Children and Childhood in Wendat Society, 1600-1700 Victoria
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Children and Childhood in Wendat Society, 1600-1700 Victoria Jackson A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Program in History York University Toronto, Ontario October 2020 © Victoria Jackson, 2020 Abstract This dissertation examines Wendat childhood in the 17th century. Contrary to European expectations, Wendat child-rearing practices emphasized independence, empowerment, and respect for all individuals, encouraging children to pay attention to and contribute to the safety, health, and well-being of their families and community. As a result, I argue that children and youths took on essential and important roles in Wendat society, including teaching, diplomacy, and spiritual leadership, often in ways that were distinct from that of adults. Youths were often at the heart of Wendat-settler relations in those roles, and helped greet, teach, and support European newcomers. Children and youths helped teach newcomers to speak and act like a Wendat, served as intermediaries and translators between Wendat and non-Wendat leadership, and took on important political and spiritual roles to foster long-term friendships with French visitors. Wendat children and youths were loved, respected, and treated as uniquely important contributors to Wendat society. Children were raised by the entire community, not just the biological parents, and everyone had a role in caring for the youth and preparing them for their life-long responsibilities to family and community. The care for children also extended to Wendat mortuary customs, as children—especially infants—sometimes had unusual, age- determined burials. This dissertation emphasizes a biographical case study approach, focusing on what the stories of individuals can tell us about the society as a whole. In looking for the stories of individuals, it is apparent that personhood and personal agency were important factors in how different individuals responded to the widespread changes in Wendat society in the wake of French arrival to the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence regions. This dissertation also takes an interdisciplinary and ethnohistorical approach, using archaeological, linguistic, and anthropological sources to complement the analysis of historical documents. Children often fulfilled roles that were different from, and inappropriate for, adults, and their roles were often complimentary to those of child-bearing adults and Elders. For a more complete understanding of 17th century Wendat society, this dissertation argues age must be considered as an important category of analysis. ii Acknowledgements This dissertation would not have been possible without the support of several institutions, and the guidance, generosity, kindness, assistance, and support from many, many individuals. First, I want to thank the Wendat, Wyandot, and Wyandotte individuals who graciously welcomed me into their lives, and for the many lessons they have taught me and continue to teach me every day. In researching this history, I have learned much, and I am grateful for every opportunity to learn more. A special thank you to Catherine Tammaro and Sallie Cotter Andrews for literally welcoming me into your homes and for your continued support, guidance, and friendship. Thank you also to Chief Janith English, Judith Manthe, Judith Kukowski, and Linda Sioui for your support, advice, and words of encouragement. Tižamęh. Tiawenhk. A heartfelt thank you to Carolyn Podruchny, who supervised this dissertation and whose thoughtful insights helped me to clarify my analysis. Our many conversations made me a better writer, a better scholar, and a better human being; thank you for being so wonderful. I also want to thank the other members of my dissertation committee, Boyd Cothran and John Steckley, for your feedback and advice throughout the writing (and the research) process. This dissertation benefited greatly from your kind attention. I also want to thank the archivists and curators at the many libraries, archives, and museums I visited to complete the research for this dissertation. In particular, thank you to Tim Foran, Jonathan Wise, and Benoit Thériault at the Canadian Museum of History for the behind-the-scenes tour of the museum and for your kind help in navigating the archival and sound collections. At the Museum of Ontario Archaeology, thank you to Nicole Aszalos for your help with the files, including tracking down some files that had been relocated. Big thank you to the wonderful archivists, curators, and librarians at the Royal Ontario Museum, in particular April Hawkins, Craig Cipolla, and Sarah Horn in the Archaeology section, and Charlotte Chaffey in the Library. At the American Philosophical Society Library in Philadelphia, thank you to Valerie-Ann Lutz and Brian Carpenter for all of your help in navigating the collections and for the kind suggestions for further research beyond the library. A huge thank you to the staff and volunteers at the Huronia Museum who kindly guided me through both archaeological collections and the library’s vertical stacks. And finally, thank you to the late Charlie Garrad for kindly welcoming me into your home to conduct research with your collections. Thank you also to good friends and frequent research and writing buddies Barry Torch, Erica McCloskey, Kate Barker, Joanna Pearce, Tarisa Little, Mckelvey Kelly, Anne Janhunen – you inspire me. This dissertation would not have been possible without the generous funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Ontario Graduate Scholarship program, the internal funding at York University, in particular the John F. Bosher Award. Thank you very much. And last but not least, I want to thank my family for their constant support, guidance, and help, especially when this project took forever to finish. Mom and Dad, Carrie (and Diogo), and Chris, thank you. Special thank you to Tanner, Jayden, and Abby, my nephew and nieces, because without you this dissertation could not exist. I love you. Thank you. iii Table of Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................ iii Table of Contents ................................................................................................................... iv Chapter One: Introduction ................................................................................................... 1 Historical Context: Life in the 17th Century ...................................................................................... 5 Historiography ................................................................................................................................. 9 Sources, Methods, and Theoretical Frameworks ............................................................................ 33 Documentary evidence: ..................................................................................................................... 34 Linguistic sources: .............................................................................................................................. 37 Stories and Traditional Narratives: .................................................................................................... 37 Archaeology: ...................................................................................................................................... 40 Anthropological Field Notes: ............................................................................................................. 42 Additional Methods and Theoretical Frameworks: ........................................................................... 43 Terminology and Language ............................................................................................................. 44 Chapter Outline .............................................................................................................................. 48 Chapter Two: “He has no mind”: Understanding Wendat Childhood ..................................... 53 “He has no mind” ........................................................................................................................... 56 Children and orenda ....................................................................................................................... 67 Growing up Wendat: community and reciprocal respect ................................................................ 74 Conclusion: philosophies of childhood, in perspective .................................................................... 89 Chapter Three: Ages of Childhood ......................................................................................... 91 Pregnancy and Birth: Tonneraouanont’s story ................................................................................ 96 Birth and Infancy (-chiaah-) .......................................................................................................... 106 Child (-en-): Arahkié’s story .......................................................................................................... 114 Becoming an adult (,a8itsinnonha / on,8entsentia): puberty stories in the Wendat world ............ 122 Children who are not children: Sastaretsi’s story .........................................................................