English ISP Presentation. Enjoy! :)

1. The Orenda
By
Joseph Boyden
English ISP Multimedia Presentation
Created By: Linsey Lim

2. Joseph Boyden
• Born on October 31, 1966.
• Acclaimed author in Canada.
• First written novel Three Day Road won the
Amazon/Books in Canada First Novel Awards and the
Rogers Writer’s Trust Fiction Prize.
• Second novel Through the Black Spruce won the 2008
the Scotiabank Giller Prize.
• Recent third novel The Orenda, it was named the winner
of 2014 edition of Canada reads.

3. Introduction
• The Orenda starts off with the discussion of intense feuds
between Iroquois tribe and the Huron nation.
• While events in the story become more intense, these tribes
learn that a new threat is on its way from far away and this is
where the French comes in action throughout the novel.
• The French sent Christophe, the Jesuit missionary, to the
Huron tribe to learn the language, customs and beliefs to
pursue his mission in getting the Huron nations’ people to
believe in Christian God.

4. Thesis Statement
Throughout the book, Boyden disproves the
misconception given by many of how Canadian
history is uninteresting compared to other countries.

5. SUPPORTING ARGUMENTS
Supporting Argument #1: The authors uses of vivid description of violence.
Evidence from Text:
“he begins smashing her in the head with his club”(13)
“If I was going to properly capture this time period and all of these peoples, the violence had to be incorporated
because it was part of the culture” (Gordon).
“Before my mother bites the small man who is like a lynx or maybe a fox and he smashes her head and she falls
to the ground and shakes like she dances in the snow”(13).
“Some of the most brutal scenes took him to a dark place and brought him to tears” (King).

6. Violence
• Descriptive: author wants readers to imagine and get the closest feeling of what
victims and people felt watching or being tortured.
• There are reasons behind these violent actions
• Bird’s family was brutally murdered by the Iroquois which lead him to kidnap a
girl name Snow Falls from the Iroquois tribe.
• Snow Falls’ family is brutally murdered in front of her to show possession in
power as well as giving the Iroquois a warning and a payback.
• Snow Falls: “Before my mother bites the small man who is like a lynx or maybe
a fox and he smashes her head and she falls to the ground and shakes like she
dances in the snow”(13) as she watches her mother dye right in front of her.
• Author’s rationale: “if I was going to properly capture this time period and all of
these peoples, the violence had to be incorporated because it was part of the culture”
(Gordon).

7. SUPPORTING ARGUMENTS
Supporting Argument #2: Cultural beliefs amongst Huron, Iroquois and Jesuits.
Evidence from Text:
According to Allan Greer, it has been found that the Huron and the Iroquois
tortured one another to honour and to try to possess the great power they saw in
another while the Christians tortured their victims to demean and to punish them
ultimately.
“Member of Huron nations lifts his arms and shouts out more words. I don’t
understand what they mean” (136).

8. Culture of Huron and Iroquois tribe members
• Descriptive: many people may have believed that there is only one reason behind this
violence which is justice and revenge, however this is due to the Huron and Iroquois
tribes’ cultural customs.
• Author’s Rationale: it has been found that the Huron and the Iroquois tortured one
another to honour and to try to possess the great power they saw in another while the
Christians tortured their victims to demean and to punish them ultimately (Greer).
• Mission: the French sent in Christophe on an mission to persuade the Huron nations
members to believe in Christian God.
• Result in the Task: concluded with multiple dead ends because he could not understand
their language nor culture and beliefs.
• Issues arising: one day, he decides to give his best to try to communicate with the Huron
nations members because time was running out and he needed to complete his mission
but it fails.
• Textual Evidence: when Christophe was trying to explain to the members of the tribe
about Christian God, one of the members shout out words as Christophe state, “Member
of Huron nations lifts his arms and shouts out more words. I don’t understand what they
mean” (136) however, he could not understand it which left him to misery and
disappointment.

9. SUPPORTING ARGUMENTS
Supporting Argument #3: The amount of impact the French had on Canadian
history trying to get the Huron tribe members to believe in Christian God.
Evidence from Text:
“We will meet here again soon for another exchange” (36).
“I must remember, though, that all of us are God’s creatures. It is my mission to
begin to help these poor souls rise up” (34).

10. Impact the French had on
Canadian history
• Description: readers can identify the impact French had on Canadian history.
• The French: brought in Christian religion amongst the Huron tribe during the mid 17th-centruy
and pursued Huron nations members to believe in Christian God.
• Actions of the French: sent in a missionary Jesuit, Christophe to get everyone believe in their
Christian god instead of believing in the tribe’s own culture.
• Textual Evidence: When hard times hit, Christophe reminds himself what he is really here for
in the Huron nation’s tribe as he states, “I must remember, though, that all of us are God’s
creatures. It is my mission to begin to help these poor souls rise up” (34).
• Process: becomes even more difficult with the language barrier as he feels like an outsider.
 Result of the task: Christophe bringing God and faith into their lives changed for
them. It showed the significant change since the tribe members were introduced to the western
religion.
• Change in History: residential school systems, abuse and sexual harassment in order for
Native Canadians to be forced out of their own culture.
• Conclusion: Many are not aware of the changes that have occurred in Canadian history but if
they did, the false accusation of Canadian history being uninteresting will quickly disappear.

11. Conclusion
• The events that occur in the book such as the graphic violence helps
readers to have clear and concise understanding of what occurred during
the mid 17th-century as well as getting rid of the misconception about
Canadian history being uninteresting.
• The author creates few puzzles for the readers to solve and one of them
being figuring out why the Huron and Iroquois tribe were so violent and
how much the French impacted Canadian history.
• The French sent an missionary Jesuits, Christophe to learn about the
Huron tribes culture, customs and language to pursue them to believe in
Christian God.
• People focus on what society displays, talks and focuses on and since the
events in the novel were not publicized or well know, not many people
know about it and it leads to the misinterpretation of Canadian history
being uninteresting.

12. sources
Gordon, Andrea . "Joseph Boyden on The Orenda, his latest Giller-nominated novel: Interview | Toronto
Star." thestar.com. 17 Sept. 2013.
<http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/2013/09/17/joseph_boyden_on_the_orenda_his_latest_gille
rnominated_novel_interview.html>. Visited May 10, 2014.
Greer, Allan. "Hurons and Jesuits Revisited: Joseph Boyden's [The Orenda]." Fiction and Film for French
Historians. 31 May 2013. <http://h-france.net/fffh/the-buzz/boyden-the-orienda/>. Visited May 10, 2014.
King, Hayden. "The Orenda faces tough criticism from First Nations scholar - Aboriginal - CBC."
CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 7 Mar. 2014. <http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/the-orenda-faces-
tough-criticism-from-first-nations-scholar-1.2562786>. Visited May 10, 2014.
Boyden, Joseph. The orenda. Toronto : Penguin Canada, 2013. Print.

13. Thank you