Journey into Mohawk Country

by Harmen Meyndertsz Van Den Bogaert, George O'Connor, Hilary Sycamore (Illustrator)

Harmen Meyndertsz van den Bogaert was only twenty three when he ventured into Mohawk territory in search of the answers to some pressing questions: where were all the beaver skins that the Indians should have been shipping down the river? Was the money that should have been going into the pockets of the Dutch going to the French instead? Despite freezing temperatures and a scarcity of trustworthy guides, maps, and sometimes even food, Harmen van den Bogaert and his friends set off for a journey through old New York in an attempt to revive the struggling fur trade. Nearly four centuries later, George O'Connor brings Harmen van den Bogaert's journal of his travels to life with simple and striking artwork.

Genres: Graphic Novels, History, Comics, Nonfiction, Historical, Graphic Novels Comics, New York

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2006

Reviews

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Welp. I didn't finish so much as I abandoned it. The text of the book is taken word for word from a 1648 journal written by a Dutch trader Harmen Meyndertsz von den Bogaert. He traveled from Manhattan Island to what is now upstate NY (the journey ends around where Albany now is). O'Connor has drawn images of what the travels may have looked like including historical images of what Native people were wearing, the long houses, etc.

It's an interesting concept but there are flaws. I found it difficult to get really interested in the story because, since it's from an actual journal, the text rambles and doesn't have a clear narrative.

My biggest issue is how Native people are portrayed. O'Connor did a lot of research with historical artifacts but not seemingly with Iroquois or Mohawk people. O'Connor uses his illustrations to attempt to provide examples of Native viewpoints to the Dutch traders. However, it doesn't seem like he based these reactions on speaking to actual Iroquois people. For example, O'Connor includes several sexualized depictions of Native women for reasons that don't seem to relate to the text. For example, when Bogaert first encounters Mohawk women his journal flatly says that there were women. The illustration that goes along with this text is that of several topless women with brief skirts. One the women has a flirtatious expression. That image shows traditional *summer* clothing. In the winter Mohawk women traditionally wore layers of clothing including a deerskin dress & leggings. If O'Connor had used narratives from Iroquois people I think he would have drawn very different images.

[Raina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Things I liked:
1. GEORGE O'CONNOR - I LOVED his picture books (Kapow and Ker-splash), and his sense of humor comes through beautifully in his illustrations.
2. Primary Sources Made Accessible - As a history buff, I love that a primary source is getting reintroduced to the public in such an approachable way.
3. Pretty Colors - Hilary Sycamore colors make this totally stunning.

Things I'm not such a big fan of:
1. Relevancy? I never really attached to the purpose of the journey. What was the goal? When did they reach it? Also, I didn't know where they were. I know they started on the island that would become Manhattan, but did they stay on it throughout? I REALLY wanted a map following their journey, preferably overlayed with current geography. I realize that maybe historians don't know exactly where they were, but it felt lacking.
2. Midrash - I love creative interpretation of well known stories - filling in the gaps of ancient religious texts, for example. But here, I don't know the story yet. So I find myself confused about what is fact and what is imagination. My initial reading of the story is tainted by the expansion in the illustrations. So I'm not sure the text is as well served as it might be in a more black and white (figuratively) telling.
3. Stereotypes. I already said I love O'Connor's style, but it does lean toward caricature. And when your topic is European exploration of Native American lands, it feels dangerously close to racism. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IS THE ARTIST'S INTENTION, but it makes me nervous and distracted me during the reading.

And when it comes down to it, all the philosophical stuff distracted me so much, I didn't actually enjoy reading it very much. I feel bad for giving a bad rating, since I believe the intent is good. It just didn't work for me.

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting look at some of the first traders to encounter the Mohawk. The diary entries of Dutch trader Van den Bogaert are illustrated and add to this exciting story.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an example of an unexpected but perfect pairing: the simple diary account of European's travels in Mohawk territory during the 17th C, with the charming drawings of Mr. O'Connor. Turning this into a graphic novel really adds to the narrative: it fleshes out the account without arbitrarily 'updating' it.

