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, (1673)
(p. 59) On the last day of April, I left for the mission of saint Jacques, among the machkoutench. We arrived there on the fourth of may; and on the following day, while passing by with all the French who accompanied me, we adored the cross that we had planted there the previous summer. In accordance with the custom of these nations, I went on the following day straight to the cabin of the former captain of the machkoutench, who had died a short time previously, to give for him a little present, and thus console the whole family.
The 5th. I erected my cabin at the cross, as I did last year. It was not necessary to call the savages to come to pray to God; They came quite readily, of their own accord. This continued during the whole time while I was there, so that our rush mats, of which our Chapel is built, were soon broken, while some others were merely (p. 61) pierced through,-- although I made them pray outside. When they could not all get inside. We continued to perform our duties in peace as last year; we said holy mass every day; we instructed, without cessation, bands that successively filled the Chapel; . . .
Another person, of the miami tribe, received the grace of baptism,--. . . .
(p. 63) As this tribe of the miami is very numerous, a portion of them do not approve what we preach to them; the other portion profess to believe and to obey the black gown, and they even say in their assemblies that they who obey Him not are unhappy. God has, through a special providence over this nascent Church, given it his blessing; For all those who love Christianity have not suffered from hunger throughout the winter, while the others have endured such famine that some have died. As a rule, all of them ate their dogs, and the skins of the animals that they have killed in the autumn; and were compelled to return to their village early, and with great difficulty. This tribe do not know how to walk on snowshoes; for that reason, they have greatly suffered in this quarter, where there was an extraordinary quantity of snow. . . .
The same miami have given up the manitous whom they invoked for their war, their hunting, etc.; they invoke him alone who has made Heaven and earth. In fact, quite recently, when they went to war, they hung up a white skin on the cross in their village,-- to invoke, as they told me, the God of armies, who has made men and Heaven and earth.
I visited a considerable portion of the miami. They have large cabins, made of great pieces of bark, wherein I made them pray to God, all on their knees, until I caught such a cold-- either there or in our Chapel, which was quite open-- that I could hardly speak. I went away on the 22nd.
I passed through the outagami, to see our sick people there, who continue to practice Christian patience. . . .
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