New France: From First Contacts to First Nations

When the first French explorers arrived in what would become known as “la Nouvelle France” over the 16th century, they found several distinct communities of indigenous peoples. In this course, we will explore “first contacts” among these two groups, using a variety of resources, from travel writings and other written manuscripts to archeological and ethnographic findings. How did these contacts change as the French “colons” began to consider themselves the legitimate “habitants” of the land? In the second half, we will concentrate on the history of the Abenaki First Nation and how this once nomadic people sedentarized in Québec, following contacts with both French and English colonialists.