Donnacona

Donnnacona (died 1539 or 1540, in France) was the chief of the St. Lawrence Iroquois village of Stadacona. The village was located where Quebec City is currently. French explorer Jacques Cartier made three trips to what is now Canada. In 1534, he discovered the bay near Gaspé, Quebec (which was called Honguedo at the time). He took two hostages, Domagaya and Taignoagny and returned to France. He came back the following year, with the hostages. They showed him where the St. Lawrence River was. They went up the river, to their father's village, Stadacona, where they passed the winter. Cartier called Donnacona Agohanna, a local word for chieftain. During the winter, the relations between the French and the Iroquois got worse. In spring, Cartier organised a celebration, where Donnacona and his advisers would also attend. During the celebration, Carier captured them. During their return to France, 25 people died of scurvy. In France, Donnacona was well treated, and the king paid for his living expenses. In France, Donnacona told the French about a kingdom of gold, called Saguenay. In 1536/37, Cartier returned to Canada, to search for the kingdom. Donnacona got ill ,and soon died. Of the original 25 people taken from Stadacona, only a small girl survived, and there's no info about her.

References

• Richter, Daniel K. (2001): Facing east from Indian country. A native history of early America. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-00638-0