Christianity and Social Realities of Hurons in Huron Relations of 1635 by Jean de Brebeuf
Jean de Brebeuf's composition on his travels and life during hismissions to Huronia, land of the Huron Indians in Canada, is anillustration of the lives of Christian missionaries in the world of thenatives of Huronia, the Indians. Brebeuf's narratives in Huron Relationsof 1635 is also a historical document that marks the arrival of Europeaninfluence in the New World, the term used for the land of Americas after Brebeuf's analysis of Huronia and its inhabitants is a product ofnumerous missions conducted by Europe in its attempt to 'Christianize' thenatives of Americas, which included Huronia, the land area which is nowknown as Canada. Like most of the colonies of European countries duringthis period, colonizers use religion as a propaganda technique to subjugatethe native inhabitants of a territory, thereby subjecting them to fore
Upon reading Huron Relations of 1635, it isnotable that the author provides his readers a balanced description ofHuron society and culture vis-A -vis European society and culture. " Hence, Jeande Brebeuf presents both sides of the attitudes, thinking, and behavior ofEuropeans and Indians during the age of exploration in the New World. " Another important detail that Brebeufshares with his readers is the illustration of how people, particularlyChristians and Indians, differ only in their worldviews, but live the samerealities: just as Europeans treat the Indians as savages, the Indians, inturn, regard Europeans as "Ondakis," a term defining "Demon. AlthoughBrebeuf could be biased in his viewpoints in his narrative, he providesdetailed and objective accounts of the norms that abound within Huronsociety, and compares these norms in the European context. Algonquins, through whose territory we were passing, tried tointimidate us, saying the Hurons would kill us as they had done to Brule. He also showsprofound understanding of native relations among tribes, as exemplified inhis observation when some Indian tribes tried to stop them from travelingto Huron in an attempt to make them (missionaries) them stay in their owntribe(s): ". They did this, with all the apparent good will, because they wanted us toremain with them. Hisanalysis shows that despite his bias for Christianity and European values,Brebeuf maintained an objective account of the lives and realities of theHuron Indians as perceived by them and the missionaries. " It is therefore popular among Europeans to have re-conceivednotions about the Indians, whom they treat as 'savages' because of thedifferent culture, traditions, and lifestyle that they have (compared tothe European standard). theHurons are rather loose, although on two accounts less so than manyChristians who will some day stand ashamed before them.
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