The great grandchildren of Chief John Running Deer with a replica of the Wolf Belt
The children of Beatrice Deer Jacobs gathered at the Akwesasne Museum on Sat. April 5th to view the Wolf Belt. According to family history and from a book published in 2012 titled “In Search of Princess White Deer – A Biography” by Patricia O. Galperin, the belt was at one time in the possession of their great grandfather, John Deer, known as Chief Running Deer. He was the last hereditary chief of the Mohawk tribe. He was born in 1834 on the St. Regis Reservation in Canada. Chief John Running Deer married Esther Loft and they had 5 children; John Jr. (Beatrice’s father), Mary, James, Lydia and George. Chief Running Deer, his three sons and his granddaughter Esther were famous Indian trick riders and performed in wild west shows all over Europe and Africa.
The book is about Esther Deer (the daughter of James Deer) and her family in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. She was a famous performer known as Princess White Deer, performing with the Ziegfeld Midnight Follies in New York.
The original belt was returned to Akwesasne from the New York State Museum and is permanently displayed at the Akwesasne Museum.