During class this week I talked briefly about New France and the role of the French in North America (particularly in the St. Lawrence River valley and around the Great Lakes). In addition you screened Black Robe, a 1991 film about a Jesuit missionary's experiences among the Indians of the region (mostly the Huron and the Iroquois). While the film is fiction, it does shed light on the region, the relationships, the religion and the social/cultural interactions between the groups.
Compare what you saw in Black Robe (particularly the second half of the film - and be sure to use specific details from the film in your post) to what Richter said about the French and missionaries and to what you learned in lecture about the French.
In addition to a few sentences on the topic above, please also be sure to discuss religious practices, the clash of cultures, and rivalries between empires (both European and American Indian).
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Lauren McTigue
ReplyDeleteThe beginning of "Black Robe," despite being a fictional story, upheld historical facts that we learned about in last week's lecture. The French men building homes discussed and joke about women as the majority of those who settled Northern North America were either single men (mostly involved in trade) or Jesuit priests. We also learned that the reason the French had more luck in interacting with American Indians is because of their willingness to learn the customs and traditions of these different tribes. Black Robe and the other men knew the Native Americans' language and were not overtly condescending of their traditions (for example, when the Indians were dancing at the beginning of the film in their full garb).
However, language barriers and disagreements in beliefs were still very evident through the film. Black Robe's preaching of his God did not always translate clearly to the Natives, and they were not wholly trusting of him. This was shown when Black Robe tried to show the Natives how he was able to write something down and have it read by his fellow French man. The Natives thought this was the work of a demon. Again, when the Indian who had been guiding Black Robe through the wilderness was left in the snow to die, they could not come to an agreement and Black Robe was unable to convince him to accept the Christian God.
Finally, cultural disputes and tribal disputes were shown most graphically when Black Robe and the remaining Native Americans were captured by the Iroquois and tortured, with the hope of killing them the next day. The Iroquois knew what the French men would be worth and discussed not killing them, rather trading them for muskets. This again shows the kind of communication and trade that was taking place between Europeans and Native Americans at this time.
Rachel Marciano
ReplyDeleteIn last week's lecture we learned about New France and the mission the Franch had in America. In the mid 1500s, French settlements, which were only trading posts and forts, began popping up along the St. Laurence, consisting of mostly white, single men. But the French were more concerned with making a profit by trading with the Indians than they were in taking their land, and the two populations soon became dependent each other.
Although Black Robe is a fictional movie, many of its key concepts are accurate in regards to what went on between the French and Native Americans. Many French settlers during that time pressed their religious views upon the natives. One example would be Black Robe's insistent attitude towards the Native Americans about converting to Chirstianity, so that they may one day be saved by God. In the end, after Black Robe reaches his destination, he is finally about to convert an entire village because they believe that being baptized will make the plague in their village go away.
Another connection from the movie to what happened historically was the Frenchman who ended up falling in love with the Indian girl and eventually took the way of the natives. There were no French women in the early French settlements, so it was common for these men to take Indian wives and adopt their customs.
The movie Black Robe was a good fictional movie which touched on very key points that were known to have occurred during the early 1500s when the French were coming over. When the frenchman came over they started to set up areas to live. Once they did this, they started to trade with the indians. At one point in the movie, the Iroquois discussed trading the two white men to the Dutch so that they could get money for them. This showed that the indians knew of how much the French enjoyed trading.
ReplyDeleteAnother key point that the movie touched on was the entire plot of the movie: the conversion of religion. The french came over and continually tried to convert the indians to their own religious views. some of the time it was not a problem, but other times the indians were not so open to it. When black robe was talking to the man who had gone in before him, his hands and face were terribly dismantled. There were definitely times where the French were attacked or killed for being where they were and doing what they were doing.
Jenni MacDuff
ReplyDeleteIn lecture we learned that when the French settled along the St. Lawrence/Great Lakes, they were interested mainly in trade, rather than settling on Indian lands. This was seen in the movie Black Robe. For example, when they were captured by the Iroquois, the Iroquois considered using them to trade, rather than killing them. We also learned that the French settlers were mainly white men who ended up marrying Indian women. This was also seen in Black Robe when the Frenchman falls in love with the Indian girl and gives up his dreams of being a priest to be with her.