[Lars Guthrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something I do with some regularity is visit the young adult graphic novel section at the Burlingame library, where I found this. Now I'm getting it for my own library, where I'm beginning to build up a good collection of history comic books. What a great concept...actual words from Dutch trader Harmen Meyndertsz van den Bogaert's account of his travels into the American wilderness in 1634-35 (some rather surreal end-of-year holidays in here) combined with illustrator O'Connor's interpretation of what was going on, which enhances, amplifies and extends those actual words (and perhaps twists them a little). It's fun and often funny, and could be a great way to introduce middle schoolers to primary sources.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. It's a graphic novel adaptation of a real diary from the 1600s. The illustrator did not change or abridge the (translated) text in any way, just illustrated it (and in some cases added a little visual speculation). It made for really fascinating reading - I hope this becomes a trend and more folks do this!

[Armando · Rating 5 out of 5]

The journal of a journey by H.M. van den Bogaert to start new relationships with the Native Americans of the Mohawk country to continue trading on beaver skins. The text is the original and it was just illustrated.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The journal itself is rather dry and factual, but the pictures make it come to life! The story goes from amusing to threatening to eerie by turns, giving it a real road-trip feeling before there were any roads to travel on.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a big graphic novel reader so it is work for me to get through these. In this case, the illustrations greatly enhanced the words provided by the negotiator who traversed the wilderness in NY during the winter. I can see this appealing to reluctant readers in middle and high school.

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first graphic novel! The images really bring this 1600s journal alive, providing a helpful visual for a period of history that is so often overlooked. I’m eager to explore ways to incorporate this into the teaching of US history.

[Carolyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

wide reading for CI546

grade level: middle school to high school

genre: historical fiction [w/ some stuff drawn directly from Van den Bogaert's journals, I believe. so a mix of fiction & non)

format: graphic novel

themes: exploration, imperialism, colonialism

cultures: dutch vs native american

school use: I don't think I would probably use this as part of my curriculum. However if I had students that I knew really connected with graphic novels and that might be struggling with more textbook narratives of colonialism, I might recommend they check this out.

review: I thought this was OK but I didn't love it. Using Van den Bogaert's language made it stiffer than it needed to be, I felt, particularly if you were hoping your students could connect with it. And sticking to one white man's story isn't really a new take on this history, is it? The Native Americans are all dressed in the same brown robes with very little differentiation (although in crowd scenes, I guess there is a little more variety in their faces/hairstyles than in many books of this nature), all the Native American settlements look the same. The descriptions of the Native Americans' "medicinal" practices are all designed to gross us out (then they puked all over him!) and there's no attempt at any other viewpoints.

This felt a little like Tin-Tin (which I like better even though it has its own cultural ignorance problems, doesn't' it), like Van de Bogaert is just this bumbling little explorer dude who manages to get by without ever really understanding the potential dangers around him. (A bit Peter Sellers / Inspector Clouseau like as well.)

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a little hesitant about the cover and the excerpt (I thought it was a violent story that stereotyped Native Americans), but once I read the Introduction, the concept of this graphic novel sucked me in and spat me out the other side. This is a primary document, a journal written by a Dutch Trader on an expedition to feel out some of the Natives in the area that is now New York. O'Connor set it up in graphic novel style and, with the aid of research, added his own interpretation through pictures to the original words of the journal. The result was impressive and brought a journal alive that would otherwise have been difficult to read with a lot of detail hard for lay readers to grasp. As a former history major, I give this graphic novel about a hundred thumbs up for making history so exciting.

Any reader interested in history, particularly the early days of colonial America, should read this book JUST to see how the format treats the historical document. Any history teacher who's been teaching the same old lesson plans about early American colonization should hand this to the class before uttering one more boring date or fact. This would make an excellent start on a discussion about primary sources and the interpretation that is required to understand them.

