In the courtyard of Rideaucrest Home, where she lived in her last years, stands a statue of Molly Brant, a Mohawk leader and intermediary between the British and the Iroquois during the American Revolution.
It was created by John Boxtel and was unveiled on August 25th, 1996, Molly Brant Commemoration Day, honoring the 200th anniversary of her death. Because there are no portraits of her, the statue is an idealization of her likeness.
Molly Brant (c. 1736-1796), also named Mary Brant, Konwatsi’tsiaienni, and Degonwadonti, was born in Canajoharie in the Mohawk River Valley to Christian Mohawks parents. Growing up, she was influenced by European and Indigenous cultures and became fluent in Mohawk and English. Around 1758, she became the consort of Sir William Johnson, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the Province of New York, with whom she had eight children. While living with Johnson at Fort Johnson, she helped him establish the British relationship with the Iroquois.
In 1774, Johnson died, and she returned to her family in Canajoharie. In the following year, on the outbreak of the American Revolution, she helped the loyalists, providing them with food, shelter, and ammunition. In 1777, she fled to Fort Niagara in Canada, served as an intermediary between British officials and the Iroquois, and worked on keeping the Six Nations on the British side. The British commander described her efforts and contributions as “far superior to that of all their Chiefs put together.” In 1783, she moved to Cataraqui (today Kingston), Ontario, where she lived for the remainder of her life and served as a member of the local Anglican Church. She died at the age of 60.
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