Maple History: A Canadian History Podcast

As Christianity spread among the Wendat, faith became a fault line. This episode explores the growing conflict between converts and traditionalists, and how spiritual change reshaped community life during a moment of crisis.Sources:The Children of Aateantsic: A History of the Huron People to 1660 by Bruce TriggerCrosses in the Sky: Jean de Brébeuf and the Destruction of Huronia by Mark BourrieDispersed But Not Destroyed by Kathryn Magee LabelleThe Huron-Wendat Feast of the Dead by Erik R. SeemanNatives and Newcomers: Canada’s Heroic Age Reconsidered by Bruce G. TriggerHuron Wendat: The Heritage of the Circle by Georges E. Sioui

A brief portrait of Hélène Boullé, whose life is often reduced to a line in Champlain’s story. This episode pauses to look at her on her own terms. Sources:Marie-Emmanuel Chabot, o.s.u., “BOULLÉ, HÉLÈNE, named de Saint-Augustin (Champlain),” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed October 26, 2025, https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/boulle_helene_1E.html.Raymonde Litalien, “CHAMPLAIN, SAMUEL DE,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed October 26, 2025, https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/champlain_samuel_de_1E.html.Landry, Marc-André. “L’histoire singulière d’Hélène Boullé : mariée à de Samuel de Champlain alors qu’elle n’avait que 12 ans.” Le Journal de Montréal, May 31, 2025. https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2025/05/31/lhistoire-singuliere-dhelene-boulle-mariee-a-de-samuel-de-champlain-alors-quelle-navait-que-12-ansFischer, David Hackett. Champlain’s Dream: The European Founding of North America. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008

In the 1630s, epidemics spread through Wendake and caused profound loss. This episode looks at how those outbreaks unfolded and how Wendat communities lived through that decade.Sources:The Children of Aateantsic: A History of the Huron People to 1660 by Bruce TriggerCrosses in the Sky: Jean de Brébeuf and the Destruction of Huronia by Mark BourrieDispersed But Not Destroyed by Kathryn Magee LabelleThe Jesuit Relations edited by Allan GreerJesuit Relations - online

The Huron Carol is the first Canadian Christmas Carol but the version we are most familiar with isn't the one that would have been sung by the early Wendat Christian. The original version written by Jean de Brébeuf has a much stronger connection to the Indigenous people he worked with, and when we listen to that version, we can hear not just a Christmas story, but an attempt to bridge two very different ways of understanding the world.1927 Version (the familiar hymn)Jean de Brebeuf's lyrics in EnglishJean de Brebeuf lyrics in Wendat/WyendotMi'kmaw VersionSources:Sanborn, Raymond Joseph. 2016. In Search of the Huron Carol (Jesous Ahatonnia): Canada’s First Christmas Carol. Doctoral thesis, Graduate Theological Foundation. epe.lac-bac.gc.cSteckley, John. 2014. “Huron Carol: a Canadian cultural chameleon.” British Journal of Canadian Studies 27, no. 1 (2014): 55–74. Jesuit Online Bibliography

Étienne Brûlé was one of the most important young men in the early days of New France. He acted as an interpreter and liaison between the Wendat Confederacy and the French traders and colonizers led by Samuel de Champlain. This was not an easy world to navigate and he made plenty of enemies. Eventually those enemies caught up with him and he suffered a fate he couldn't talk his way out of.Sources:Champlain's Dream by David Hackett FischerThe Edge of the Woods by Jon ParmenterThe Children of Aateantsic: A History of the Huron People to 1660 by Bruce TriggerNatives and Newcomers: Canada's "Heroic Age" Reconsidered by Bruce TriggerCrosses in the Sky: Jean de Brébeuf and the Destruction of Huronia by Mark BourrieFox, William. “It’s not personal, it’s strictly business”: Historical Accounts and Archaeological Evidence Concerning an Early-Seventeenth Century Partnership. Ontario History, vol. 115, no. 1, Spring 2023, pp. 99-113. Caloz, Danièle. “Étienne Brûlé: Paris Bourgeois.” Champlain Society Blog. 2014.https://champlainsociety.utppublishing.com/digital-content/champlain-blog/etienne-brule-paris-bourgeois-by-daniele-caloz.Caloz, Danièle . "Étienne Brûlé: A Wealthy Parisian Trader?." The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published February 03, 2015; Last Edited June 29, 2015.Olga Jurgens, “BRÛLÉ, ÉTIENNE,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed December 3, 2025, https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/brule_etienne_1E.html.