This document summarizes the interactions between French missionaries, specifically the Jesuits, and indigenous peoples in New France (Canada) in the 17th century. It describes the cultures and religious beliefs of the Algonquian-speaking Montagnais and the Iroquoian-speaking Huron nations. It also discusses the missionary efforts among these groups, their experiences with European diseases, and the eventual collapse of the Huron nation due to attacks from the Iroquois Confederacy.

2. • The Algonquians spoke many different languages
but was not similar to the Iroquoians.
• The Iroquoians focused on crop growing and
practiced a way of living that allowed them to live in
year-round places.
• This book focused on four nations being: The
Montagnais and Algonquin's and the Huron's and
Iroquois.
• The Jesuits managed to convert a large quantity of
Mohawks and some of Iroquois peoples to
Catholicism.
• New France showed a planned out threat to the
Mohawks and as the French made an alliance with
their long time enemies, the Algonquin's, the
Mohawks became extremely hostile.

3. • Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec in 1608 but the Jesuits
returned in 1625, they deemed Quebec their headquarters.
• The missionary enterprises were affected by the relations between
the Indians and the French
• The French respected the Indians culture and interacted extensively
with the natives.
• The French were able to build their empire in their settlement of
Canada but did not require and capture of the Indian lands.

4. • The first published Jesuit Relations was written by Father Paul
Le Jeune (1592-1664)
• The Montagnais were hunter-gathers
• The weather determined what they would be eating because in
the summer, they gathered berries and fished in the St.
Lawrence River while in the Autumn, they moved more inland to
hunt moose and other larger animals for fur and meat.
• They also hunted beavers so they could trade them to the French
• The Montagnais-Algonquins were very spiritual people and
believed that every living thing possessed its own spirit and
personality towards the people. This religion was classified as
“animism”

5. • Indians believed that a being named Atahocam created the world
and that one named Messou restored it. They are referring to when
the world was flooded in the times of Noah and who they believe was
called Messou as the person who restored the world.
• They Indians stood by the belief to never become angry because
they wish only contentment and happiness.
• They believed that days without food strengthened the soul and that
it was foolish to become angry or irritated for unwanted weather
conditions.

6. • From 1634-1649 , the Jesuits mainly focused on converting the
Hurons.
• The natives didn’t have words for religion, learning or government in
their language which made teaching about these subjects very
difficult.
• The natives had faith in dreams which they believed held the key to
the future of their people. They did know of a similar tale to that of
Adam and Eve but held a different twist altogether focusing more on
nature needs rather than urges.
• The Hurons had their own sense of order to keep stability and the
tribe knew the way their government was supposed to be
maintained.

7. • The Hurons believed that fish did not like death and that if they feed
their animal bones to their dogs then they would not be prosperous
for food and tended to burn the bones.
• Every twelve years they carried the Feast of the dead. It gave the
Jesuits hope because it showed them the natives recognized the
immortality of the soul. The Feast of the dead was a massive burial of
the deceased villagers from the entire area of Huronia.
• There were four other feasts the Hurons demonstrated. The Feast of
farewells, The feast of Thanksgiving, A Feast for singing and eating as
well as a feast for the deliverance of a sick person.

8. • The natives were exposed to many different diseases when the
Europeans were introduced.
• The natives believed that many illness were the cause of a demon
possessing the body and that there were many dances that hade
healing properties to cure them.
• They believed the illnesses came from supernatural intervention as
well as physical problems concentrating on the body, mind and soul
• The Jesuits were unconcerned about the medical problems because
they were unequipped to handle it but more so focused on getting
the ill baptized.

9. • In 1637 the Hurons were struck with the
Influenza epidemic. The flu was a devastation
to the Hurons and they suspected that the
French were the reason they conquered the
illness. They wondered what the French God
could want to receive in order to end the
plaque.
• In 1639, the Hurrons were plagued with
smallpox and the amount killed from the
epidemic was astounding.
• The Hurrons ultimately blamed the Jesuits for
all of there misfortune with disease and
planned to capture and kill all the missionaries.

10. • In the seventeenth century, war, raids, ambushes, and
torture was very common as means of battle.
• In 1649 the Iroguois changed their attacks further west which
caught the Hurrons off guard.
• The won their next attack in the town of St. Louis after a long
battle by the villagers.
• The Iroquois killed most captives by burning them, yet the
ones who were not killed which were mostly women were
taken captive and adopted as Iroquois.

11. • Some of the Mohawks that were seeking security joined forces
with the English while others went to the French.
• The Jesuits tended to think that the move to the French meant
that they were wanting more religious idealism and submission to
the French, yet it was more of distain of the English then of
acceptance of Christianity
• In 1649, The Huron nations collapsed. The remaining members of
the tribe surrendered to the enemy and became adopted Iroquois.
One small band of Catholic Hurons followed the Jesuits into
Quebec City.