By Kennedy Joyce and Stella Wheeler-Dee | March 14 2021 |
Kingston Secondary School’s new building is situated directly next to Molly Brant Public School. But, who is Molly Brant? Before writing this paper, we were only aware that Molly Brant was an Indigenous woman, obviously important enough to be the namesake of a school. We only recognized her from walks at Bell Park past the graffiti art wall, near the Kingston Marina.
So, who is she? Why is she being recognized? Mary Brant, commonly known as Molly Brant and Konwatsi'tsiaiénni in the Mohawk language was a Haudenosaunee political activist and leader. She was born in 1736 and lived the latter part of her life in our very own Kingston, Ontario until her death in 1796. During the American Revolutionary War, Molly Brant acted as a loyalist to Britain and was also very important in leading and negotiating with the Iroquois. One specific event she was a major leader in was in August of 1777, when she led the loyalists and Indigenous allies to fight the Americans in Oriskany, New York. She also publicly spoke against and criticized the Iroquois Confederacy war chief for advocating for peace with the Americans. Near the end of the war, the British Crown offered her a large area of land, free education for her children and a large pension for her leadership and activism.
It was very rare in the 1700s for a female Indigenous woman to be a key leader, which is important to acknowledge. After recognizing the impact of Molly Brant in eighteenth-century North America, we are better able to understand her name as the choice for the school that happens to be our Molly Brant Public School very own neighbor.
We have just taken the time to look at the history behind the school. Now, it may also be valuable to look at what the future holds.
Our proximity to an elementary school can be very advantageous for Kingston Secondary students. It's an opportunity to create a strong relationship. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, this relationship is much more difficult to foster. When schedules return to normal and we are no longer constrained to our cohorts, there will be lots of benefits from this inter-school connection!
Despite the pandemic, there are already initiatives in the school working to establish a companionship. The KSS Athletic Council was given a donation of fresh maple syrup jars to sell, in order to fundraise for physical education equipment for Molly Brant, as well J.G Simcoe. The jars will raise around $400 for Molly Brant, which will be a great way to build this relationship.
This relationship will also spark more opportunities for student leadership. Such as tournaments, intramural sports, dances, BBQS, tutoring or mentoring opportunities!
2018, Gary Rasberry “We are Molly Brant”
Conn, Heather. "Mary Brant (Konwatsi'tsiaiénni)". The Canadian Encyclopedia, 20 August 2019, Historica Canada. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/mary-brant
Molly Brant Elementary School
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