The Jesuit RelationsJoseph M. Kooiker

History 140Professor Arguella

Introduction

The Relations are annual report by the French jesuit missionaries

This document is important because they describe the native practices

The Jesuits got to know the people they were interacting with

Introduction

The Jesuits made writing a very important part of their culture

The Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits, took special vows of obedience and poverty

The Jesuits were multifaceted and focused on many different aspects of their missions

Montagnais Hunters of the Northern Woodlands Speaks of Father Paul

le Jeune who came to New France at the age of 34

He spent much of his time in Quebec but still had a lot of contact with the natives in the area and his writings focused on the Montagnais

Montagnais Hunters of the Northern Woodlands

Many of the Indians in the area had a lot of contact with the French because of trading

Le Jeune wrote about the religious and hunting habits of the Indians

He would also point out criticisms of the Indians culture and religion

Jean de Brebeuf on the Hurons

The Hurons are one of the most well documented groups of Indians because of the documentation by the Jesuits

The Jesuits documented that the language of the Hurons consisted mostly of vowels

Jean de Brebeuf on the Hurons

Brebeuf was killed during the Iroquis invasion of 1649

He lived among the Hurons and documented much about their culture

He noted that the seasons would determine whether or not they would farm or hunt to survive

Disease and Medicine

The Indians in North America were very susceptible to disease since they did not have the antibodies to fight the European diseases

It spread easily through the Huron tribes because the sick person would become the center of the tribes attentions

Disease and Medicine

The Hurons would dance to try and cure the diseases that were effecting their tribe

The Jesuits were not really interested in how the diseases spread through the Indian tribes was why

But there was not a lot of scholarship on disease

Missions to the Iroquois

The Jesuits worked with the Five Nations of the Iroquois to try and convert them to the Catholic religion

The Iroquois who did not convert moved away from the influence of the Society of Jesus

Missions to the Iroquois

The Iroquois after they were converted to Catholicism by the Jesuits began to become allies to the French and the French crown

In addition to converting the Iroquois the French also converted the Mohawks who would be referred to as the “mission Indians”