Jesse Cornplanter(1889-1957)
- Actor
Jesse Cornplanter was a member of the Seneca Nation of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy). He was born on the Cattaraugus Reservation in upstate New York and was a descendant of Cornplanter, the famous Seneca war chief during the American Revolutionary War. Jesse toured Europe with his father in a theatrical troupe (1904-05)and in 1912 began performing throughout the eastern U.S. with other Indian players in the open-air "passion play" production of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1855 epic poem, "The Song of Hiawatha." In 1913, he starred in the silent film version of Hiawatha (1913), produced by Frank E. Moore.
Cornplanter served in the U.S. Army in World War I and was wounded in battle. He was an established illustrator and for eight years collaborated with the renowned ethnographer/archaeologist and museum director Arthur C. Parker. In 1938, Cornplanter wrote and illustrated his own book, "Legends of the Longhouse."
Cornplanter was a traditional wood carver and greatly influenced successive generations of Haudenosaunee artists. Later in life, he suffered two strokes, and although he recovered, his health was poor. He died on March 18, 1957, from injuries suffered in an automobile accident.
Cornplanter served in the U.S. Army in World War I and was wounded in battle. He was an established illustrator and for eight years collaborated with the renowned ethnographer/archaeologist and museum director Arthur C. Parker. In 1938, Cornplanter wrote and illustrated his own book, "Legends of the Longhouse."
Cornplanter was a traditional wood carver and greatly influenced successive generations of Haudenosaunee artists. Later in life, he suffered two strokes, and although he recovered, his health was poor. He died on March 18, 1957, from injuries suffered in an automobile accident.