Partial nudity (women). Some sexual innuendo.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Journey into Mohawk Country is based on a journal by H.M. Van den Bogaert with illustrations by George O'Connor.The diary served as a wonderful focal point for this graphic treatment. Written in the graphic novel style, the book follows a dutch trader who leaves Manhattan Island to explore Indian country in the winter of 1634. The young man meets with various Indian groups, trades tools and weapons for fur and food, and learns about the native cultures.[return][return]This well-researched book attempts to illustrate the adventure with authentic visuals that reflect the time period and cultures represented, while still making the work accessible to young people. The author takes come liberties in interpreting the journal's references to some issues. For instance, when the author refers to the lack of privacy in some villages, the illustrator shows the frustrations Bogaert probably felt about the lack of toilet facilities.[return][return]This book serves as an excellent model for anyone wishing to convert an historical text into an engaging graphic reading experience. Teachers should find it particular useful in stimulating interest in this time period.[return][return]As usual, First Second have succeeded in publishing another outstanding graphic work for all ages.

[CAW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst I generally disapprove of liberties taken with historical personnages in books which are not clear alternate history, the purely pictoral asides and deviations from van den Bogaert's unadulterated 17th-century text are utterly charming. I read this whilst the first great hail/sleetstorms of a Northern Isles winter lashed against my windows and could not help but shudder in sympathy when the Dutch trader mentions wading frozen rivers then treking another 4 miles to the nearest native hillfort (referred to in the narratives as "castles", though they lack a keep) through knee-deep snow. That he doesn't complain of this in his account gains him my sincere admiration.

Though the art style is rather angular and stylised, the Mohawk villages and interiors are rather lovely. Few of the 'animal paintings' mentioned or floor coverings are in evidence, but O'Connor has the knack of illuminating confidently with firelight. I only wish van den Bogaert had written more of his adventures to be illustrated!

[Brynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the most interesting and original graphic novel formats I've yet read, this one is an illustrated journal of a 23-year-old Dutch trader who sets off into northern New York (New Amsterdam then) in the winter of 1634 to improve beaver pelt trade relations with the Mohawk branch of the Iroquois. The illustrator did not abridge or change any entries in the journal kept by this trader, so basically this graphic novel is a primary document illustrated. He takes some liberties with the illustrations that add humor, while the illustrations themselves add so much depth to understanding the time period - the sheer size of the villages of long houses, how many there were, how desire for beavers for top hats would lead to other trade desires and wipe out a people that were utterly thriving - the sheer force of the history is amazing. A must have for graphic novel collections, especially those in New York State libraries.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I realized this was a graphic adaptation of an actual journal written 400 years ago I had to read it. The journal itself is something I probably never would have picked up, though I do love history, so the fact that I did so is an indication of George O'Connor's skill. The journey didn't hold much relevance to me and I found myself feeling as if the characters were walking in circles. I think a little more backstory to this one would have helped my understanding tremendously. However, the juxtaposition of the text and what the artwork portrays makes for a very charming - and thought-provoking - read. I would recommend this one to anyone with an interest in history; especially that of the Native Americans and their interactions with European settlers.

[Irene Carracher Kistler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an unusual premise: take a primary source document from 1634 and add graphics to support the text. In this case, the journal entries of 23-year old Dutch trader Mssr. Van den Bogaert. O'Connor takes this otherwise difficult read, due to the historical cadence of the language, and brings it to life. I was mesmerized and I really studied the pictures as I read. The facial expressions add so much to the historical narrative. O'Connor makes the people come alive. Mohawk country was alternatively scary and then welcoming, depending on the group of Indians the expedition encountered. There were incredibly descriptive moments where the Indian culture was detailed vividly in Bogaert's writing. I learned about ceremonies never covered in the history books, that's for sure! I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical memoirs.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the idea of this book--a real journal from 1634 transformed into a graphic novel. For me, the book fell short of my expectations. I would have liked for the original text to be intermixed with historical background and information--adding some depth and understanding to the journal entries. My biggest problem was the graphic portrayal of the Native Americans. The white character has bright, wide-open eyes. The Native American characters all appear to have "slits" for eyes--no visible eyeball. The Native American characters all have a very pronounced forehead and their expressions in nearly every picture are stern. There is much more variability in the expressions of the white character.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down. It is a wonderful graphic novel that brings to life the journal of Dutchamn Harmen Meyndertsz van den Bogaertin and his travels through Iroquois country in 1634. I loved how it was arranged with simple journal entries and notes and then graphically illustrated to support the original writing. I have read other graphic novels of historical events and they sometimes embellish the story so much that it becomes more like historical fiction than non-fiction. Check this one out - it's great!