A huge aim of the French was to try to convert the Indians to Christianity. This was seen in throughout the movie as Black Robe travelled with the Hurons in hope of converting them. Sometimes the French were very successful, as shown in the end of the movie, when Black Robe baptized the whole tribe. However, sometimes the missionaries were misinterpreted and not accepted, as seen when the Indians began to believe that Black Robe was a demon.
The movie Black Robe not only demonstrated the clash between the French and the Indians (as evident by such things as Indians cutting off Frenchmen's fingers) but also the clash between Indian tribes. The Iroquois captured the Hurons and brutally tortured and killed them.
During last lecture, We learned about the French settlements in new world around the 16th century and how they
ReplyDeleteestablished a colonial empire and how they developed the colonies to export products, but that was not everything,
French were interacting with Indians " the Natives" in a dayly bases trading with them, getting married from them and
learning their language.
Black Robe is a fictional film yet it is too close to reailty at that time. The film about the French missionary
that was led by Father Laforgue with a group of Algonquin Indians. Lather in his jorny tries to convert the Indian tribe to Catholicism.
and while he is in his mission, Father Laforgue faces diffculty with the Indians and a clash of different cultures
start to be a centeral aspect of the black Robe mission.
Matt Adamitis
ReplyDeleteThe flim "Black Robe" reflected much of what we discussed in calss and events that Richter cited in "Facing East from Indian Country." For example, Richter pointed out that Catholic missionaries had the most success of any of the Christians attempting to convert the Native Americans. He stated that a large part of this was due to the willingness of the Jesuits to adapt to Indian culture, as well as the Indian desire to maintain positive relations with the French in order to access their goods. This fact was depicted in the film in several instances, most particularly when the Iroquois debated about returning the two Frenchmen because they could trade them for muskets. Richter stated that, in warfare, Indians were in an arms race for muskets because of the psychological advantage they held, as well as their destructive power.
"Black Robe" also reflected some of the topic we discussed in class. For instance, it seemed that every person living in Quebec was a man, and probably a single one since no women were shown. Since the French were not able to promote settlement in New France to the masses, it was typically settled by single men hoping to participate in the fur and fish trade. The film also depicted the difficulty that Jesuit Priests had in expressing Christian ideas and terminology to the Indians. Concepts like celibacy, salvation, and baptism seemed nonsensical to the Hurons in the film. To overcome these differences in culture, the priest at the mission in the film's conclusion tried to have the Hurons believe that baptism could cure their illnesses.
Neil Maude
ReplyDeleteThe interactions are quite peculiar between the French and the Indians with respect to the colonists. Particularly the main difference between the two is the trade factor. The French are especially interested in the pelts and the furs that the region and aborigines will provide to the traders. A considerable difference between the colonists and the French traders is the lifestyles. As seen in the movie when they joke about women there is a simple explanation because there are no women. There are only outposts, forts, and small villagers filled with trappers traders and missionaries, as seen in black robe.
It seem logical that the Indians were less hostile to the Indians overall. Aside from disturbing the ecological balance of the natives areas they for the most part did not encroach and and directly destroy Indian societies like the colonists would eventually come to do quite often.
Empires are moving into the Americas in the 17th century, this is especially true for the French. As mentioned in the class lecture France felt like they were behind in the conquest for the Americas. Just as when the English and Spanish came the French also bring their faith with hopes of mass conversions. As we see the culture it represents one grossly based off of trade. it isn't until well into the 17th century that the French will establish settlement of great notability when compared to the likes of the English and Spanish. Interactions between the French and Indian cultures were generally more sound than the East coast English. Treaties through diplomacy and militarial operations usually gave a peaceful attitude that allowed for the booming fur trade.
Peter Nickell
ReplyDeleteAt the end of Black Robe, the natives are depicted as living in or around a French missionary settlement and wanting to be baptized to be saved. Richter says though the French Jesuit missionaries were “far more open to traditional Native patters” (158). Meaning, perhaps the Natives would not have lived in the missionary, perhaps it would have been the priests who had to follow them around (as was the case in the beginning of the movie). Also in the lecture notes it says a lot of Natives resented the people who converted to Christianity, perhaps the tribe at the end would not have been so eager to be baptized.It was also said by Richter the French enforced tribes to stay neutral in European conflicts and the lecture the lecture notes said the French wanted them to stay neutral because they thought any conflict between any of them would hurt their trading relationships.
