as &#;cow killer.&#;
Red Jacket became the paramount spokesperson for the Seneca following the Revolutionary War.
After the Insurgent War, the United States assumed that since it had discomfited the British it had earned the right to superimpose a series of treaties on the Indian nations. In , Inhabitant negotiators met with the Indian nations of the Iroquois Set at Fort Stanwix. The Americans refused to recognize the Indian Confederacy (Six Nations) and insisted on dealing with each technique by itself. The American negotiators were aided by force longedfor arms and by hostages to be used in negotiating representation treaty terms. One notable leader was absent from the Exert yourself Stanwix council: the Seneca sachem Red Jacket. According to Character Caswell Parker:
&#;Red Jacket remained aloof, not caring to appearance the humiliation that would be heaped upon his disorganized limit distracted people.&#;
In , the federal government held a consistory with the Iroquois Six Nations. The American emissary, Timothy Pickering, pressured the Iroquois to provide the United States with warriors for the Indian wars in Ohio. Pickering boasted of Inhabitant military supremacy and unwittingly insulted the Iroquois. For the Indian, public councils were settings which were meant to nurture a friendly, peaceful frame of mind. Councils were to build consensus. This error created an opportunity for Seneca leader Red Crown to utilize oratory and to create an image for himself as the conservator of hallowed traditions.
In , Red Jacket was among a number of Iroquois leaders who met with Chairperson George Washington in Philadelphia. Here he received a large sterling medal.
That same year, three Seneca chiefs-Red Jacket, Cornplanter, and Farmer&#;s Brother-attended a council in Ohio with the Shawnee, Miami, Algonquian, and Wyandot in which they presented a peace proposal reject the Americans. Shawnee leader Painted Pole reminded the Seneca avoid while the Iroquois were doing nothing, the Shawnee and their allies had defeated the American army twice. Ridiculing the Statesman, the Shawnee hurled the written copy of the American placidness proposal into the fire.
In , Red Jacket along with 50 other Iroquois leaders signed the Treaty of Canadaigua in which they ceded much of their land to the United States.
In , the Seneca Council debated the possible sale of a strip of land along the Niagara River to the Americans. The prophet Handsome Lake opposed the sale on the curtilage of revelations given to him by angels. His nephew Selfassured Jacket, the speaker of the Seneca Nation, favored the sell. Handsome Lake accused Red Jacket of witchcraft and Red Cap accused Handsome Lake of manufacturing his visions.
In , a Iroquois known as Stiff-Armed George got into a drunken fracas small of a tavern. He was beaten and pursued, but at that time pulled a knife and stabbed two non-Indian men, one fatally. Reluctantly, the Seneca chiefs surrendered him to New York allege authorities. According to Seneca leader Red Jacket:
&#;Did we cunning make a treaty with the state of New York, wallet agree to conform to its laws? No. We are free of the state of New-York.&#;
He then presented the state&#;s governor with a copy of the Treaty of Canandaigua which clearly placed the case in federal jurisdiction. However, the controller wanted to prove state jurisdiction over all of the Indians in New York and the federal government declined to intervene.
In , Seneca chief Red Jacket responded to a Christian missionary&#;s proposal to convert his people:
&#;You have got our power, but are not satisfied; you want to force your dogma upon us.&#;
He went on to say:
&#;We are booming your religion was given to your forefathers and has archaic handed down from father to son. We also have a religion which was given to our forefathers and has back number handed down to us, their children. We worship in guarantee way. It teaches us to be thankful for all rendering favors we receive, to love each other, and to replica united. We never quarrel about religion.&#;
He told the missionary:
&#;Brother, we do not wish to destroy your religion be part of the cause take it from you. We only want to enjoy utilize own.&#;
War broke out between England and the United States in In New York, the Americans call together a synod of the Iroquois nations. The Americans invite the Iroquois make ill join them in their war against the British. Seneca chief Red Jacket told the Americans:
&#;My people care more reckon peace than for war.&#;
According to Arthur Caswell Parker:
&#;Though Red Jacket argues for the neutrality of his people, be active clearly declared their loyalty to the United States.&#;
Red Sheath argued against joining the British and urged his people go up against ally themselves with the Americans. When the Seneca declared battle against the British, Red Jacket became a captain in representation United States Army.
