Four Kings and a Queen - Part I - Hendrick
In the Spring of 1710, four Native American men traveled to London on a diplomatic mission. Known as the “Four Indian Kings”, they would meet with Queen Anne herself to discuss the state of the New England colonies and their Indigenous allies. For the colonial leaders who organized the trip, this was a means of garnering royal and military support in their ongoing conflict with Canada. For the Mohawk and Mohican men who agreed to go on this journey, this was a rare opportunity to ensure their needs would be heard by the very top leadership of their would-be allies. This article will be the first in a series of four, profiling each of the four “Kings”. Portrait of “Tee Yee Neen Ho Ga Row”, aka Hendrick Tejonihokarawa, by John Verelst, 1710 When the Indian Commissioners were tasked with recruiting Haudenosaunee leaders for this trip, Hendrick Tejonihokarawa* was likely at the top of their list. He was well known to them, having been an active figure in Mohawk politics for ...