Also in the film the Natives embraced the French at the beginning, Richter said that while a group of Iroquois were attending a peace meeting between the tribes and French, another group was attending the same type of meeting with the English. Perhaps the tribes would not have been as willing to embrace the Jesuits a time when their allegiance was being pledged to two different groups.
Dan Kristan
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned in Richter's book, goods and stories from and about the French reached most American Indians before the French themselves did, so, for example, the Huron, Algonquin, and Iroquois tribes may have been prepared to some degree for trading with them. The mission of the two men who are followed in most of "Black Robe" are more interested in converting the Natives to Christianity that with trading, although they know that they must do some trading to gain the trust of the Indians.
The missionaries had some success in both the movie and in real life, because as we learned in class, the French were more willing to assimilate into Indian communities. Some tribes targeted by the French missionaries also, for whatever reason, were more open minded to Christian ideas than those in other regions.
One of the big focuses in the movie was the tension between the Huron and Iroquois Indians but one of the issues that was not highlighted was the competition between all the European countries vying for land in the Americas. Although the French weren't looking for land as much as simply profit from trading and influence for converting natives, they still needed to get a metaphorical "foot in the door" so that there was a place for them in the New World.
The Black Robe personifies the writings of Richter in many ways. You see near the end of the movie that the priest baptizes and ultimately converts the Indian people. Conversion came about because of the persistency of the Black Robe. This depiction is in line with what Richter says about the French missionaries. The French had a distinct advantage over the English and Dutch because of their ceremonial practices. These practices were similar in nature to Indian rituals. Examples of this common ground include processions, chants, incense, and visual aids for worship.
ReplyDeleteReligious practices were similar between the French and the Indians. The animosity between English and Spanish towards Indians overshadowed any possible religious relationship with the exception of a few circumstances. Cultures were very different amongst Europeans and Indians. I would say it was easier for Indians to acclimate than Europeans because of technology. With regard to the empire rivalries, the English were basically trying to take over as much as they could and French and Spanish were always fending them off. The Dutch eventually lost there stronghold of New York. My belief is that it was directly related to being outnumbered.
In the movie black robe, the main character displays how intent the French were on coexistence with the Native Americans. As we have learned throughout the course of this class, the French wanted to reach an understanding with the Indians through a peaceful means, and not a violent one. As” Black Robe” displays, the French also felt they owed the savage Indians a duty to convert them to Christianity, so they would land in “paradise” once they reached the afterlife.
ReplyDeleteThrough my understanding of the French colonization of the America’s, “Black Robe” accurately depicts the differences between the two cultures which inevitably made coexistence nearly impossible.
In the movie Father Laforgue, at first, refuses to share the Tobacco he intends to trade with the Natives who are accompanying him into Huron territory. It isn’t until his assistant explains how the Indians share everything they have with each other, without question, and that the Native’s take his refusal to share as an insult. Although Laforgue eventually agrees to share with them, this simple misunderstanding has major significance when looking at the difficulty in the two cultures attempts to coexist.
Edgar Garcia...
ReplyDeleteThe movie Black Robe relates to the discussion we had in class about the New France. In class we discuss that the French had a mission when the came to America. The French settlers came to St. Lawrence and consist of men of the church and single men. Also, how French men marry Indian women. The French main objective of their mission was to convert the Indians to Christians. But there was some problems like different Languages and different religions that lead to conflicts. The French sent priest to convert the indians. The priest practice baptism and celibacy. Black Robe got discourage when he saw a Priest in training having sex with an Indian. The Indians got baptized by the French men. But the Indians believe that the French main God was a clock that made sounds.
Eventhough, the priest and a priest in practice knew could speak the Indian language, they were not fully bilingual and could not completely comunicate with the Indians. The priest showed the indians that one of the priviledge of his languages is that you can write what you want to express. By showing an example of writing, they Indian believed he was the Devil that was sent to kill them. Also the Indians fear they will change their culture since the French did not smoke the tabbacco and could not hunt.
