Dave, I don't want you to think that I'm being dismissive of your theory about a possible connection between John Kanaka and John Canoe.

It's interesting. Maybe there is a connection. And maybe not. As you know, a word or phrase from one language may sound like and be spelled like a word or phrase in another language but have different etymological roots and meanings.

I recall reading somewhere that the word "Jonkannu" {which is pronounced like "John Canoe"} is similar to a West African-Nigerian {?} word. I'm trying to find where I read that. But so far, I've had no luck in finding it.

**

Since you found it of interest, here's some more information on Jonkannu {Jonkanoo, Junkanoo, Kunering etc}:

MS009
Cronly Family Papers 1888-1925

"These papers contain personal correspondence between Cronly family members and letters and petitions directed to Wilmington and New Hanover County government officials. This personal correspondence falls between the years 1888 and 1907...   

A letter to D.T. Cronly of Wilmington, NC, from W. D. MacMillan, 3rd, of Chapel Hill, NC, is in reply to Cronly's interest in Wilmington's "Kuners." Dougald MacMillan later wrote "John Kuner," published in the Journal of American Folklore in January, 1926. In a footnote to the article, MacMillan acknowledged Cronly's help in investigating the custom. Kunering was a song and dance performance done in the street by masked and costumed Negro men (Kuners) on Christmas Day. After each performance, the leader passed a hat for contributions. MacMillan's article traced the custom to only a few other coastal towns of North Carolina, and to Nassau, where these men were called "John Canoes." In Wilmington, the custom apparently died out in the 1880's."

http://library.uncw.edu/web/collections/manuscript/MS009.html

-snip-

There appears to be clear connections between Jonkannu and West African customs as well as kunnering and the English custom of wassailing

See this excerpt:

it may be of interest to read this excerpt about the custom of kunering in North Carolina:

"In his work Slave Culture, [Sterling] Stuckey, too, maintains "John Kunuering's" African origins. Yet he elaborates on Linda's, Cassidy's, and Prigg's discussions when he explains the import of the tradition in West Africa as well as the underlying motives behind the slaves' practice of it in the new world.

In terms of its African origins Stuckey tells us, "a Nigerian ritual that closely resembles John Kunering," traditionally took place in early summer as a spiritual aid in crop production. Although "Europeans thought the John Kunering to be mainly for children, the ceremony "had a deeper significance" as it was also performed "to honor the ancestors" (Stuckey 68). And where the slave's employment of the tradition is concerned, Stuckey asserts,

Knowing that in North America Christmas was the main religious period for the dominant group when families gathered, exchanged gifts, worshipped, and enjoyed the festivities of the occasion, the slaves took advantage of that time to revive African cultural expression along somewhat similar lines, since in Africa exchanges of gifts at reunions of family and friends on holidays were not uncommon, especially on important religious occasions.

Exchanges of gifts, such as they were, among slaves were often accompanied by the receipt of gifts from the master and, in the context of John Kunering, "presents" in the form of donations after performances. (69-70)

In other words, in practicing the "John Kunering" tradition on Southern plantations, such as Linda's, the slaves were able to mold African customs to accommodate and take advantage of a Euro-American holiday. Such blendings may have also served to satisfy an ancient need--honoring their ancestors and each other--as well as a new one--collecting much needed money and/or food.

Linda's account of the slaves' Johnkannaus practice implicitly validates Stuckey's assertions. But she explicitly concurs with Stuckey about the slaves' expecting gifts from their masters following their performances. For as she tells us, "It is seldom that any white man or child refuses to give them a trifle" (119). Yet, she also alludes to another aspect of both African and slave culture, the secular song, when she writes, "For a month previous they are composing songs, which are sung on this occasion, "especially when a white man, or master, refuses to give a donation. "If he does," Linda explains, "they regale his ears with the following song:--

   Poor massa, so dey say;
   Down in de heel, so dey say;
   Got no money, so dey say;
   Not one shillin, so dey say;
   God A'mighty bress you, so dey say. (119)

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2278/is_1_24/ai_58411663/pg_6 Through Slave Culture's Lens Comes the Abundant Source: Harriet A. Jacobs's Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl - Critical Essay MELUS, Spring, 1999 by Karen E. Beardslee

-snip-

And though some may think that we are going far from the Mardi Gras Indian phrase "Jacomo fi na ne", actually we're not because one of the roots of the Mardi Gras Indians was the kunering tradition.

See this old text about the kunner parade tradition:
http://www.jstor.org/view/00218715/ap020151/02a00030/0