Maple History: A Canadian History Podcast

Let's take a quick look at what was happening in Acadia after the feud between D'Aulney and La Tour ended. Sources: A Great and Noble Scheme by John Mack Faragher The Aboiteau in Acadia (info about the unique dike system used in Acadian) Get extra content on Patreon or Substack Follow me on TikTok @MapleHistoryPod Follow me on BlueSky @MapleHistoryPod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New France was slowly attracting colonists in 1660 but one of the young women who came to the colony in those early days soon became tormented by demons set upon her by a jilted suitor. There were many people who tried to help her but the successful exorcist may come as a surprise. Sources: The Possession of Barbe Hallay: Diabolical Arts and Daily Life in Early Canada by Mairi Cowan Marie-Emmanuel Chabot, o.s.u., “GUYART, MARIE, named de l’Incarnation (Martin),” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography , vol. 1, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed July 1, 2026, https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/guyart_marie_1E.html. Mary Dunn, "Sixteen and Possessed," Spiritus: A Journal of Christian Spirituality 22, no. 2 (Fall 2022): 232-251. Get extra content on Patreon or Substack Follow me on TikTok @MapleHistoryPod Follow me on BlueSky @MapleHistoryPod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1636 the last great Wendat Feast of the Dead was held in what is now Ontario. The Wendat Confederacy only had a few years left before the devastation of the diseases brought by European colonizers and the war with the Haudenosaunee brought the Wendat to their knees. The Jesuit priest, Jean de Brebeuf recorded the events and his admiration for the ritual in the Jesuit Relations which is where we get much of the information about this particular ceremony and a greater insight into the Wendat world as it was on the precipice of disaster. This episode is going out early to subscribers and will be out next week to regular listeners. Sources: The Children of Aateantsic: A History of the Huron People to 1660 by Bruce Trigger Huron Wendat: The Heritage of the Circle by Georges E. Sioui The Huron-Wendat Feast of the Dead: Indian-European Encounters in Early North America by Erik R. Seeman Get extra content on Patreon or Substack Follow me on TikTok @MapleHistoryPod Follow me on BlueSky @MapleHistoryPod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Isola by Allegra Goodman Worth Reading? - Reese Witherspoon Book Club Review I told the story of Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval and how she was marooned on the Isle of Demons off the coast of Quebec in 1541. Isola is a fictionalized version of that story by Allegra Goodman and in this bonus episode I let you know if it is worth a read. If you have read the book, let me know if you agree with my assessment. Did you feel the same way or do you think I'm way off the mark? Get extra content on Patreon or Substack Follow me on TikTok @MapleHistoryPod Follow me on BlueSky @MapleHistoryPod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam Dollard des Ormeaux’s last stand at Long Sault became one of New France’s most enduring legends but the real battle was far messier. This week, I look at what actually happened at Long Sault, why the French lost so badly, and how a military disaster became a foundational myth. The Children of Aateantsic: A History of the Huron People to 1660 by Bruce Trigger Natives and Newcomers: Canada's Heroic Age Reconsidered by Bruce Trigger Dispersed But Not Destroyed by Kathryn Magee Labelle Get extra content on Patreon or Substack Follow me on TikTok @MapleHistoryPod Follow me on BlueSky @MapleHistoryPod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What made New France so hard to establish? A look at the realities of early settlement and slow colonial growth. Fischer, David Hackett. Champlain’s Dream: The European Founding of North America. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008 Jacques Mathieu, “HÉBERT, LOUIS,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography , vol. 1, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed April 15, 2026, https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/hebert_louis_1E.html. Ethel M. G. Bennett, “HÉBERT, GUILLEMETTE (Couillard de Lespinay),” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography , vol. 1, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed April 15, 2026, https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/hebert_guillemette_1E.html. Get extra content on Patreon or Substack Follow me on TikTok @MapleHistoryPod Follow me on BlueSky @MapleHistoryPod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Jesuit priest Father Jean de Brebeuf spend over 20 years in Wendake and New France with a deep desire to suffer for the glory of God. Saving souls and martyrdom were never far from his mind. When the Haudenosaunee made there large scale attack in 1649 martyrdom also came knocking for Jean de Brebeuf. Or was it martyrdom at all? ****Very graphic descriptions of torture in this one - I didn't leave anything out Sources: Crosses in the Sky: Jean de Brébeuf and the Destruction of Huronia by Mark Bourrie The Children of Aateantsic: A History of the Huron People to 1660 by Bruce Trigger The Jesuit Relations: A Biography by Micah True Carson, James Taylor. “ Brébeuf Was Never Martyred: Reimagining the Life and Death of Canada's First Saint .” Canadian Historical Review 97, no. 2 (June 2016): 222-243. utppublishing.com Get extra content on Patreon or Substack Follow me on TikTok @MapleHistoryPod Follow me on BlueSky @MapleHistoryPod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

March 16, 1649 was a fateful day for the Wendat Confederacy. An attack by the Haudenosaunee led to difficult decisions needing to be made for the survival of the Wendat people. Sources The Children of Aateantsic: A History of the Huron People to 1660 by Bruce Trigger Natives and Newcomers: Canada's Heroic Age Reconsidered by Bruce Trigger Dispersed But Not Destroyed by Kathryn Magee Labelle Blackhawk, Ned. “The Destruction of Wendake (Huronia), 1647–1652.” In The Cambridge World History of Genocide , edited by Ned Blackhawk, Ben Kiernan, Benjamin Madley, and Rebe Taylor, 243–266. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2023. Blick, Jeffrey P. “ The Iroquois practice of genocidal warfare (1534–1787). ” Journal of Genocide Research 3, no. 3 (2001): 405–429. Otterbein, Keith F. “Huron vs. Iroquois: A Case Study in Inter-Tribal Warfare.” Ethnohistory 26, no. 2 (Spring 1979): 141–152. Magee, Kathryn. “They Are the Life of the Nation: Women and War in Traditional Nadouek Society.” The Canadian Journal of Native Studies 28, no. 1 (2008): 119–138. Get extra content on Patreon or Substack Follow me on TikTok @MapleHistoryPod Follow me on BlueSky @MapleHistoryPod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A fragile peace fails and the destruction of the Wendat Confederacy begins. In this episode, we cover the legendary battles, the winter assault on St. Ignace and St. Louis, and the catastrophic losses that sent thousands fleeing to Ste. Marie. Part One of a two-part series. Sources The Children of Aateantsic: A History of the Huron People to 1660 by Bruce Trigger Dispersed But Not Destroyed by Kathryn Magee Labelle Natives and Newcomers: Canada's Heroic Age Reconsidered by Bruce Trigger Blick, Jeffrey P. “ The Iroquois practice of genocidal warfare (1534–1787). ” Journal of Genocide Research 3, no. 3 (2001): 405–429. Otterbein, Keith F. “Huron vs. Iroquois: A Case Study in Inter-Tribal Warfare.” Ethnohistory 26, no. 2 (Spring 1979): 141–152. Magee, Kathryn. “They Are the Life of the Nation: Women and War in Traditional Nadouek Society.” The Canadian Journal of Native Studies 28, no. 1 (2008): 119–138. Get extra content on Patreon or Substack Follow me on TikTok @MapleHistoryPod Follow me on BlueSky @MapleHistoryPod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The epidemics have ravaged both the Wendat and the Haudenosaunee but they are still competing in trade with the Europeans to get a hold of coveted goods. This leads to increasing violence and changes in warfare practices. Sources The Children of Aateantsic: A History of the Huron People to 1660 by Bruce Trigger Dispersed But Not Destroyed by Kathryn Magee Labelle The Ambiguous Indigenous Empire but Francis Jennings Natives and Newcomers: Canada's Heroic Age Reconsidered by Bruce Trigger Blackhawk, Ned. “The Destruction of Wendake (Huronia), 1647–1652.” In The Cambridge World History of Genocide , edited by Ned Blackhawk, Ben Kiernan, Benjamin Madley, and Rebe Taylor, 243–266. