Jesse Cornplanter | |
|---|---|
 Jesse Cornplanter making a ceremonial mask, Tonawanda Community House, Tonawanda, New York. Photographed in 1940. | |
| Born | Hayonhwonhish September 16, 1889 Cattaraugus Reservation, NY |
| Died | March 18, 1957 (aged 67) Genesee, NY |
| Occupation | Actor, Author, Artist, Craftsman, Keeper of Seneca Culture |
| Citizenship | American |
| Subject | Seneca life, culture, and religion |
| Literary movement | Iroquois Realism |
| Notable works | Legends of the Longhouse, Iroquois Indian Games and Dances, collection SC12845 at the New York State Library, illustrated The Code of Handsome Lake |
| Relatives | Father Edward Cornplanter (Seneca name Sosondowah) Mother Nancy Jack |
Jesse J. Cornplanter (September 16, 1889 – March 18, 1957) was an actor, artist, author, craftsman, Seneca Faithkeeper and decorated veteran of World War I.[1] The last male descendant of Cornplanter, an important 18th-century Haudenosaunee leader and war chief, his Seneca name was Hayonhwonhish (He Strokes the Rushes[2]). He illustrated several books about Seneca and Iroquois life. Jesse Cornplanter wrote and illustrated Legends of the Longhouse (1938), which records many Iroquois traditional stories.[3] Cornplanter was also the first Native American to play a lead in a feature film titled Hiawatha, which was released in 1913 and a year before the notable Western The Squaw Man.[4]
- ^ Bartlett, Charles E. (10 July 1957). "Jesse J. Cornplanter" (PDF). New York State Archeological Association. The Bulletin. 10: 1–3. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- ^ Smithsonian Institution. "Puck part 1-VOL XIII and Indian Cornhusk Dance". si.edu. Retrieved Jan 27, 2021.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
SC12845was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Aleiss, Angela (March 24, 2015). "What Was the First Feature Film With an All-Native Cast?". Indian Country Today Media Network. Archived from the original on October 26, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2019.