2. Introduction “Relations”- arrival reports of French missionaries of the Society of Jesus to convert “pagan savages” to Catholic Christianity. Affected indians of the Northeast Jesuits lived in Native villages, learned local languages-came to know the Native peoples. The Jesuits were men who sought Christian perfection in tightly organized branches across Catholic Europe headquarters in Rome.
3. Introduction Jesuit activities-education, literary and scientific, pastoral care, and overseas missions. Public art in America was primarily the Church. After many wars, Jesuits converted Mohawks and Iroquois to Catholicism and lived close to French Montreal. Jesuits had to work with the natives who generally retained a high degree of independence-became in alliance with French network and trade.
4. Chapter One Fur trading led hunting and gathering people to have contact with French by the time LeJean encountered them. LeJean accompanied band of Montagnais to improve his knowledge of the native language and customs while pushing the truth of Christianity.
5. Chapter One Journal entry- “I was so frozen that fire could thaw me and I had to break ice to get water. The indians were working hard enough to sweat.” They believe that there are certain spirits of light or spirits of air. Indians are free from evil, their soul is fertile- they have neither gentleness nor courtesy.
6. Chapter Two The Hurons-large population and stable village habitat made hem more promising target for evangelization that the dispersed Nomadic Montagnais. They have hardly any virtue or religion, or any learning or government- no individual words suitable for signifying certain things. There are some indications that in the past they had some knowledge of the true god that was more than natural.
7. Chapter Two The Huron address themselves to the Earth, rivers, lakes, etc...in the belief that these things are animate and that some powerful or demon spirit resides. Hurons have no powerful leaders or submissin to authority, but they have self control. “If laws are like the governing wheel regulating a community, the soul of common wealth in view of perfect understanding that reigns among them, they are without laws.”
8. Chapter Three Jesuit Relations- good source of information on spread of old world diseases among Native population of the Northern America.-tragically important dimension of history of early European contact. The Aoutaerohi-remedy for particular disease (term comes from name of little demon as large as the fist, which is in the body of the sick).
9. Chapter Three “Indians wondered how we cared for our sick and regimen we put them on. Never seen French people ill. Illness would spread among all the regions. Unfortunately for the Hurons, they had to be around all the sick when they were in perfect health.
10. Chapter Four Jesuit Missions of New France were conducted throughout 17th century in atmosphere of tensio, war, and shifting alliances involving the French and various native nations. There are no hunters eager for the game as equal to Indians hunting men. An Indian is more surprising on their prey than a cat.
11. Chapter Four Journal entry-The Iroquis, enemies of the Hurons, arrived by night at Fronteir of this country-numbered thousands of men with firearms obtained from allies-the Dutch. All of this band of Chrisitians fell mostly alive into the hands of the enemy and with them our two fathers, pastors of the church. “On leaving the town, they set fire on all sides, listening with great enjoyment to the frightful cries uttering by poor victims in flames.”
