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Native-French Relations in New France. Hochelaga. Lucky that Iroquois had retreated from St. Lawrence Valley by 1608 Huron, Mikmaqs, Montagnais Company of New France 1608-1663 Focus on Beaver Fur Trade The farther North, the better fur Natives trap, process, and transport High Profits.
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Lucky that Iroquois had retreated from St. Lawrence Valley by 1608 • Huron, Mikmaqs, Montagnais • Company of New France 1608-1663 • Focus on Beaver Fur Trade • The farther North, the better fur • Natives trap, process, and transport • High Profits
Immigration New France: 1608-1760: 27,000 Importance of the 1660s, “Diplomatic Immunity,” métis British Colonies: 1607-1760: 1,000,000
Competition and the Environment Dutch map of the New Netherland area (circa 1650)
Beaver Wars (1633-1701): Iroquois attempt to dominate the fur trade • 1633-1645: Conflict a Draw as Iroquois fight for Huron hunting grounds • 1645-1647: Short Peace of 2 years • Iroquois still cut out of trade • 1647-1653: Iroquois Begin another conflict and Prevail • Huron outgunned and annihilated • Iroquois win trading rights at Montreal • 1653-1658: Peace lasts 5 short years • Iroquois still cut out of fur trade by Ottawa and attack French in 1658 • 1658-1667: French Prevail • Smallpox, French troops, and Ottawa & Canadian militia victories lead to French success
Beaver Wars • 1667-1680: Long period of Peace • French Fur Trade Expands further West and South • Jesuits sent amongst the Mohawk and win important allies • New Netherland becomes New York • 1680-1701: French Prevail • Iroquois attack an over-extended France in 1680 • Guerilla tactics • 1701: The Grand Settlement Canadian militia
How does Religion fit into these relations? • Jesuits the primary missionaries • Order created during Counter Reformation • Highly Educated • Linguists • Zealous & Disciplined • Jesuit Relations keep missions alive with $ • Jesuits barely tolerated even amongst the Huron Jesuit Map showing detail of a priests martyrdom (lower right)
Success with Huron? • Initially, attempt to eradicate Native religious beliefs • Overall failure amongst the Montagnais and Huron in 1630s & 1640s • Some Huron convert and move to Lorette (mission town) outside Quebec The Jesuit Mission at Sault Saint-Marie in Huronia before it was destroyed by the Iroquois in the 1650s
Jesuit Adaptation • Jesuits come to accept fusion more after the 1650s • New strategy binds some Iroquois (Mohawk) to French • Jesuits enter Mohawk villages during peace from 1667-1680 • Story of Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680) and Gandaouagué • Fracture of Mohawk society • Migration to Kahnawake, near Montreal The Mohawk Saint: Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680)
Native Motivations • Primary reasons for conversion? • What did Jesuits demand of Mohawk converts? • Alcohol • Mid-Winter festival (Onnonhouarori) that featured dream guessing feasts • Pagan beliefs • What aspects of Native religion were retained? • What aspects of Catholicism were similar to Mohawk religion • Collective Prayer • Asceticism
Overall Role & Significance of Religion in New France • Government Frenchification fails in 17th century • Idea for separate mission towns prevails • By 1710, Population of Mission Indians in New France is 1,750 (600 warriors) • Catholicism, European clothes and homes adopted • Retain own culture, language, and sovereignty • Warrior ethic = valuable allies • Catholicism plays a part in reconciling Catholic Natives to New France, but two distinct societies, Catholic-Native and Catholic-Canadian, develop side-by-side
Final Question • Together, fur trade and religion play a role in sustaining a tenuous French presence in New France in the Seventeenth Century • Which plays a bigger role?