"A sign that we are related to you": The Transatlantic Gifts of the Hurons of the Jesuit Mission of Lorette, 1650–1750

A groundbreaking study reveals that the Hurons of the Jesuit Mission of Lorette played an active role in fostering Catholic devotion across the Atlantic, not merely as recipients but as contributors. Between 1670 and 1720, these Hurons sent at least five wampum collars to Catholic communities in Europe and North America, including Chartres Cathedral in France and Notre Dame de Foye in Dinant, Belgium. These gifts, previously overlooked, demonstrate a transatlantic exchange of religious symbolism that blurred cultural boundaries, transforming the Hurons from 'exotics' into integral members of a shared Catholic family. The study challenges the historical narrative by highlighting the Hurons' agency in this process and examines how these exchanges were received, particularly in the context of the French colonial empire.

Vélez, K. (2011). “A sign that we are related to you”: The Transatlantic Gifts of the Hurons of the Jesuit Mission of Lorette, 1650–1750. French Colonial History, 12(1), 31–44. https://doi.org/10.1353/fch.2011.0034