Samuel de Champlain was born at Brouage France in 1570, died at Quebec City on the 25th December 1635. He was a man of many talents and great achievements. He was an intrepid explorer, proficient draughtsman, and a cartographer extraordinare. Champlain inaugurated the exploration of the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes region and drew the first accurate maps of much of the area. These maps contributed enormously to the geographic knowledge of Eastern Canada. Champlain’s journals give us some of the first insights into the lives of the First Nations of the region. His descriptions of their beliefs, customs, society and economy constitute a rich ethnographic record of Aboriginal life in the Algonkins, Hurons, Iroquois, and Montaignais. The role he played in exploration and settlement in what was to become New France earned him the title of “Father of New France.” The following is an attempt to explain the world of a 17th century European man such as Samuel de Champlain. It speculates how he might have viewed France and its culture and compared it to the Native civilization he found in North America. These writings are a composite of Champlain from his journals, other historical books, and recent studies. Sources are listed at the conclusion of the descriptions and in the Sources section. Return to Other Ways of Seeing... |
