THE JESUIT RELATION

HIST 140 THEME 5SUMMER 2011BY: LE THI MY HO

Introduction

The Jesuits Relations are among the most scholarly sources for the study of early American history

It draws us closer to the cultural encounters occurring in Northeastern North America during the early colonial period when the French came over

Members of a religious order, the Society of Jesus, who took vows of poverty and obedience that distinguished them from regular parish priest

Among them were the Jesuits, their mission was to convert “pagan savages” to Catholic Christianity

They followed the conquistadors of Portugal, French, and Spain to the New World and Canada

Introduction

Jesuit priests were missionaries who lived with the Indians in their villages in the 1600s

They wanted to convert the Indians to Catholicism, hoping to make the Indians more dependent and dependable

Learned the Indian languages, recorded their culture in great detail, and studied and cared for the native people, hoping to convert them

Most Jesuits astonished the natives by their single-minded dedication by their lack of interest in the land, furs, and women that other Europeans demanded

Jean de Brefeuf on the Hurons

Spent most of his adult life living in Hurons Believes that the Hurons somewhat live a

political, civil, and peaceful life among each other

Converting the Huron to Christianity proved difficult since they did not have any corresponding words to describe such things in religion or government.

Surprised of how in touch the Huron were with the natural earth but not much of understanding for things of Heaven

Jean de Brefeuf on the Hurons

One of Huron’s legends of the origin of man is strikingly similar to the book of Genesis

Able to see the inconsistencies and irrationalism in the Huron’s belief system

Amazed to see that the Huron’s exhibited self control and lived in mutual generosity without an organized government

The Huron’s practiced cannibalism when they captured enemies

Missions to the Iroquois

One of the “big accomplishments” the Jesuits were proud of was with the Iroquois tribes

The Jesuit success with the Iroquois was only possible after 1667 when the Iroquois made peace with enemy tribes and France

The English were moving in on native lands and the natives saw that this was an opportunity to be an alliance with France

A treaty was made with France, which forced the Iroquois to allow Christian missionaries to settle within their province

Missions to the Iroquois

Some of the Iroquois accepted the Jesuits at this point and became accepting of Jesuit teachings but they still long to preserve their culture and beliefs

Jesuits were known as the “Black Robes” Some of the natives went to extremes to

practice chastisement Many of the natives started to settle near

missions and some speculated that entire tribes would eventually congregate there

Disease and Medicine

When the Europeans arrived to the New World, not only did they brought new languages, beliefs, people, culture, they brought with them old-world diseases

The new diseases became an epidemic that wiped half of the Natives population

The Jesuits were not doctors, their purpose was to save souls and when the epidemic struck the Natives, they believed in baptizing the dead rather than relieving and curing them while they are still alive

The baptizing did not favor the Natives

Disease and Medicine

The Jesuits did not approve the medicines of the Natives

They were shocked by the rituals and beliefs of the Natives use of curing the sick

Many Hurons medical procedures involved the mind and body, spiritually

They believed that dances and games could cure the illness

The Europeans believed that when one is ill, he or she should be isolated from daily life

Martyrs and Mystics

The Iroquois did not welcome the French Jesuits on their first meetings who captured and tortured the missionaries

The torture was extreme as the Iroquois would bite off fingernails, run knives through hands, cut off thumbs and run sticks up to the elbow

The Jesuits treated these experiences as Christ’s death on Calvary

Martyrs and Mystics

Catherine Tegahkouita was a Mohawk native girl that attempted to live her life in Christian perfection

She was arranged to marry but she resisted and remained a virgin for her entire life

Catherine was a perfect example to the Jesuits and Europeans

Her family was greatly disappointed by her devotion and used ploys to shake her of her faith

Catherine escaped from her family and lived the rest of her life at a mission