Onontony (Nicholas):
He was Chief of the Huron-Petuns village near
Detroit in the early 1740's (other Huron Chiefs at that time were Sasteretsy,
Tayatchatin & Angouriot). Once a large & powerful nation,
there numbers began to decline a hundred years before, from epedemic diseases.
Then in 1649 war with the Iroquois reduced their numbers more due to death
or assimilation. By the 1660's, what was left of the Huron tribe had fled
their ancestorial lands to the protection of the French or to the far west.
In the 1730's they are found around the Fort at Detroit, many discontent
with the French. By early 1740's Onontony had divided the Huron-Petuns
around Detroit and with his followers (who were known as the Wyandot) moved
to Sandusky (where Angouriot and his followers had previously settled)
severing his loyalities to the French in favor of English traders of Pennsylvania.
In 1747 Onontony was appart of an alliance against the French which planned
for the Huron's to seize Detroit, the Potawatomi to seize the French mission
at Bois Blanc Is., the Miami to take the French post of Miami, the Fox
were to take Green Bay & the Sioux & Sauk were to seize Michilimackinac.
Along with other members of the alliance (factions of the Shawnee, Ottawa
& Saulteurs) Onontony was unsuccessful in siezing their objective and
facing a relief French force under the command of Pierre-Joseph Celoron
de Blainville sent to Detroit, Onontony & his people fled to the Iroquois.
Chief Onontony did not remain long with the Iroquois and died in the Ohio
country with his people in 1750.
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