All of this lead to rivalries. Iroquois captures the Priest, the Priest in training and the remaining Indians. At first they wanted to kill the french men but they decided they were worth as a trade. The Iroquois did chopped the Frenchman fingers when they were captured.
In last week's lecture we discussed that the purpose of the French settlers was to capitalize on the fur trade and establish trading posts rather than long term settlements. We saw this in the early scenes of Black Robe when the French men were building their houses and discussing how they would return to France soon. The French were also much more accepting of the Indian's culture and made an attempt to establish good relations as well as learn their language rather than try and take over their land. Their religious beliefs were very different and both the Indians and the French had a difficult time comprehending the other's belief systems. Although they were different in many ways, the French, more so than any of the other groups of European settlers, were the most similar to the Indians in terms of their religious ceremonial practices and the numerous icons and symbols that were used while they worshiped. The French were persistent about converting the Indians to Christianity in an effort to gain their trust which they hoped would ultimately benefit their trading. Towards the end of the film we see that there is very little trust in Black Robe and he is even called a demon at one point when he introduces the concept of writing things down in a book. This seems to be a fairly accurate depiction of the interactions between the French and the Indians as opposed to one of the final scenes where the Indians are camped in an abandoned missionary pleading to be baptized by Black Robe.
ReplyDeleteJigisha Dalal
ReplyDeleteIn last Tuesday's lecture, we learned about the French settlement by the Great lakes and the St. Lawrence River. The reason they lived near lakes and rivers was mainly because of trade. The French had more luck in interacting with the Indians is because they wanted to learn the traditions and customs of these different tribes. But when the French became more concerned with making money they started trading with the Indians and started taking their land.
From the lecture, we also learned that the French settlers were mainly white men. And they would ended up marrying Indian women. We also saw this in Black Robe when the French man falls in love with the Indian girl and gives up his dreams of being a priest to be with her.
This was also stated in Richter that the French wanted the tribes to stay neutral in European conflicts. The reason they wanted this was because they thought that any conflict between any of them would hurt their trading relationships.
Many of Natives Americans didn't like people who converted to Christianity. But at the end of Black Robe, they end up converting the entire village. They think that if they get baptized then the plague will go away.
Black Robe, overall, depicted the interactions and relations between French settlers and the Huron, as well as the ongoing feud between the Huron and the Iroquois.
ReplyDeleteThe Majority of settlers in the movie were single men, so based on what we learned in lecture along with Richter's piece, it's easy to see why the men were daydreaming about women and why some even lusted for Indian women. The French were more willing to learn the language and culture of the Indians, and seemed more willing to allow the Indians to live their specific weay of life.
Despite the importance of trade, there was still much weariness between the Indians and the French. The missionairies concept of religion was foreign to the Indians, but some found it enticing, because of the French Catholic concept of processions, chants and rituals, which the Indians understood. (Richter )The Indians were still unsure of the French ability to survive and care for their people. This was one of the arguments the Huron chief had with his daughter knowing she lusted for a Frenchman.
As per our lectures, we saw the tense relationship between the Huron and Iroquios, althought Black Robe had pieces where it was acknowledged that they were very similar cultures. We also saw the imprtance trading had with both tribes, as the Iroquois were ready to kill their captured Huron, but discussed trading the French for muskets. But they decided against trade with the French or Dutch becuase they thought it was too dangerous, thus showing the distrust of the Europeans again.
Overall, it was very evident that the French pursued relations with the Indians in a very different manner than the British, who would not have learned the languages or attempted to learn the culture of the Indians. Despite this understanding betweent the French and the Indians, it was obvious the relationship would not work out long term, without one group sacrificing much of their culture, which was evident in the Indians being baptized at the end of Black Robe. This was them, in essence, saying goodbye to their old ways of spirituality; a huge sacrifice on the part of the Hurons.
