“Ononko’s Vow”

From the collections of PVMA • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information

About this item

This was a promotional photograph for the Edison Company silent movie, “Ononko’s Vow,” which was filmed in March of 1910, in Deerfield, Massachusetts. In this scene, Ungagook- the Indigenous man sitting on the bed, is about to die from a fatal wound that is hidden from movie viewers and the “Puritan” family in the scene. He had saved the man standing behind him from death during an attack by Indigenous soldiers. Ungagook and his son Ononko each have an arm raised as Ononko vows to protect this family after Ungagook dies. Today, the film is considered to be stereotyped and highly offensive in its portrayal of Indigenous peoples. At the time though, it may have been an inspiration for the July, 1910, and later Deerfield pageants.

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Details

Item typePostcard
Documentary Photograph
PhotographerHerbert S. Streeter
Dateafter 1910
PlaceDeerfield, Massachusetts
TopicSocial Activities, Entertainment, Recreation
EraProgressive Era, World War I, 1900–1928
EventBloody Brook. September 18, 1675
MaterialPaper
Process/FormatPhotography; Printing
Dimension detailsHeight: 3.50 in Width: 5.50 in
Catalog #1997.08.01.0129
View this item in our curatorial database →
Herbert S. Streeter, photographer. Ononko’s Vow. Photograph. after 1910. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/1997-08-01-0129/. Accessed on October 10, 2024.

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