2. Introduction Annual reports of French missionaries Attempts to convert natives of North America to Catholicism. Biased sources - Jesuits did not (and did not want to) understand some aspects of aboriginal life. Missions with Iroquoians and Algonquians and in Canada. First missions to Canada failed due to English raiders Jesuits believed they were “sacrificing themselves”
3. Introduction Began succeeding in 1640, when many natives were decimated by wars and epidemics Relations were written for audiences back home in France Relations never claim that Canada was ever fully Christianized Cultural gap between those writing Relations and natives being observed Natives were “noble savages” - pure, representations of what society could be
4. Chapter One Earliest Relations written by Father Paul Le Jeune, focused mostly on the Montagnais Le Jeune traveled with Montagnais to hunt Natives faced great hardships - traveled far, sometimes very little food Natives mocked the Europeans for their illogical love of beaver skin Natives superstitious - certain rituals must be followed to ensure successful hunts.
5. Chapter One Believed being called Messou restored world after flood (so some Indian fables relate to biblical stories) Described rituals used to consult spirits of the future Praised Indians - strong, agile, of good mind, patient Frenchmen impatient, quick to anger, unable to survive short periods without food - opposite of Indians Indians very forgiving, admirable
6. Chapter Two Hurons - best documented group of Natives Brebeuf conversed with Hurons about their views, but dismissed them as foolish when writing for European audience Unique feminine plural conjugation existed in Huron Some similarities to story of Adam and Eve in beliefs regarding origin of man Believed some inanimate objects were animate
7. Chapter Two Interesting ceremonies for fishing placed value on virginity - Jesuits saw positives in that Natives hospitable - Brebeuf expressed hope that they would be capable of Christian charity Brebeuf challenged belief that lack of central leader led to anarchy - Hurons lacked powerful leaders, yet lived peacefully Leaders sometimes succeeded by nephews or grandsons (if properly qualified), not sons
8. Chapter Three Jesuits brought epidemics - when natives began dying, they spent time baptizing them rather than trying to cure them Dances, singing, sports games thought to cure different ailments Entire villages would inconvenience themselves if they thought it would heal a fellow villager from whatever ailed them Obviously these things often didn’t cure anything - but yet natives still believed earnestly
9. Chapter Three Indians amazed by way Frenchman nursed their sick Indians not always interested in being baptized, as they wanted to live as long as possible and not consider death lest it overtake them Jesuits sometimes baptized children against their parents’ will Epidemics made natives lose faith in sorcerers and some turned to Christianity for explanations and security.
10. Chapter Five Believed solar eclipses were due to a man threatening Manitou’s wife Animals tenacious - God gave animals anger to repel enemies In 1663 many earthquakes, eclipses, other natural phenomena Some natives claimed to predict the earthquakes Natives and Jesuits both terrified and surprised by natural disasters
11. Chapter Five When France and allies made peace with Iroquoians, New France prospered Were finally able to utilize resources that were previously off-limits because the Iroquoians kept them confined with threats of violence Many new resources harvested: were fisheries, mines, new crops and new domesticated animals Prosperity compared to life in France
