The Jesuit Relations documents the encounters between European missionaries and Native Americans in North America in the 17th century. The Jesuits sought to convert Native peoples to Catholicism and viewed their customs as pagan. Though they helped map the land and teach survival skills, disease outbreaks devastated Native populations who had no immunity. While the Jesuits disagreed with Native medical beliefs, they had limited ability to treat the sick. Tensions arose through conflicts between tribes and European allies that threatened peace agreements. The Jesuits prioritized converting the Iroquois and saw their practices as offenses against France.

1. The Jesuit Relations Christian Carreon History 140

2. Themes from the Introduction The Jesuit Relations is composed of some of the most important documents in the seventeenth century that deals with the encounters of Europeans and the natives of north Americas. The “relations” are the reports of the French missionaries who’s main drive was to convert the Native American's pagan like customs to a more Catholic Christian perspective. The Jesuits were composed of a high religious order, also known as the “Society of Jesus” as they all took oaths towards very strict obedience and discipline.

3. Themes from the Introduction They craved for personal Christian perfection in a tightly organized association across Catholic Europe and even Rome. The Jesuits of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries embodied some of the central paradoxes of their day. Very spiritual people and contemplative, they could also be active, worldly, and rational in most cases to complete their goals.

4. Disease and Medicine The majority of disease outbreaks were caused by old world diseases that were brought by the Europeans. These diseases swept across North American and brought many casualties as a result, because the natives did not have the proper immunity towards the foreign diseases. The Jesuits were not specialized in medical practices moreover they were more concerned with converting natives towards their own religions, however they made their own ways for cures such as baptizing the sick rather than physically treating the patient.

5. Disease and Medicine Majority of the time, the natives believed that it was in fact demons causing their sicknesses. They performed various acts that they believed would cure them. Acts that included rituals of eating different food to certain dances to scare away the demons. The Jesuits most certainly disagreed that it was in fact demons causing the bad symptoms of the Native American but rather it could be treated with medicine. The Jesuits were very surprised as to how some Native Americans interpreted their illnesses.

6. Diplomacy and War The missions in New France, led by the Jesuits worked in conditions of great tension and continuous war. It wasn’t until later when we begin to see when Canada emerges as one of the strongest powers in the region of North America. This later contributes to the peace treaty consisting with the French, Iroquois Indians.

7. Diplomacy and War However peace seemed imminent, at times there were occurrences resulting with conflict such as when the Mohawk tribe accused a Huron French diplomat of dark magic. This led to a killing of emissaries and a Jesuit. Times of peace were beginning to fade as the Iroquois attacked the Algonquians in 1947. Then in 1649 the Hurons were destroyed by the Iroquois Native Americans.

8. Montagnais Hunters of the Northern Woodlands The Montagnais and Algonquians were very intellectual Native Americans that new basic ideas of landscape and different aspects of technological sophistication. Due to their intellectual nature they in ways that other Native American tribes could not. They were also very open and had a natural interest towards the teachings of the Jesuits.

9. Montagnais Hunters of the Northern Woodlands (what we learn of the lives of the aboriginal peoples of Canada) The Native Americans of Canada are a respective people ones that we owe for making it possible for North American colonization. While some tribes remained hostile, others were very helpful in various ways such as showing Europeans the ways of the land from hunting, to eating the right plants and even helped map some parts of the Americas. In essence the Europeans learned a lot from the Natives of North America, and the Americas wouldn’t be what they would today without them.

10. Missions to the Iroquois Converting the Natives especially the Iroquois was one of the Jesuits biggest priorities as it was very important to them and even at times personal. The Iroquois were consumed with dark magic and rituals and incorporated the idea of cannibalism into their society. Iroquois acts were of great defiance towards France and the Jesuits believed that it was their duty to stop them, for it was an offense against France.

11. Missions to the Iroquois The Jesuits tried countless times to severe the Iroquois of there evil ways and finally it became a reality when true peace was made in 1667, when the French invaded Mohawk villages and pillaged them. This event sparked a lasting peace that later made the Iroquois Indians succumb to the atmosphere of Christian ordeals. Though robbed of their true independence, the Iroquois were still very eager to keep their culture alive and well.