Red Jacket Monument, Canoga, New York

Sa-go ye-wat-ha 'He Who Causes Them To Be Awake' is ranked in a volume of American orators as among the greatest in this country. He was born in 1750 at Canoga on Cayuga Lake, N. Y. S. 'Others claim he was born at the end of Keuka Lake, but Indian tradition says, Canoga was his birthplace.' He was of the Wolf Clan of the Seneca Nation. As a boy he bore the name of Otetiana 'Always Ready'. Later he received the name of Sa-go-ye-wat-ha. During the Revolutionary War the British kept him supplied with red coats of which he was very fond. Because of this he was known among the whites as Red Jacket.

During the Revolutionary War Red Jacket, who fought on the side of England, was a runner and carried important messages for the English. He was never known to have been a warrior and took no part in actual fighting.

Red Jacket had a remarkable memory and a very quick wit. He was always a ready and effective orator. His people recognized in him a fluent speaker and on many occasions used his debating ability in their councils with white men. Red Jacket was a firm believer in the ways of his ancestors. In time he became the great advocate and defender of the Indian faith and the institutions of the Six Nations. To the end he bitterly opposed the culture of the invader. He always championed the religion, customs and government of his people and strove to prevent the sale of Seneca lands to the whites. Bribery or threats, often attempted by land speculators, did not move Sa-go-ye-wat-ha. Only under the influence of liquor a curse that in the end weakened the old chief, did he ever sign to any land sales.

Red Jacket bitterly opposed all Christian missionaries among his people. He treated with unconcealed contempt any Indian who followed the religion of the whites. On one occasion he was asked why he opposed missionaries. His answer was, "Because they do us no good! If they are useful to the white people and do them good, why do they send them among the Indians? If they are useful to the white people and do them good why do they not keep them at home? The white people are surely bad enough to need the labor of everyone who can make them better. These men know that we do not understand their religion. We cannot read their book. They tell us different stories about what it contains, and we believe they make the book talk to suit themselves. The Spirit will not punish us for what we do not know. These black coats talk to the Great Spirit and ask light, that we may see as they do, when they are blind themselves, and quarrel about the light which guides them. These things we do not understand, and the light which they give us makes the straight and plain path trod by our fathers dark and dreary. The black coats tell us to work and raise corn. They do nothing themselves and would starve to death if somebody did not feed them. The Red Men knew nothing about trouble until it came from the white man. As soon as they crossed the great waters they wanted our country and in return have always been ready to teach us to quarrel about their religion. Red Jacket can never be the friend of such men. The Indian can never be like the white man. We are few and weak but may, for a long time, be happy if we hold fast to our country and the religion of fathers!"

From Canoga the warriors headed north to the Great Trail and then west to the City of Geneva. At Geneva, Mr. Robert Breed, a member of the Geneva Historical society and a friend of the Indian People, personally took the warriors to several ancient Seneca village sites and memorials among which were the following:

At the White Springs Farm they visited the site of the main village of the Senecas known as Ganechtage. Here they saw the ancient Indian Springs known as The White Springs. This water supply was the reason for the location of this old village. As the warriors passed over the brow of a nearby mound, which was an ancient Seneca burial mound, they were told that this was probably the view that the first white men ever had of Seneca Lake. The old Seneca Indian Trail from the west to the east, connecting the main villages of the Iroquois League, ran past these Indian springs. Not far from this ancient village site, the warriors visited the later Seneca Indian village site of Kanadesaga, located along Castle Creek. Near this ancient village site the Mohawks saw the Seneca Burial mound of the Indian town. Kanadesaga means, A New Settlement Village. The marker that the warriors saw on top of the burial mound was placed there in 1908 by the Fortnightly Club of Geneva. The inscription reads, "Kanadesaga, burial mound of the Seneca Indians." Here Grahta, the Old King, the most famous Seneca Chief of his day is buried. Mr. Breed told the boys that it is known that this chief's bark house was located on the site of the village toward the lake and near the outlet. He was probably chief Sachem from about 1760 until his death soon after 1779. His name in the Seneca tongue was Guy-yah-gwah-doh which means, "He carries the Smoke," because he alone carried the brand by which the council fires of the Senecas were lighted. After the Revolutionary War, for many years, a band of Indians came regularly, just as the leaves began to fall, to this mound and to the one at The White Springs Farm and there spent hours in silent meditation. Many interesting legends gather about this mound.

Leaving their friends the warriors headed west out of Geneva. Passing numerous other Seneca village sites they headed south toward Keuka Lake. Near Keuka Park they visited an Iroquois bark house erected by students of Keuka College. Near the Village of Branchport they visited another Seneca Village Site that some claim to be the birthplace of Red Jacket. At one time he lived there; but his birthplace was at Canoga. There is also a monument erected to Red Jacket at the Branchport site.

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