Queen Catharine Montour of the Seneca: An Archaeology of Gender and Ethnicity among the 18th-Century Iroquois

FAIN: FT-51578-03

Mary Ann Levine
Franklin and Marshall College (Lancaster, PA 17603-2827)

In 1779, Generals Clinton and Sullivan, under orders from George Washington, moved against the Iroquois, killing hundreds of indigenous peoples as they destroyed an estimated 40 villages. Catharine’s Town, a 300 person Seneca village led by "Queen" Catharine Montour, was among those decimated by the Sullivan Campaign. This interdisciplinary project will explore the life and legacy of Catharine Montour by 1) constructing a life history of this unique Seneca leader; and 2) undertaking an archaeological investigation of the site of Catharine’s Town, located in Montour Falls, New York. I am seeking funding to begin the initial phase of this research.