Journey Into Mohawk Country

"Journey into Mohawk Country" is a graphic novel adaptation of the journal of Harmen Meyndertsz van den Bogaert, a 22 year old Dutch trader who, during the winter 1634-1635, travelled from the Dutch colony of New Netherland (a tiny outpost on the southern tip of what is now Manhattan) deep into New York State. The journal entries are kept verbatim and the artwork serves to breathe new life into a remarkable historical document. At a time when the Mohawk tribe was the greatest military power in the area, Harmen and his companions sought to establish new trade routes and agreements; they were greeted with suspicion and ven threatened by some tribal chiefs and received royal welcomes from others. O'Connor's skillful and accessible artwork brings this early period if American history vividly to life, playing on innuendos and hints of what the journal doesn't spell out to lend a new level of richness, humour and humanity to this extraordinary work of historical re-creation.