Oronhyatekha (Peter Martin) (1841-1907)

A distinguished philanthropist, Oronhyatekha transformed the Independent Order of Foresters (IOF) into a successful fraternal organization which saw to the well-being of its members and came to the aid of many people in need. A Mohawk born at Six Nations, he began his career in teaching and continued in medicine, becoming in 1867 the first accredited Aboriginal medical doctor to practice in Canada. Peter Martin maintained his principal residence at Tyendinaga and, from here, tirelessly devoted his efforts to building the IOF into a financially strong international organization.