THE OHIO VALLEY-GREAT LAKES ETHNOHISTORY
ARCHIVES: THE MIAMI COLLECTION
It is noted that the following work from the Miami Archives should be read and
considered within the historical context in which it was composed and printed.
The opinions expressed and the language used do not reflect the opinions or
standards of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, but are, rather,
indicative of thought in that historical moment during which the document was
published.
Jesuit Relations
Vol. 58, (1672)
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pp. |
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Mission to the Maskoutench, Ilinois, and Other Tribes.
p. 21"My Reverend Father,
A few days after Father henri nouvel's departure, I embarked for the mission of
saint Jacques, among the Machkoutench, -- that was on the 9th of August of the
year 1672, [and] I arrived there on the 13th.
In this mission we have, during the past year, baptized 114 persons, of whom three adults and five children died shortly after baptism.
p. 23 I began by procuring a separate Loding for myself, so that all the tribes might Freely come and listen to the words of life; For I counted there twenty Cabins of ilinoies, thirty large cabins of Kikabou, Fifty of Machkoutench, Over ninety of miamiak, [and] three ouaouiatanoukak.(see fn.1) I placed our Chapel near the village, in the midst of Their Fields, Among the Machkoutench. It was ready for the feast of the assumption, on which day I said holy mass [in it].
Shortly afterward, there was such a concourse and [such a] crowd of all those tribes that it was impossible for me to make myself heard. They broke through The Cabin,-- which was made, according to Their fashion, of rush matting,-- to see us at Their ease. . . .
. . . God granted me the grace of Speaking the Miami Language, For the majority belonged to that tribe. . . .
p. 25 On the 18th, seeing the affection and respect that all these people manifested for our holy faith, I planted at the door of our Chapel a cross 22 feet high. . .
p. 27 . . .At night [This they plainly manifested, for at night] I saw that they had hung on the cross clusters of indian corn, girdles, and red garters. [This is done among them only as a mark of veneration.]
On the 20th, two of the principal miami came to me, and begged that, when I should go away, I would give Them that cross, that they might take it to their village. "It is not in its right place with the machkoutench," they said to me; "they obey thee not." . . . The machkoutench on hearing [learning] this, came to complain [of it], and told me [to me, saying] that they would not allow it to be removed from the Spot where it was. This holy contention gave me joy. To satisfy Their devotion, I promised Them that it should not be removed from the Place where it was; and, to gratify the desire of the miami, I caused another similar one to be made, which I erected [transported elsewhere; but that, in order to satisfy the miami, I would have another similar one made. In fact, I erected one in] their village. As I had planted the first among the machkoutench.
p. 29 The 23rd, I was passing by the machkoutench Cabins, as I frequently do, without entering everywhere to see whether there are any sick,-- For they never fail to call me, when there are any. Accordingly, while I was passing, they called out to me, "Come and see a dead Body," a man said to me. Having entered, I saw [I entered, and saw] a man in a sitting posture, surrounded by his friends. He told me that he had not eaten [any food] for Five (p. 31) days, but had only smoked [a little], because he no longer Considered himself among the number of the living; he thought he was dead. . . ."
p. 33 The 29th. While proceeding to call a young Christian Machkoutench to pray to God, I met a band of ilinoues, who followed me. These poor people are so pleased to see a black gown that we cannot go anywhere without having a goodly company,-- so that we cannot speak to any one privately, either in their homes or in The Chapel. . . . I satisfied them on all those points, by explaining to Them the eternal blessings that God has promised [promises to] those who obey Him, and by showing Them the difference between those blessings and the earthly goods for (p. 35) which they take much trouble, Such as hatchets, Kettles, etc. They listened to me very attentively, and repeated in their own Tongue what I had said in the Language of the miami, which is almost the same.
. . . I had the consolation, some days previously, of witnessing the death of a child of the Miami tribe, who, immediately after Its baptism, soared away to Heaven from my arms; and of finding a poor old man, of the Machkoutench tribe, who was ill, and whose nose, Lips, and eyes are eaten by a Cancer. Consequently he is blind; he can hardly speak or hear; he is as hideous, and as offensive to the smell, as is a Corpse. That is why He is called a "thipai [i.e., corpse]."
p. 37 The 9th. While descending the rapids, our mariners broke our Canoe. I had gone on ahead by land, and had reached a Place called the Kakaling, a League farther, at Nightfall. . . .
On the 17th, I went to the fort of the
pouteouatami, to procure a supply of corn. At the same time, I gave a short
Mission, at which I obtained more satisfaction than I had derived from them in
the past. [our canoe was staved in, and became unserviceable; and I was
stranded on an islet ten feet long, where I passed 3 days with one of my men,
who was ill, while the others went to seek for another canoe. We left the Islet
on the sixteenth, and finally arrived in our Chapel of st. Xavier to thank God
for having afflicted us and extricated us from Danger.]
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1 (p. 23)- Cf. this enumeration with Dablon's statement regarding the same village, when he visited it in the autumn of 1670 (vl. lv, pp. 199, 201); with the Mascoutens he then found the Oumami tribes numbering more than 3,000 souls. Allouez now counts, two years later, nearly two hundred cabins of savages, more than double the above population. To the two tribes named have been added the Kickapoos, who in 1670 were sojourning at a place four leagues distant from the Mascouten village; a large reinforcement of Miamis, and twenty cabins of other Illinois savages; and a few Ouiatanons (called Weas by the English) a tribe allied to the Miamis, who in 1694 were residing at Chicago, and later on the Wabash river.
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