Daniel Garacontié

Who is Daniel Garacontié?

Daniel Garacontié was a tribal chief of the Onondaga nation. He was convered to Catholicism by Jesuit priests and was considered by the French to be a diplomat and peace-keeper for the Iroquois. He was credited with obtaining the release of a number French prisoners from various Iroquois nations.

After the flight of the French missionaries from Onondaga in 1658, Garakonthie, who, although not yet a Christian, had examined with care the customs of the French colonists, and the doctrines of the missionaries, became openly the protector of the Christians and an earnest advocate for peace. In 1661 he persuaded the Onondagas to send an embassy to Quebec, and to restore some of their captives as a preliminary to peace. Father Le Moyne accompanied the embassy on its return, and was received with great honor by Garakonthie, who converted his cabin into a chapel for the missionary. The chief then set out on an embassy to Montreal with nine of the French prisoners. He was well received, restored his captives, and obtained the liberation of several of his countrymen.