The film Blackrobe depicts the French missionaries and their struggles to trade with the local natives. Language and cultural barriers prevented the French from accurately translating the natives' tongue into the more allusionary language the natives used to describe people and events. The French missionary, or "Blackrobe" in the film is depicted at first to be a man of God, tigid in his thinking that Christ and Christianity would "save" these natives' immortal souls. As the film progreeses however, Blackrobe sees how his assistant falls in love with a native girl, how the indians see him as a demon sent to destroy them, and how at the end of the film, the natives beg him for the rites of baptism to save them from the fever.
ReplyDeleteAlthough he knows that baptism will not save their lives, only their souls, he begins to realize how they cannot understand a concept of Christianity because they have their own faith. The ways of the natives may be simplistic compared to Europeans like him, but at the end he sees how he is a servant of God, first to the dying priest at the mission, then to a people he knows is destined for heaven.
The French began trading furs along the St. Lawrence River Basin in much of the same way that the British and Dutch were using the "New World" for commercial purposes. Since the fur trade was quite lucrative, the French learned that instead of driving the natives out of the environment, like the British and Spanish, they could trade with and gain information from them.
The film was fiction although the depiction it portrayed could have been actual in reality. The scenes with the capture of Blackrobbe and the running of the gauntlet he and his native hostages had to endure (the cutting off the finger was a bit much) may have been an actual practice of native peoples at the time. Though it seemed barburous and cruel, the film accurately depicts the native hostage cheif as he tells them not to scream because it will give their power to the tribe.
Dara Sam
ReplyDeleteThe New Spain as well as New France was what we learned in lecture last week. We learned that Spain conquered larger portions of land and when France tried to take over Florida the Spanish Empire stopped them in the mid 1500’s. The French also had two commodities, which were fur and fish that started their major trade organization. Their settlement popped up along the St Lawrence valley and this is when the French started following the Indian customs with trade and daily life. This turned into a dependency that the French and Indians started amongst each other. Which brings us to Black Robe that starts with a settlement that is ran by the Jesuits. The movie shows the French looking for major fur locations, which starts them on a journey north to meet with Huron’s. Along the way the Indians start to wonder or ponder on why the priest continues to hold on to the tobacco and goods so much. What they don’t realize was that this is what will start the whole revolution of trading. The Indians start to doubt Black Robe because throughout there little journey but then realize that he might mean well also. It isn’t until they run into the Iroquois that they realize Black Robe has his beliefs to mean well for all. After being tortured the priest wonders if he will stay alive long enough to see the other side of the Jesuits that already exist in the North.
Jordan Thompson
ReplyDeleteIn last week's short lecture before the movie Black Robe we learned about how the Frech had a different interaction with the Natives and how they capatalized on the fur trade. The French were more into learning they way of the Natives and traveling with them. This was apparent in the movie with Black Robe's friend. His friend spoke the native's language well and was acustomed to their traditions and also fell in love with one of the Natvie girls. Of course the relgious beliefs of the Natives and the French were different. However, the French forced their religion upon the Natives, bleiveing that they were saving the "poor savages." This was also apparent with Black Robe because he constantly was trying to save the Natives even on one of the Native's death. Cultural disputes were shown well in the movie also. Many things that Black Robe did was considered the work of demons by the Natives. For example, when Black Robe showed them writing they considered it a work of a demon. Also something the French did not understand was that when they tried to convert Natives to Christianity it made them a target for other tribes. This was seen in the movie when Black Robed baptized the Natives and then because they were weaker another tribe killed them all off. Overall, I thought the movie was a great depiction of the interaction between the natives and the French, and it also showed hwo the French were hurtful towards the culture of the natives and also their well-being.
Michelle Booker
ReplyDeleteThe movie, Black Robe, was very much in accordance with what we have been studying regarding French and Indian relations. The movie demonstrated the Frech Jesuit's desire for religious conversion, the Indian's belief in ritualistic faith, as well as the ongoing wars between different Native tribes such as the Huron and Iroquois. The film was also accurate in the display of disease that plaqued many Native tribes. The French and Indians still differed in religious practices and beliefs, which is what sparked a lot of the issues within the plot of the story. In regards to the religious practices and the movie, it was very interesting how the French missionaries lived among the Indians and were engaged in a cultural exchange of language and customs. The video did portray this but I felt that the French within the movie were more observant as opposed to participatory in the process of understanding Native customs; however, Father Laforgue and the other Frenchman did appear to respect the Natives and their practices.
