Jesuit Relations

Dennis Nelson One Title slide &….. 10 slides total First two will cover the

introduction pgs 1-19 I’m going to attempt to

show how interpretation of law, religion, and animals of nature affected them all.

2 slides on the Publication ‘Jesuit Relations’

2 slides on chap.1 2 slides on chap. 2 2 slides on chap. 4 2 slides on chap. 5

Our Class Book The ‘Jesuit Relations’

Jesuit Relations Introduction

The French who traded with the Indians of the interior, had to adopt a way of life shaped by native culture.

The Jesuit's them self were started by Ignatius of Loyla in 1534. A Portuguese named Francis Xavier. He set the pace of following

the commercial empire of Portugal to the ends of the Earth. They were also active in ‘Latin’ America. Over two centuries the

Jesuit's had contact with almost every Indian nation of the Northwest. The missionaries also followed the trade routes of the Hurons. In the 1640’s their numbers numbered in the 30-40’s only.

The natives perceived the missionaries as emissaries from France, and welcomed them. They valued the French as suppliers, and allies against the Iroquois.

The missions did show signs of success in 1640. The ‘Jesuit’s’ were the first to say it was, because of disease, and growing economic dependency.

Peace was achieved in 1660 as the ‘Five Nations’ came to terms with King Louise XIV as he sent his military to invade the ‘Mohawks’.

Jesuit Relations Continue

The actual publication by the Jesuits was named ‘Relations’. The annual was for the benefit of audiences, and donations back home. There is also no reason to think these reports even after editing were changed from fact.

The ‘Recollets’ took a constant dim view of the Indians spiritual potential than the Jesuits them self. Even in the publication that native Canada had been fully Christianized. The Jesuits were there to teach the Indians, not learn from them.

The mental universe of the ‘Jesuit Relations’ had a problem with pluralism; where as the Jesuits could get along with the native customs, some good others not. The mind set back home had some basic questions. How they lived in fixed abodes, how many husbands or wives someone had, and their manner of worship. There were absolute rights, and wrongs. Thus not to have them made you a savage.

Chapter #1

The Algonquin-Montagnais spiritual beliefs & practices were a great interest to the Jesuits. The Indians saw animals, as well as natural phenomena like thunder & waterfalls as possessing their sole, or personalities. The ‘Anthropologists’ called their religion ‘Animism’.

The Indians had certain kinds of spirits of light & air called ‘Khichikouai’. The ‘khichikouai’ are said to be connected with future events, and saw very far into it. The ‘Jesuits’ didn’t get to see how they were summoned. There were large ceremonies, like in a church way. These were lead by ‘Shamans’. The French didn’t think too much about the predictions. This was because they tried to change their voice, and they would never really commit their self , to the ‘predictions’.

When it came to disputes & discipline Paul Le Jeune got an early lesson. He found out how the ‘Alogonquin’s’ handled assaults and injuries. In 1633 he saw the Alogonquin’s & Nipissings in court.

Chapter #1 continue…

One law they have is the ‘Two Progenitors of the Seasons’. One is ‘Nipinoukue’, he brings the spring & summer. The other is ‘Popounoukhe’, the bringer of winter.

Paul Le Jeune has learned a few things about Indian law, that also takes knowing animal behavior.

The Indians had no administrative offices, no civil regulations, nor dignities, nor positions of command. They had no Devil, nor need to acquire wealth. They gave them self to the chief as leader.

Paul was told many times that the Indians ‘never get angry’. He did hear one Indian say one time the word ‘Ninchcatihin’, that means ‘I am angry’.

Men leave the household arrangements to the women. They also divide the food, and decide how much you get to eat with out objections.

Chapter #2

Jean De Brebeuf searched the Huron's religion for comparisons with Christians myths about the flood. He found that they were aware of the true God, but the memory had dimmed, he hoped to revive it.

They had a female god named Aataentsic (pg43) and she brought forth two sons that had a quarrel, and one killed the other, this of course relates to Able and Cane.

The Huron’s believed that the animals did not roam free at the beginning of the world. They were to be jailed in a great cave. This is where the spirit Iouskeha guarded them. The connection is how this is connected to Adam, and how God brought animal to him.

