True Mohawks would rather go by their original name of Kanien’keha:ka (pronounced something like “Gan-yeng-gay-haa-ga.” Why? Because the name “Mohawk” was actually a term of derision given to them by other tribes. It means “Eaters of Men.” The epithet is based on the fact that Mohawks used to eat people. To clarify, they were not cannibals in the way cannibals were portrayed in old cartoons, with an explorer tied up and in a big pot full of water and vegetables, with the natives dancing around the pot. When the Mohawks—or the Iroquois in general—captured someone from an opposing tribe, it went without saying that he was going to be tortured. And I mean tortured! And all the while his code of honor dictated for him to put up a brave front and appear that nothing the Mohawks did was bothering him. This could be a good thing or a bad thing on his part. If he was lucky, they would stop the torture and invite him to become a member of their tribe, because they were really impressed by his courage. On the downside, if there was practically nothing left of the poor guy, his torturers would slice off pieces of his flesh to barbecue and eat. And when he was dead they would cut out his heart and eat that, while others cupped their hands to catch the blood, and drank it. What on earth for? Well, so they could ingest the victim’s courage along with his flesh and blood, in the hopes of becoming as brave as he was. This practice was well-documented by those who saw it, and moreover, it was documented in the journals of the Jesuit missionary priests who were required to write daily journals. The most well-documented case was that of Father Jean de Brebeuf and his companion, Father Gabriel Lalemant, who on March 17, 1649 were tortured to death by the Mohawks. I won’t go into the terrible details of their torture, but I will say that the Mohawks cut out the hearts of the priests, roasted them, and ate them while other members of the tribe drank their spurting blood. The mutilated bodies were returned to the Jesuit outpost at Fort St. Marie, where they were thoroughly examined and careful notes taken. So yes indeed the Mohawks ate people, or parts of them anyway, and it was not because they were hungry. Of course they stopped doing that sort of thing a long time ago, but the name “Mohawk” still sticks, maybe because it’s easier to say than Kanien’keha:ka.
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