Gloria Valadez
ReplyDeleteAlthough Black Robe was a fictional film, it still accurately shed some light on the relationship between Native Americans and the French. An important theme throughout the film was religion and conversion. Father Laforgue interacts with the Iroquois in his persisting attempts to convert them to Christianity. The Iroquois, who could not help but question the intentions of father Laforgue, had growing doubts and remained cautious. At one point in the film, when father Laforgue shows them that he can write, the Iroquois begin to murmur among themselves that the father is a demon. As we have discussed previously in class, as well as read in our readings, the film portrayed the lack of understanding between the two cultures and the huge gap between the two. Although, the film does show some respect for one another, rarely does the film portray concepts in which both cultures found a common ground. For the most part, Father Laforgue had his set views on Christianity and salvation; likewise the Iroquois believed in their spirits and their own form of afterlife where they could have women and rejoice with their people. Despite the differences between the two, it is important to note that each group did make sacrifices in attempts to understand one another better. I.e. some Iroquois learned English, and some of the French learned the language of the Iroquois.
Another very important theme in the film was the differences between the two distinct native american groups: the Iroquois and the Huron. There is a point in the film where the Huron mistreat, mock, and torture both Father Laforgue & Daniel, as well as the Iroquois. To me this was key, because it shows that contrary to most Europeans beliefs, different Native groups had entirely different beliefs, customs... etc.
All in all the film was a good representation of the recurring themes we have been discussing and reading about. Although, the Huron did end up getting baptized at the end of the film, it seemed as if they were all out of hope, and did it as a last option instead of out of faith. They sacrificed their beliefs for a ritual (baptism) and religion that they did not understand or care for.
The French Missionaries went to great lengths to convert the American Indians to Christianity. were more open to the traditions and symbols of the Indians. According to Richter, the French missionaries were more open to the traditions and the symbols of the Indians than the English. The French learned the languages of the Huron and the Iriquois, and taught them French as well.
ReplyDeleteIn the movie 'Blackrobe' - the plot shows the French speaking both the Huron language and the Hurons speaking French. The Missionaries try to reason with the Indians - telling them what 'paradise' would be like with the absence of material possessions. But the Indians don't have many possessions - to them, things of pleasure are tobacco and women. They cannot imagine a place without women or sex - it makes no sense.
In the end, they Huron believe that baptism will save them - from the Iriquois, from disease, from death. Sadly, it did not - the missionaries meant that baptism will save their eternal soul, not their human life. It is a matter of opinion if the Indians were really 'saved' or actually 'destroyed' by the French.
Bal
Jeremy Kohlenbrener
ReplyDeleteThe film, Black Robe is a fictional working of something that very well could have occurred during the 16th century. At the end of the film we see the Natives finally come to the back robe in order to be baptized. What is interesting is that the black robe really had nothing to do with this other than being there to offer baptisism. The Indians only seek out the black robe because they are basically out of options. However, the reason that they are able to accept that maybe the French’s God will be able to help them because as Richter said, their beliefs are very similar to the Indian’s. They both engage in chants, ceremonies, and visual idols in their worship. The winter had killed so many of the natives that they were looking for any means of savior. Even though one of the Indian’s asked if they will be cured by the black robes god and black robe responded, no but by being baptized you will be accepted to paradise, the Indians still want to be baptized.
There are other examples in Black Robe that mirror what Richter says, such as the Indians being insulted when the white men refuse to share. We learned in Richter that the Indians share everything no matter what. While Black Robe may be a work of fiction in the story, the details are very accurate to what Indians may have done at that time.
Black Robe was an interesting movie. It showed us that even though the french wanted to have a good relationship with the indians, it was quite difficult, because their religions clashed, and the Indian's were quite skeptical of their intentions.
ReplyDeleteThe religions between the jesuits and the Indian's did not match up at all. The Indians did not like the ideas that the french were putting into their heads, and the french did not like it that the Indians had refused to convert for the most part. In the end, it was easy to convince the indians to convert, because they all feared they would die if they were unwilling to be baptised into the Jesuit church.