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2023. Blick, Jeffrey P. “ The Iroquois practice of genocidal warfare (1534–1787). ” Journal of Genocide Research 3 , no. 3 (2001): 405–429. Get extra content on Patreon or Substack Follow me on TikTok @MapleHistoryPod Follow me on BlueSky @MapleHistoryPod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Trigger Crosses in the Sky: Jean de Brébeuf and the Destruction of Huronia by Mark Bourrie Dispersed But Not Destroyed by Kathryn Magee Labelle The Huron-Wendat Feast of the Dead by Erik R. Seeman Natives and Newcomers: Canada’s Heroic Age Reconsidered by Bruce G. Trigger Huron Wendat: The Heritage of the Circle by Georges E. Sioui Get extra content on Patreon or Substack Follow me on TikTok @MapleHistoryPod Follow me on BlueSky @MapleHistoryPod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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-ans Fischer, David Hackett. Champlain’s Dream: The European Founding of North America. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008 Get extra content on Patreon or Substack Follow me on TikTok @MapleHistoryPod Follow me on BlueSky @MapleHistoryPod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get extra content on Patreon or Substack Follow me on TikTok @MapleHistoryPod Follow me on BlueSky @MapleHistoryPod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Trigger Crosses in the Sky: Jean de Brébeuf and the Destruction of Huronia by Mark Bourrie Dispersed But Not Destroyed by Kathryn Magee Labelle The Jesuit Relations edited by Allan Greer Jesuit Relations - online Get extra content on Patreon or Substack Follow me on TikTok @MapleHistoryPod Follow me on BlueSky @MapleHistoryPod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 English Jean de Brebeuf lyrics in Wendat/Wyendot Mi'kmaw Version Sources: 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.c Steckley, John. 2014. “Huron Carol: a Canadian cultural chameleon.” British Journal of Canadian Studies 27, no. 1 (2014): 55–74. Jesuit Online Bibliography Get extra content on Patreon or Substack Follow me on TikTok @MapleHistoryPod Follow me on BlueSky @MapleHistoryPod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Fischer The Edge of the Woods by Jon Parmenter The Children of Aateantsic: A History of the Huron People to 1660 by Bruce Trigger Natives and Newcomers: Canada's "Heroic Age" Reconsidered by Bruce Trigger Crosses in the Sky: Jean de Brébeuf and the Destruction of Huronia by Mark Bourrie Fox, 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. Get extra content on Patreon or Substack Follow me on TikTok @MapleHistoryPod Follow me on BlueSky @MapleHistoryPod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It is a battle for survival between D'Aulnay's forces and Françoise and La Tour's embattled garrison. This episode is a story of betrayal, bravery, and ambition that brings us an early Canadian heroine we will never forget. Books: Faragher, John Mack. A Great and Noble Scheme: The Tragic Story of the Expulsion of the French Acadians from Their American Homeland. New York: W. W. Norton, 2005. MacDonald, M. A. Fortune and La Tour: The Civil War in Acadia. Agincourt, ON: Methuen Publications, 1983. Trudel, Marcel. The Beginnings of New France, 1524–1663. Translated by Patricia Claxton. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1973. Magazine Articles: Poizner, Susan. “The Lioness of Acadia.” The Beaver (Canada’s History Magazine), February–March 2007, 36–41. Pelchat, André. “Private War Over Acadia.” Beaver (Canada’s History) 80, no. 6 (December 2000–January 2001): 8–11. Journal Article: Henneton, Lauric. “‘Fear of Popish Leagues’: Religious Identities and the Conduct of Frontier Diplomacy in Mid-17th-Century Northeastern America.” New England Quarterly 89, no. 3 (September 2016): 356–83. Dictionary of Canadian Biography Entries: Ryder, Huia, and ———. “Biencourt de Saint-Just, Charles de.” In Dictionary of Canadian Biography , vol. 1. University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–. Accessed November 18, 2025. https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/biencourt_de_saint_just_charles_de_1E.html . MacBeath, George. “Jacquelin, Françoise (Françoise-Marie).” In Dictionary of Canadian Biography , vol. 