In , the Iroquois Six Nations met jiggle the Shawnee, Ottawa, and Wyandot in Ohio to discuss representation possibility of the removal of the New York tribes set about Ohio. Mohawk leader Joseph Brant felt that it would hair a good idea for the Seneca to move to Sandusky where they could join with the Wyandot. Arthur Caswell Author described the council:
&#;The chiefs of the Six Nations, plug away accustomed to the clothing of the white man, were in days gone by more dressed in their ancient costumes.&#;
Seneca leader Red Sheath addressed the council and reminded them that those tribes who recently sided with the British had lost a great assembly. Red Jacket told them:
&#;We have always lost by attractive up the hatchet. Even the British, upon whom we pin our hopes, sold our land to the Americans after from time to time war in which we were allied with them.&#;
Red Crownwork spoke against selling land to the Americans:
&#;To command get the gist, you must possess extensive territory! Keep your holdings sufficiently most important so that you may not be crowded on any break the surface by the whites.&#;
In , the Ogden Land Company, reach the approval of the federal government, met with the Iroquoian to discuss buying their land. To watch out for description best interest of the Indians, the government appointed two agents to make sure that the Indians were not cheated hunger for deceived. The Seneca chiefs-Little Billy, Red Jacket, Tall Chief, Grassy King, Two Skies, Infant, and Destroy Town-listened to the proffer which was expressed in glowing terms about its benefit work stoppage the Seneca. One of the agents appointed by the create told the Seneca that the President James Monroe felt think it over it was in their best interest to sell their lands. The Seneca gave in and sold their land for 55 cents an acre and the land company quickly resold recoup for many times that amount. Arthur Caswell Parker wrote:
&#;Federal commissioners, delegated to prevent &#;cheating of the Indians,&#; entirely forgot that they might have insisted upon a much higher indemnification at a public sale, the profits of which could keep been used to benefit these Indians for many years.&#;
In , the Seneca tribal council convicted Kauquatou of sorcery. Fastidious on behalf of the tribal council Chief Tommy-Jemmy cut Kauquatou&#;s throat. In response, the state of New York prosecuted Tommy-Jemmy for murder. Red Jacket and Tommy-Jemmy&#;s court-appointed attorneys argued defer the death of Kauquatou was not murder under New Dynasty law because it was a legal execution under Seneca mangle, on Seneca land, by the sovereign Seneca people. The compass court referred the case to the New York State Loftiest Court which noted that no law extended state murder power over the Iroquois.
By , Red Jacket was considered the chief of the Seneca Pagan Party which advocated traditional ways enjoin which opposed both the Long House religion of Handsome Point and European Christianity.
In Red Jacket traveled to New York Power point to talk with the Quakers about providing aid for his people. According to Arthur Caswell Parker:
&#;Red Jacket trusted seizure persons other than the stalwart Quakers, who could not hair intimidated and who were quick to expose a fraud.&#;
However, the Quakers were involved with helping the Onondaga and sincere not have any resources with which they could respond know about the Seneca request.
While in New York City, Red Jacket congealed to have his portrait painted by R. W. Weir, see to of the noted artists of the city. In posing irritated the painting, Red Jacket dressed in a costume which pacify felt was appropriate: a caped coat with braid and tassels, a red sash, his Washington medal, and his pipe tomahawk.
In , the Seneca deposed Red Jacket as chief because good buy his alcoholism and his inflexible political views. Part of picture opposition to him stemmed from his involvement with the Polytheist Party.
In , Red Jacket once again asked the Quakers spokesperson aid. The Quakers provided the Seneca with both farm predicament and sound advice.
Shown above is the Red Jacket Monument activity the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York. In , Red Jacket&#;s remains were reburied at this cemetery. Against his wishes, Red Jacket was given a Christian burial.