[Reading Through the Lists · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful and unexpected find on the library shelves. In his delightful drawings, O'Connor breathes life into what otherwise would have been a bare-bones account of a Dutch trader's journey into the Mohawk country to strike a new treaty between the Dutch and the Mohawk. I especially loved his willingness to read between the lines and imagine what might have been taking place while his Dutch co-author wrote down his daily record. Whether he is correct or not, it is a brilliant exercise in creativity and with delightful, humorous drawings.

[Laurie]

It's fascinating to read words from 1634 that have been given a contemporary, human feel thanks to the illustrations. I felt that this book engages you in thinking about racism and imperialism, while also being very funny at times. It would be great to find ways to use this in teaching American history (thinking about history and point of view in general).

[Kitty Red-Eye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating! 1634-35, what a different world.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

A pretty cool concept for a graphic novel: take a real historical text and bring it to life. In this case, O'Connor chose a 17th-century Dutchman's journal of his trade visit with some tribes in upstate New York. It seems an odd choice at first, because the journal is, well, pretty boring if you aren't a historian. Many days are much like the others: walking, cold, bedding down at night; or stuck at one village because of snow. On the other hand, this gave O'Connor plenty of room to play with and interpret the events as he wished--the lack of details was a blank canvas...er, page.

This is an excellent opening for both an artist and a historian to play. Details that would require an entire museum exhibit or text-only book can be compressed between two covers when there are images and actions to support a story. Adding literal as well as metaphorical color to dry documents can draw in readers who might not otherwise give old pamphlets like these a chance, and reviving them so creatively ensures that the text will have far more readers that it ever would if it had either been sitting in an archive or just digitized and printed for a narrow audience of researchers. As a publisher, archivist, librarian, and English major by training, practice, and passion...that's pretty freakin' awesome!

However, that "blank page" was also part of the problem for me, in a way. There's really not much grounds to call this anything but historical fiction, because when we get emotions or feelings or any kind of visual information, it's entirely from O'Connor, who didn't abridge the text in any way. I have no problem with historical fiction, but juxtaposing a primary source with something so far removed that I have no idea how many of the visual details are accurate makes me a little uncomfortable. For three examples:

1) Early on, the travelers come across a tent (?) with women in it. For some reason, these women are naked. No other women in the book are naked when they're inside. I have no idea at all whether this is based on historical fact or completely made up to support an ensuing visual gag.

2) The climax of the trading mission takes place entirely off screen while we watch another member of Van den Bogaert's party having fun with an entirely made-up companion. It would have been boring to show the final agreement scene--by this point a rehash of previous discussions--but the scenes in the village are entirely invented, with no tie at all to the original. They're interesting, but they also feel out of place and irrelevant to the point of the story/journal.

3) This is the least comfortable to me. O'Connor has Van den Bogaert spotting a mysterious American Indian around him in the woods, usually in creepy settings. Is this man supposed to be a real person? Signs point to no, but it he a vision? There's no apparent reason why Van den Bogaert would be seeing things. Is this mystery man just there to try to give the reader a little suspense, since we're reading through a boring return journey at this point? Is he supposed to be a metaphor for European settlers' fear of American Indians?

Maybe a little commentary on these items, or at least a more robust author/artist's note about his research and historicity vs. invention would have mitigated my feelings.

I usually gush about the art in graphic novels, but for me, this art wasn't much to write home about. It served the purpose: to illustrate. It felt more like the kind of simplified art you used to see in the comics pages of newspapers (*sob*) than a work of art in its own right. For a historical work, I might have liked a few finer details and less comic-y characters. I did notice at least one other reviewer loved the art, so take this as a matter of taste, not critical commentary.

I do think that the idea behind this work--to shed light on archival materials that can potentially tell us so much about the past--is valuable and wonderful. I very much hope that O'Connor and others like him continue to do this work, remixing and making history accessible. Just...maybe with more robust historical notes.

