What is 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 [[hostage]]s, 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 [[Kingdom of Saguenay|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 {{stub}} [[Category:1530s deaths]] [[Category:Native American people]]