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Iroquois Religion In The 17th Century

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The 17th century was a dynamic period for the Americas in regard to the relationship between native tribes and European colonists. “A Veritable Account of the Martyrdom and Blessed death of Father Jean de Brebeuf and of Father Gabriel L’Alemant, in New France (near present-day Québec, Canada), in the country of the Hurons, by the Iroquois, enemies of the Faith” was written by Father Paul Ragueneau and delves into this relationship and describes a specific interaction that occurred in 1649 in New France (present day Canada) where a Catholic priest, Jean de Brebeuf, was killed during an Iroquois raid of a Huron village. During this period, the cultures of the Huron and Iroquois tribes and the French settlers, specifically Catholics, were vastly …show more content…

Therefore, when members of their mission are mocked and killed, it is viewed as a deliberate attack on their faith. Moreover, Father Paul Ragueneau described the Iroquois as “enemies of the Faith” as a result of this attack. Because of these views, the French saw this attack as “[venting] their rage on the two Fathers…”. They did not understand the intricacies of the Mourning Wars at this time because they were completely different from the wars that they were used to. The French fought wars for economic power and territory while the Iroquois did not prioritize this. Because of this, the missionaries’ natural conclusion was that it was an attack on the French people and their faith. The martyrdom of Brebeuf was perceived very differently between the Iroquois and the French because of the knowledge or lack of knowledge that they held at the time of the event. The Iroquois tribe viewed this event as a traditional Mourning War and as trying to fill the needs of their tribe while the French missionaries saw it as an intentional attack on their faith and their mission. The disconnect in these two narratives added additional tension to an already difficult situation between the two groups. This is because the truths held by one group were vastly different form the views held by the

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