1. University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–. Accessed November 18, 2025. https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/jacquelin_francoise_marie_1E.html . Baudry, René. “Menou d’Aulnay, Charles de.” In Dictionary of Canadian Biography , vol. 1. University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–. Accessed November 18, 2025. https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/menou_d_aulnay_charles_de_1E.html . Get extra content on Patreon or Substack Follow me on TikTok @MapleHistoryPod Follow me on BlueSky @MapleHistoryPod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Charles St Etienne de La Tour had lived in Acadia since he was a teenager and had been working to build this nascent French colony when another man, Charles de Menou d'Aulnay Charnize came with ambitions and an ego. These rival ambitions would slowly grow into full antagonism and then violence. Books: Faragher, John Mack. A Great and Noble Scheme: The Tragic Story of the Expulsion of the French Acadians from Their American Homeland. New York: W. W. Norton, 2005. MacDonald, M. A. Fortune and La Tour: The Civil War in Acadia. Agincourt, ON: Methuen Publications, 1983. Trudel, Marcel. The Beginnings of New France, 1524–1663. Translated by Patricia Claxton. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1973. Magazine Articles: Poizner, Susan. “The Lioness of Acadia.” The Beaver (Canada’s History Magazine), February–March 2007, 36–41. Pelchat, André. “Private War Over Acadia.” Beaver (Canada’s History) 80, no. 6 (December 2000–January 2001): 8–11. Journal Article: Henneton, Lauric. “‘Fear of Popish Leagues’: Religious Identities and the Conduct of Frontier Diplomacy in Mid-17th-Century Northeastern America.” New England Quarterly 89, no. 3 (September 2016): 356–83. Dictionary of Canadian Biography Entries: Ryder, Huia, and ———. “Biencourt de Saint-Just, Charles de.” In Dictionary of Canadian Biography , vol. 1. University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–. Accessed November 18, 2025. https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/biencourt_de_saint_just_charles_de_1E.html . MacBeath, George. “Jacquelin, Françoise (Françoise-Marie).” In Dictionary of Canadian Biography , vol. 1. University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–. Accessed November 18, 2025. https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/jacquelin_francoise_marie_1E.html . Baudry, René. “Menou d’Aulnay, Charles de.” In Dictionary of Canadian Biography , vol. 1. University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–. Accessed November 18, 2025. https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/menou_d_aulnay_charles_de_1E.html . Get extra content on Patreon or Substack Follow me on TikTok @MapleHistoryPod Follow me on BlueSky @MapleHistoryPod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The English had made progress with colonization in North America but they had eyes on Quebec too. In 1629 they made their move and things went terribly for the French colonists and Champlain over the next few years. Sources: Champlain's Dream by David Hackett Fischer The Children of Aateantsic: A History of the Huron People to 1660 by Bruce Trigger Natives and Newcomers: Canada's "Heroic Age" Reconsidered by Bruce Trigger Crosses in the Sky: Jean de Brébeuf and the Destruction of Huronia by Mark Bourrie A Great and Noble Scheme by John Mack Faragher Get extra content on Patreon or Substack Follow me on TikTok @MapleHistoryPod Follow me on BlueSky @MapleHistoryPod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Jesuits came to Quebec on a mission in 1625 to save souls and not to make friends. Champlain's Dream by David Hackett Fischer The Children of Aateantsic: A History of the Huron People to 1660 by Bruce Trigger Natives and Newcomers: Canada's "Heroic Age" Reconsidered by Bruce Trigger Huron Wendat: The Heritage of the Circle by George E. Sioui The Jesuit Relations: Natives and Missionaries in Seventeenth-Century North America - edited with an introduction by Allan Greer The Jesuit Relations: A Biography by Micah True Crosses in the Sky: Jean de Brébeuf and the Destruction of Huronia by Mark Bourrie Get extra content on Patreon or Substack Follow me on TikTok @MapleHistoryPod Follow me on BlueSky @MapleHistoryPod.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.