Colonialist and Native: Interesting Relationships

¶ … French and the Native American: A Mutually Beneficial Relationship When considering the history of the United States and its inception, the most common conception is of Native American tribes being tortured, murdered, and generally emaciated from their contact with the Europeans. And certainly, this was generally the case. However, in the often sad history of contact between the new entrants into the Americas and the native tribes, there are also a few sparks of light, where the native tribes and Europeans in fact benefited from their interactions with each other.

Although these benefits were often not without their complications, the relationships between the French and the native tribes with whom they came into contact were generally of a far less violent and murderous nature than most other Indian-European interactions. Indeed, the mutual benefits of these relationships began based upon the fur trade and later progressed to intermarriage and intercultural relationships. According to Templeton (n.d.), the main motivation for French entry into the Americas was the fur trade.

The Native Americans in Northern America were fur traders by nature, and the Europeans gained much insight from their expertise and experience. In fact, so successful was this fur-based relationship that the French attempt to convert the Natives to Catholicism took a second position to the professional relationship. Another reason for the success of the relationship was the fact that the French acknowledged the superior information and experience of the Native fur traders and were willing to learn from them.

There was therefore none of the basic racism and violence that make up so many of the accounts about Indian-White relationships of colonial times. Nevertheless, it must also be recognized that these relationships were not without their initial or indeed continuous strain. French entry into the Americas began in earnest when King Francois I of France sent Jacques Cartier to the country to look for a passage to Asia as well as "riches" in the form of gold and other metal reserves.

He set sail in April 1534 with 61 men on two ships. His initial contact with the natives at Chaleur Bay on the Gaspe Peninsula was not entirely fortunate. The cross he erected on the peninsula, with the legend "Long live the King of France" proved upsetting to the natives. The Chief Donnacona made no secret of his tribe's feelings (University of Ottawa, n.d.). Despite the initial difficulty, Cartier was permitted to secure the services of two young tribes members, Domagoya and Tiagnoagny, on the journey back to France.

During further journeys, Cartier discovered fishing and farming villages and the fur trade was established, despite continuous suspicion among the Micmac and Iroquois tribes. In 1608, Samuel de Champlain, another French explorer, continued Cartier's work by founding Quebec City. The established fur trade was complicated by conflicts among the warrior tribes in the country. The Huron, for example, were one of the most beneficial fur trading associates for France, but were decimated by the Iroquois.

Hence, France was forced to form alliances with tribes such as the Algonquin against the Iroquois in their battles. Other fur trading ties were established between France and tribes like the Inuit, Montagnais (Innu), Naskapi, Micmac, and Malecite (University of Ottawa, n.d.). Conflicts with the Iroquois persisted until the Great Peace of Montreal in 1701. In addition to the fur trade, trading posts and missions were to significantly influence the relationships between the Native Americans and French settlers.

Eastern North America and the Great Lakes region were particularly influenced by these new relations. Trade increased rapidly, for example, and with this came an increasingly mixed population. The Metis, speaking not only local languages but also French, acted as interpreters in the interaction between the French and native tribes (University of Ottawa, n.d.). Another interesting influence on cultural relations between the natives and the French was the interference brought about by the missionaries.

Although the aim was to create a more European Christian community within the native tribes, the missionaries did not attempt to eliminate the native languages. Instead, they learned to speak them in order to create a better and more accessible platform for their work. Still, the negative effects were significant, especially in terms of disease and a basic attack on the traditional way of life in terms of religion, values, and customs among the native tribes, which, of course, adheres to the general conception of these relationships today.

Nevertheless, the French colonizing effort was somewhat less harsh than the one effected by the English and other European nations. In addition to an attempt to establish mutually respectful and beneficial relations, the French nevertheless maintained a type of paternal view of the native nations. As such, they considered the "savage" nature of the natives as somewhat childlike and in need of French leadership and care.

At the same time, the various alliances between the French and the natives provided a platform for maintaining French presence in the Americas in the face of overwhelming numbers of English colonizers in the country. Although these alliances were set up to often mutual benefits, there were also some disadvantages (University of Ottawa, n.d.). As mentioned, the missionaries brought with them many diseases, which led to the Native Americans dying in the thousands.

In addition, territorial wards between the French and British brought death to many of those who survived illnesses like measles and smallpox. Many of these elements brought a sense of basic and general distrust among the native tribes for all persons European. Nevertheless, an interesting element of French entry into Canada was intermarriage among the French settlers and Native American women.

This speaks of a far greater mutual tolerance than is usually acknowledged when thinking about European-Native relations, especially in Louisiana and the region known as "Illinois Country." According to White (2013, p. 27), French settlers frequently married Native American women. One of the cited reasons for this is the fact that there was a basic lack of French women at the time of the first settlements.

Men, citing a "need" for not only household services such as cooking and cleaning, but also for sexual intercourse, married the available females, who were generally Indian. This excuse maintained the French sense of superiority while allowing them to integrate.