The Huron’s think that fish & deer & moose all have powers of reason. If they disposed the leftovers in the wrong manner they would be warned, and hide themselves and not be caught, hmmm fruit of the tree of life, and God again.

Chapter #2 continue...

In Europe it is known that authority is the essential attribute of government. Human’s usually descend to a violent state of anarchy with out it.

Knowing Indian law takes knowing ‘animal behavior’, Paul learned that overall.

Feast’s and gatherings have a purpose in the society of Indians. One of the greatest was the feast of ‘Singing’. In honor of ‘Atourontaaochien’; thanks giving would be small by comparison (pg49). Sometimes feast’s were for display, or prestige, or valor, or conduct.

The government of the Indian’s was for Indians so when Jean looked at it he saw their laws were more than just animalistic; or instincts, he concluded that they must be put on the level of Men.

Chapter #4 Diplomacy & war

Native Wars got to be vicious due to the trade of European goods to them. Disease, trade and contact gave them only sharper knifes for killing, than bone.

Peace talks at 3 rivers 1645 showed Father Vimonts account of the meeting ‘Eloquent’ of the Mohawks, and their emissary ‘Kiotseaeton’. Also the Jesuit's were famous in the area of ‘theory’, ‘teaching’, and ‘rhetoric’.

The Indians had a method of communication, it was the ‘Wampum’ or ‘belt’. The French called it a ‘collier’. It was a basic mnemonic device that fills the function of the alphabet. All messages were ‘mimed’ before an audience and made real thru the use of ‘wampum’.

Peace depended on the 5 nations to do one thing, make no war on the Huron’s any longer. Two names are needed in this area the Algonquian chief ‘Pieskaret’; his baptized name was ‘Simon’, and also Noel Negabamet, he was the leader of the ‘Christian’ ‘Montagnais’ of Sillery near Quebec.

Chapter 4 continued…

In 1647 war resumes. Huron-French; the diplomatic missions to the Mohawks nation were accused of being ‘Evil’ and loaded with ‘treachery’.

When the Mohawks raided in the St. Lawrence & Ottawa valleys the raid’s were usually the same; as in, Stealth, Ambush, killing a few warriors, then taking of prisoners for the tribe for them to be in.

At this time a Jesuit by the name of Isaac Jogues was killed then. 30 Huron people were going to live with the people ‘Who teach

heaven’. They too had belts of wampum to pay to the store run by the French.

Late 1649 Iroquois change their war tactics by killing everybody, take no prisoners. They were being equipped by the Dutch, while the French did little for their allies.

After the hammer blows disease, corruption the Indians did follow the French into Quebec city.

Chapter 5

The ‘Relations’ contained many words on the flora, fauna, landscape and ethnographic writings. They revealed 17th century European attitudes on the subject that the new world was that it was to forbidding, or mysterious.

The endless & harsh climate of Canada gave it a God-forgotten look. Europeans wanted to cut trees make cities, and plow for crops, that’s what looked good.

The Jesuits were seeing a lot of ‘celestial phenomena’ even with their schooling they said they were signs from God.

The Indians had stories about what was happening. Theirs was a relationship between humans, animals, and the cosmos.

Pg 120 gives an account on how an Eclipse occurs. The sun is the woman, and she is being hunted by a crazy man, if he kills her it will remain forever dark so he doesn't do it.

Chapter 5 continue…

The anecdotes of the N. American wild animals, are frequently presented , and given the embodiment of vices & virtues.

The ‘industrious beaver’ was a source of endless fascination to them.

God gave animal ‘anger’ so they could repel what is hostile to them, even turtles. One story of a turtle is after being clubbed, and threw over a mans shoulder it came to, and bits the man on the rump; they could not get it to calm down, and had to cut off its head to release the man.

1662-3 New France went thru a violent earthquake, the appearance of three suns in the sky, and comets near Quebec in 1664-5

There was great fear amongst everybody; was it because of the battle with the Iroquois? The Jesuits recommend prayer just to be on the safe side.

Even thought the Jesuits were educated men of the time, and the natural sciences' were being accepted, they still saw the activity as signs from God.