MO'HAWK (Sew England Algonquian nanw, if Iloilo. Mahotpot, Lear; they call themselves Gan/gm-row). Ilear People, or Flint People). The leading tribe of the Iroquois Confederacy (q.v.) and ffirmerly occupying the Lower 1\lo hawk Liver Valley, in New York. They were considered the keepers of the eastern 'door' or frontier of the 'long House' of the eon feilemey, the Seneca being assigned the duty of guarding the western door. The Mohawk terri tory was supposed to extend northward to the Saint Lawrence, eastward to the country of the Mahican aml Wappinger along the Endson, and southward to the watershed of the Delaware River and the Catskill _)lountains, where they bordered upon the Delaware and Munsee. Their geographic position thus brought them into early and intinmte contail with the Dutch and English settlers, from Nvhoin they procured the firearms Nvhich soon made their very name a terror to the remoter tribes. This exposed however, eanscil them to suffer much more than their con federates in the colonial wars, so that their seven villages of 16-14 were reduced to five in 1677, some whole clans scenting to have been wiped out. They also furnished the larger share of recruits for the Catholic mission colony of Canghnawilga (q.v.). At the beginning of the Revolution they took sides with the British, and nearly the entire tribe, under• Brant. tied to Canada, where they
have resided ever since. The remainder were driven out by the Oneidas. who burned their vil lages.
The most reliable early estimate, about 1660, gave the Mohawk 2500 souls. Then began a rapid deeline, caused by war with and with the French. and by removals to Canglinaw:Iga nail other French Catholic mission settlements, and in 1677 they were estimated at only 1500. Later figures. being only partial estimates. give no idea of their full number. No Mohawk, officially no recognized. now• resides on the New Yo•k re-ervothals or elsewhere in the United States. In Canada the only Indians separately reported as Mohawk are the 'Mohawk of the Bay of Quint(..' Ontario. numbering 1230, chiefl• farmers. and reported as increasing in indnq ry year r by yea r. ma king good progress and becoming richer. Besides them there are a munber of this tribe living with the other Six Nations on the 1:rand River IZe-erve, ontario, while• the of the mixed Iroquois and Algonquian bands at Oibson, Ontario (total 1251. and oka or Lake of Mountains. tymeb•e (total 1151. with the Iroquois of Caughnowliga and SZoint Pegi: ninnbering altogether about 4160. are largel• of origin and all are that language. See