A.J. Jewison
ReplyDeleteFrench settlement in the New World was unique compared to the Spanish and the English. The French were mainly interested in setting up an advanced trade network, and even traded immensely with the Natives. The French were not so much driven to settle permanent settlements such as the Spanish or English. The beaver trade inspired the French to settle strategically along the rivers. Along with trade, as Black Robe points out, many French Jesuit Missionaries sought to convert the Natives in this regions. What happened as a result of this openness and willingness to understand Native cultures and trade with them was immense. Both the French and the Natives shared their cultures, religions, tools, and raw materials. Not all was positive. But as Black Robe shows us so dramatically, was that the Natives and the French may have developed a more unique relationship due to the fact that the French were willings to learn the cultures of the Natives (particularly the Huron peoples). Even though their goal may have been for profit, or for the spreading of their own religion, the openness of the French-Native relations was unique compared to what was going on in other parts of the New World.
Samantha Nickolaou
ReplyDeleteAlthough the film Black Robe is a fictional story, it relates both to what we discussed in class about New France and what Richter said about French missionaries. Most specifically, the movie Black Robe emphasizes the persistence of jesuit priests to convert the Indians to Christianity. Black Robe and his apprentice encounter many hardships through their journey with the Huron tribe including ridicule and reluctance from the Hurons themselves, and then physical torture from the Iroquois. Even after many miles of journeying through harsh winter conditions and escaping inevitable death from the Iroquois tribe, Black Robe is unable to persuade the chief of the huron tribe to accept his God who would send him to paradise.
More so as we discussed in class, the movie Black Robe relates to small details that took place in New France. The setting consisted of trading posts with no agricultural areas, of which was inhabited by a sparse population of single men who went on to marry Indian women and adapt to their customs (as we most likely assume what happens with Black Robe's apprentice).
Raed Khawaja
ReplyDeleteBlack robe stood out to me in its depiction of how the Native Americans viewed the French and vice versa. The French viewed the Native Americans as savages and sinners who needed to be saved in the name of god and Christianity. The natives viewed the French as a curse and almost as if they were possessed by the devil and they wanted nothing good for the natives. We see how literacy only added to this confusion. When they were shown the power of reading and writing, they thought it to be an act of sorcery almost. It was so inconceivable to them that the message could be conveyed in this matter. In the end of the movie when all seemed so conceivably lost, a group of Indians came to convert under the belief that it would save their souls, and possibly more importantly their health. The Jesuits succeeded to some extent by converting the large group of Indians in the end and having them baptized, but they lost a lot of lives in the process.
The ending of "Black Robe" really stood out to me as the most powerful part of the movie, which also connected to what we discussed during lecture. The part that stood out the most to me was the main priest talking to the old priest in the Huron village asking about how many people were converts. The old priest responded that none were and they could only hope to convience the Indians that converting would cure them of their sickness. This really portrayed what we have discussed in class regarding the difficulties of communication between the natives and the missionaries. The missionaries were persecuted because the Indians had little idea of what their real agenda was. This was also seen in the movie with the midget indian who called the missionary an evil spirit and pushed to kill him. Many of the Indians thought of the missionaries like the French traders and English colonists, as people out to steal their land and other goods. Because of the difficulty of communication between the two groups these concerns were unknown and not corrected by the missionaries. This lead to their persecution by the Indians, and also to the Indian converts not truly knowing what they were converting to.
ReplyDeleteIn last weeks lecture we discussed how the French took a different approach to New World settlement in terms of the activities and goals that they maintained. The French were more intrested in the fur trade, and merchant economy that existed in the lakes region, and could be facilitated and capilatlized on with the help of the native american tribes such as the scenarios depecited in the film "black robe".
ReplyDeleteIn additon to the French's interest in the economic potential of the region, their was also a large and very devout Jesuit community who saw their sole purpose in life as to convert the "savages". A great example of this social dynamic can be seen in "black robe" and also echoed in many readings about the region and time.
I personally believe that the French took a more culturally humanistic approach to interacting with the indians, and because of this in many instances reaped the benefits of their kindness. I also think that the social and political upheavals that took place in France contributed to their "Gentil" approach to living in the New World.
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