|
William Claus
|
In
1812, William Claus was the deputy superintendent general of the Indian
Department, the British institution which attempted to control the affairs
of First Nations in Canada. He was also one of the colony's most prominent
citizens, with friends among the civil authorities and was known to enjoy
the power his position provided.
Claus's influence was supposed to extend over the Grand River settlement, which was growing into a strong, independent community under the leadership of Chief Joseph Brant. Claus saw this increasing power as a threat to his own authority and he feared that the Grand River example might influence other settlements. Claus's primary motivation however was to retain exclusive say over who could purchase Iroquois land since First Nations were forbidden to sell their property without consulting the department. Claus was known to have profited largely on bribes from prospective owners. When John Norton rose to prominence after the death of Brant, Claus had much of the same problem on his hands. Norton shared Brant's opinion that Claus was the "implacable enemy" of the Iroquois. Norton attempted to reduce the influence of the Indian Department on the affairs of the Grand by trying to forge a close relationship with the British Army. Norton hoped that through a military alliance, gains could be made for Native communities in spite of Claus' department. Throughout the war, the well-known conflict between Claus and Norton grew. Claus worked hard to exploit the problems Norton encountered in keeping the Iroquois people united in their alliance with the British. Though Norton received full support of the army, and at least partial support from Prevost, Claus was eventually successful in turning the Mohawks of Kahnawake and Kanesatake against Norton. Soon after, Norton's alliance with the British crumbled and his reputation seems to have temporarily suffered among his people. With the return in 1815 of Upper Canada's Lieutenant Governor Francis Gore, Claus had finally found someone who shared his concerns about Norton's prominence. Gore states that Norton had acquired "a species of influence incompatible with that subordination of the Tribes to the views of His Majesty's Government, which it is so important to preserve." In what must have been a bitter chain of events for Norton, Claus rose in prominence when he was appointed to the province's Executive Council and his position was restored at the Grand where he was placed in charge of the community's investments. Claus lived on the Grand and continued to abuse his position to profit from land deals. He died in 1826 after a long battle with cancer. |