John Norton

John Norton was born in Scotland to a Cherokee father and Scottish mother and moved to Canada as a British soldier. Adopted into the Mohawk nation by Chief Joseph Brant at the Grand River, he was given the chief's title Teyoninhokarawen ('He Who Opens the Door') in recognition of his brilliant diplomatic and linguistic mastery.

During the War of 1812, Major Norton was the indispensable tactical commander of the Six Nations warrior force. At the decisive Battle of Queenston Heights in October 1812, following the death of General Isaac Brock, Norton led his warriors up the Niagara escarpment, flanking and pinning down American forces until British reinforcements arrived. His Journal of Major John Norton is a foundational text of Canadian military history.