Slavery was the dominate social institution in the Pays d’en Haut. It dictated social interaction between native peoples from family, to trade, to war, to alliances. Dr. Brett Rushforth’s book Bonds of Alliance: Indigenous & Atlantic Slaveries in New France is a detailed account of the practice, its effect on both the native population and French colonials during the European imperial centuries. Drawing on varied sources such as Jesuit writings, and archaeological evidence, Dr. Rushforth brings voice to the voiceless. Writing in the last sentence of the prologue Rushforth said of his work , “It reflects an ethical commitment to recognize the humanity of the enslaved, something that masters sough to deny. If their lives are useful because they illuminate the systems which they passed, their value is intrinsic.” As a result, Rushford does justice to an often-forgotten issue. Subsequently, he accomplishes his goal of bringing humanity back to those who had it stolen. …show more content…
He wrote, “the act of taking slaves was intensely individualistic, as was the right to their bodies, which was one of the most personal forms of property among the Indians of the Pay d’en Haut” It dominated all facets of Native life. Slaves were used as domestic servants, replacements for deceased family members, and pawns in exchange for alliances. As opposed to chattel slavery, indigenous slavery was, “driven, not by high demand for slaves, but by political and cultural imperatives of enslavement. This was the world French colonialist entered during the age of