The Jesuit RelationsBy: Aubree Balkan

Introduction The Society of

Jesuit, founded in 1534 by Ignatious of Loyola

Main goal: convert the “pagan” Native Americans to Catholicism

Introduction The Jesuit

Relations gave accounts of the carious Native nations regards to customs, habits, and cultures.

ethnographic

Chapter 1 Father Paul Le

Jeune wrote 1st published Jesuit Relations

Montagnious Indians: hunters-gatherers tall, strong, agile ,profess never to anger

Chapter 1 Montagnais

Indians believed there were certain spirits of light, called “KichiKouai”

Montagnais Indians consulted the light to see very far ahead to future events

Chapter 2 The Hurons: the

best documented group f Native North Americans

The Huron's used a peculiar language: words were universally conjugated

Chapter 2 Jean de Brebeaf observed the Huron's of

their beliefs and practices for comparisons to Christian principles

The Huron's believed the head of their nation fell from Heaven, a woman called Aataentsic

The Huron's looked to the sky for all their needs, believed the sky was the most vivid image of divinity

Chapter 5 17th century French

considered North America a mysterious region, regarding it at evil not picturesque

Jesuit Relations provided glimpses of how the natives viewed humans, animals and the cosmos.

Chapter 5 The Natives observed

the animals: God gave anger to all animals to repel hostility towards them

The Natives observed natural occurrences: God intended earthquakes and comets as signs of doom or deliverance

Chapter 6 The Jesuits

biggest ambition: Iroquois Conversion

The Mohawks “Mission Indians” largest amount of converts

Chapter 6 Invoked the fear of God’s judgment to

detach the natives from the evils of gambling and drinking

Sundays and feast days are happy occasions warrant fancy headdresses and clothing