I'm not really satisfied labeling this 2 stars, but Goodreads says 3 means "liked it." I found it fascinating, but can't say I was more than "okay" about it. So if a 3 meant "average", like you'd think it would, then this would be a 3. I'd recommend it to historians with relevant interests, but probably not to others.

... Finally, to comment on the journal/journey...why the heck did anyone think it was a good idea to do this trip in the dead of winter? It was freezing cold, the snow was thick, and everyone at home thought they'd died. Waiting for spring seems like it would have been logical.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wrestle with this one a bit. On the one hand, I think it is really cool that someone chose to make a graphic novel out of Van den Bogaert's journal. I enjoy the art, and it is certainly more exciting than simply reading the text of the journal. On the other hand, O'Connor, through his illustrations, adds so much to the story that is just not there at all in the text. He's got whole subplots going and I don't think there is anything in the text that he is building those subplots from, I think he just thought they were fun subplots. But by saying at the beginning, "none of his entries have been altered or abridged; all is as Van den Bogaert recorded it," O'Connor is sort of implying less of a free hand in the interpretation. At least that's how it comes across to me.
It does open this document up to people who would otherwise never read it - as a historian, I do appreciate that. I have found it useful to show my students some panels and use them to open a discussion about how historians can build varying interpretations out of one primary source.

[Ryan Fohl · Rating 3 out of 5]

The source material isn’t great, but the graphic story told in parallel makes this a fun and Interesting read. The art was good, especially character designs. Inspiring to see a visual love story happening during source material that is just about fur trading. Frustrating to find the glossary on the last page. I could have used you in the introduction! How was I to know these were early Dutch names for Iroquois tribes? The text was confusing but the visual storytelling was not.

What I learned: the Mohicans were an Algonquin people. The Huron were an Iroquois people. Mohawks kept tamed bears to fatten them up! Cool little palisades around Mohawk graves. Everyday was like the Appalachian trail. The medicine man’s treatment of deliberately vomiting on a sick person. That was a first. Maybe something was lost in translation.

[Raj Bowers-Racine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sold on this book for the first dozen pages, as the text is taken verbatim from the journal of a 17th century explorer and is accordingly dry.

The turn for me came when I started to appreciate the aspects of the presented story that O'Connor was obviously adding based purely on speculation. The push and pull between the text source and the visual storytelling is unique to comics and is something that is always appreciate.

This isn't a book that I'm likely to recommend widely. But it's going to stay on my shelf, ready to be lent.

[Samm | Sassenach the Book Wizard · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

This...was a very corky read. I kinda want to learn Dutch so I could read the original journals that the novel used. It is said to be a direct copy of the translation but I am SHOCKED at the lack of racism towards indigenous people which I know existed then. I also loved the cute background romance going on in the pictures and it really did give you a sense of how...one-sided the giving and helping was between settlers and indigenous peoples.

[P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to see O'Connor add his interpretation of events through the art, adding some humor and sketching in some characterization. However, I'm not sure this added to my historical knowledge as O'Connor claims his reasoning was for making the book - especially of native American culture. He describes it, but he's more interested in commerce. Left feeling like a chance was lost to really illuminate with the help of someone who is part of that living culture and a historical scholar.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an intriguing story about life in New Amsterdam and surrounding areas in the 1630s. Quite the frontier! It’s neat that we have this journal from van den Bogaert (even if he decided to lose his mind later) and can see what interaction with the Mohawk and other tribes would have been like in the early stages. I did enjoy the artwork, however, I think that the reader needs to take the images with a grain of salt, as they don’t always depict what van den Bogaert was most likely meaning.

[Adrianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the idea behind this book: take a historical, primary source like a diary and turn it into a graphic novel for maximum accessibility. It should be great, right? Well, O'Connor definitely did his due diligence and researched the heck out of Van Den Bogaert, but all the research in the world cannot make the source material more interesting. The story was easy enough to follow, but I feel I would have been more interested/benefited from more context in the introduction or maybe footnotes. Great for a teen's school project or a history buff.