Jacques Marquette, S.J., 1637-1675.

On early American frontiers, Indians and Europeans made new cultures on the basis of what one scholar has termed creative misunderstandings . Unable to fully understand each other, diverse peoples invented a shared culture by appealing to what they thought to be the values and beliefs of the other. But what happened when people actually learned to communicate their true values and beliefs across the frontier? This article focuses on language learning and linguistic exchange among Illinois Indians and Jesuit priests in the Illinois mission over two generations. As a second generation of priests became masters of the Illinois language in the 1690s, allowing more sophisticated intercultural communication in Illinois missions, Illinois Indians and Jesuits moved beyond the initial creative misunderstandings of the encounter and came to a realistic assessment of their differences. The ironic result of better communication was the end of an optimistic era of religious syncretism in this most remote Jesuit mission in North America.

show abstract

scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.

Contact Info

customersupport@researchsolutions.com

10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614

Henderson, NV 89052, USA

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Blog Terms and Conditions API Terms Privacy Policy Contact Cookie Preferences Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Made with 💙 for researchers

Part of the Research Solutions Family.

Jacques Marquette, S.J., 1637-1675.

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

"They honor our Lord among themselves in their own way": Colonial Christianity and the Illinois Indians

"They honor our Lord among themselves in their own way": Colonial Christianity and the Illinois Indians

"I Speak It Well": Language, Cultural Understanding, and the End of a Missionary Middle Ground in Illinois Country, 1673-1712

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Jacques Marquette, S.J., 1637-1675.

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

&quot;They honor our Lord among themselves in their own way&quot;: Colonial Christianity and the Illinois Indians

&quot;They honor our Lord among themselves in their own way&quot;: Colonial Christianity and the Illinois Indians

"I Speak It Well": Language, Cultural Understanding, and the End of a Missionary Middle Ground in Illinois Country, 1673-1712

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

"They honor our Lord among themselves in their own way": Colonial Christianity and the Illinois Indians

"They honor our Lord among themselves in their own way": Colonial Christianity and the Illinois Indians