The Jesuit Relations were annual publications between 1632-1673 that provided first-hand accounts of encounters between Native Americans and Europeans in New France. They described customs and cultures of various tribes and spread stories of Indian life through Europe. Unlike other colonists, the Jesuits were skilled writers who documented their interactions with tribes like the Montagnais and Algonquins. Over time, the Relations depicted the Iroquois-French conflict and efforts of Jesuits to convert tribes like the Iroquois during periods of peace. They offered unique perspectives on Native cultures and spiritual beliefs.

1. Tysen Quaintance
11-27-11
History 140
Dr. Arguello

2.  The Jesuit Relations were a
collection of documents
annually published in Paris
between 1632 and 1673.
 They provide a first hand
account of the encounters of
Native Americans and
Europeans as well as an
accurate description of the
customs and cultures of the
many native tribes.
 Unlike most other colonists and
fur traders in New France the
Jesuits' training made them
masters of the written word and
there use of the printing press
spread stories of Indian culture,
war, and colonization thorough
Europe.

3.  Unique to the Relations when
compared to other colonialist
texts the presence of the
“natives voice”.
 When reading the Relations it
is important to remember the
cultural differences between
Jesuits and Natives but also
the differenced between the
seventeenth century culture
and today.
 In the introduction Greer also
states that the Jesuits often
described the Natives as Adam
and Eave “before the fall”,
naked. They emphasized their
cultural virtues. Greer
questions if they began to see
the world the way the natives
did.

4.  The first published Jesuit
Relations were written by
Father Paul Jeune mainly on
the Montagnais tribe.
 The Montagnais and
Algonquins had superb
knowledge of the seasonal
landscapes as well as be
technologically sophisticated
and adapted. They use light
weight canoes and used sleds
in winter.
 Jesuits would consult shaman
or “jugglers” on their religious
beliefs. Modern anthropologist
would consider their religion as
“animism”, believing that
natural phenomenon had a
spirit.

5.  In 1633 Jeune writes of a French
child that injured a Native. Native
culture would call for presents but
the French intended to whip the
boy in front of the Natives. The
natives refused it and protected
the French Boy. In there culture
children are not punished. Jeune
then expresses his concern for the
difficulties they will have in
teaching the Children.
 In 1664 Jeune describes many
things he admires about the
Indians. Among them were the fact
that due to no law or punishment,
the Indians obey their Chief out of
only respect and good will. They
are also happy with basic
sustenance, there is no temptation
to give themselves to the devil to
acquire wealth. They also had no
word for anger.

6.  The Relations of the 17 century
were filled with stories of a
gruesome war between the
Southern Five Nations of the
Iroquois and the Northern
alliance: Hurons, Algonquins,
Montagnais, and the French.
 The Relations are first hand
accounts of raids, captivity,
torture, and redemption. They
captivate the reader with a tale
of the unified Christian
Northerners crusading against
the southern “infidel”.
 What was unique was that it
was not a story about only
European frontiersmen
squaring off against the
savages, instead it featured the
allied Natives as well.

7.  In 1647 the Jesuit Jerome
Lalemant wrote of a women
taken prisoner by the Iroquois
following a raid on her village.
She broke free from her
restraints at night while her
captures slept. As she escaped
she buried a hatchet in the
scull of a warrior. The writer
describes with admiration that
she evaded her captures for
days. Naked and famished she
reached the French settlement
having never seen a
Frenchmen before but with
nowhere else to go.

8.  One of the biggest goals of
the Jesuits was to convert
the Iroquois. This was
impossible until a period of
peace between 1667 and
1684.
 This peace came in part due
to pressure from the south,
toll of epidemic, losing the
Dutch as trading partners,
and the French Military
invasion of the Mohawks.
 After the war resumed in
1684 many Iroquois,
ironically many Mohawks,
went north to live with the
French as “mission Indians”.

9.  Claude Chauchetiere in 1682
wrote a letter about the Iroquois
mission of Sault St. Louis. In it he
is very pleased with the progress
of the Iroquois.
 He explains a group of women that
after learning of nuns decided to
create a convent and took the vow
of chastity.
 He takes pleasure in writing about
Indians being aware Sabbath by
making tack marks to keep track of
the days while away on hunts.
 He also describes them as
confessing their smallest
imperfections and praying with
such devotion.
 They also eagerly dress in a way
that is more excepted by
Europeans on Sundays and fest
days.

10.  Jesuit Jacques Marquette
accompanied French explorers
from the great lakes down to the
Mississippi River to claim more
territory for France.
 Along the way Marquette was able
to meat many new Tribes of
Indians. He formed a relationship
with one tribe named the Peoria of
the Illinois are.
 Following devastating epidemic
and vicious attacks from the
Iroquois, the Peoria developed a
closed trading relationship with the
French. This also resulted in
converting to Christianity.

11.  The Illinois welcomed Marquette
with open arms., they showered
him with gifts, food, and urged him
not to leave.
 He explained to them that the
 He writes that they observe
humanity in them that they have
not seen in other nations.
 Marquette writes that the Peoria
have many wives that they are
very jealous of. They cut the noses
and ears off those that are
unfaithful.
 They also already possessed guns
though having not met any
Europeans. They obtained them
from trade with other Natives.
 They have never experienced
famine due to there plentiful crops
and plentiful “wild cattle” or buffalo.