Black Robe, The French Empire, and Empires in Conflict

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).