John Norton was a Mohawk chief who was born 250 years ago today in Scotland. He had a Scottish mother (surname Anderson) and a Cherokee father. His father had been taken across the Atlantic as a boy by British soldiers after they destroyed his village during the French and Indian War. Norton was educated in his hometown of Dunfermline and later joined the British Army. He was assigned to Lower Canada (now Quebec) after serving in Ireland. After being discharged from the army, he spent his time working with First Nations communities. He learned the Mohawk language, was adopted into the tribe and given the name Teyoninhokarawen. In 1804, he represented the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) on a diplomatic trip to England, He often worked as an interpreter and translated the Gospel of John into Mohawk for the British and Foreign Bible Society. During the War of 1812, Norton fought on behalf of Great Britain against the United States. He distinguished himself for his bravery, leadership and mi...