Karoniaktajeh Louis Hall

Karoniaktajeh Louis Hall (January 15, 1918 – December 9, 1993) was a Mohawk artist, writer and activist of the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory. He is most widely known for his design of the "Mohawk Warrior Flag", also known as the "Unity Flag", that was used as a symbol of resistance by the Rotisken’rakéhte, or Mohawk Warrior Society, in the 1990 Oka Crisis. Hall is known for being a strong participant in the reviving of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) spiritual traditions and Kanonsiononwe (Longhouse) culture. Hall was an expert on the Kaianera'kó:wa (Great Law of Peace), the Iroquois Confederacy constitution, and was a pivotal part of the establishment of the Ganienkeh Mohawk Territory.

Activism and art practice

Hall was one of the first accomplished Indigenous American artists of the 20th century that had an explicitly political artistic practice. Hall was a self-taught painter and was a notable artist among the "Red Power" Movement. Here, Hall stood as the corresponding secretary and spokesman of the Moss Lake Council. Deganawida, also called The Great Peace Maker, was the founder of the Iroquois Confederacy.

The newer and more widely known "Unity Flag" was designed by Hall during the 1990 Oka Crisis and was used as a symbol of resistance at blockades in both Kanesatake and Kahnawake territories. This new iteration of the flag replaced the previous longhaired man, with a Kanien’kehá:ka warrior. In contrast to the prior flag, which was a symbol for all Indigenous Americans, this flag was specifically made for the Rotisken’rakéhte, or Mohawk Warrior Society. This flag has been described by Hall as a visual manifestation of the Kaianera'kó:wa (Great Law of Peace).

Death and legacy Louis Karoniaktajeh Hall died on December 9, 1993, at age 76. He was in his home in the Mohawk community of Kahnawake at the time of death.