Huron Nation Essay

Within the globalization of Christianity, many aspects had events had arisen to provide great difficulties spreading the faith. In the case of Jesuits travelling to New France in the seventeenth century, some of these difficulties revolved language barriers, development in a new country, and the dangers of the warring Huron, Iroquois nations. The Huron nation was divided up between five nations, some of which were more inclined to convert to the Christian faith either for spiritual guidance, or other more beneficial aspects such as trade networks. Other Huron groups, however, posed a threat towards the Jesuit priests as they were fervently inclined towards war, and the capture and ritualistic torture of said priests. The difficulties that arose were eventually overcome due to the adamancy and courage of the Jesuit missionaries, enabling the successful conversion of much of the Huron people. The first difficulty that the Jesuits had succumb to, was the issue of “food, clothing, and all other necessities of nature” (Bressani 46). The lack of
In order to educate and convert people, they must first understand what you are saying. Bressani wrote that “they, not knowing how to pronounce any labial letter, like B, F L, M, P, X, Z, nor consonant I and V, could not learn our languages”, although he does mention that if theIroquois learned “one half of the way, and we the other, we could more easily have met” (102). Bressani writes further, speaking of one Father Paul Le June, who felt that “it was almost impossible to learn those languages unless by living alone among the Barbarians; he therefore resolved to spend the winter with them in the woods” (104). Through great labours and many years, however, they were successful in their endeavours to learn their language, as Bressani remarked on their languages, “We now have grammars of them, dictionaries, and various books”