Armand de La Richardie
Encyclopedia
Armand de La Richardie was a French Roman Catholic missionary
in Canada.
Born at Périgueux
, he entered the Society of Jesus
at Bordeaux
, 4 October 1703, and in 1725 was sent to the Canada mission. He spent the two following years helping Father Pierre Daniel Richer at Lorette
, and studying the Huron language. In 1728 he went to Detroit to re-establish the long-interrupted mission to the dispersed Huron-Petuns in the West. Not a solitary professing Christian did he find, but among the aged not a few had been baptized
. The new Indian church, though "seventy cubit
s long" (105 ft?) was scarcely spacious enough to contain the fervent congregation of practising Hurons. During the night, 24–25 March 1746, the father was stricken with paralysis
, and on 29 July he was placed in an open canoe and thus conveyed to Quebec
.
In 1747 the Hurons insisted on his returning to restore tranquillity to their nation. The father had almost completely recovered from his palsy
, and willingly consented. He set out from Montreal
on 10 September, and reached Detroit on 20 October. From this date until 1751, leaving the loyal Hurons in the keeping of Father Potier at the Detroit village, he directed all his energies to reclaiming Nicolas Orontondi's band of insurgent Hurons. These had already in 1740, owing to a bloody feud with the Detroit Ottawa
s and to the reluctance, if not refusal, of Governor Beauharnais
to let the Hurons remove to Montreal
, sullenly left Detroit and settled at "Little Lake" (now Rondeau Harbour
) near Sandusky
. There they had been won over to the English cause, had openly revolted in 1747, and had murdered a party of Frenchmen. Early in the spring of 1748 Orontondi set fire to the fort and cabins at Sandusky, and withdrew to the White River
, not far from the junction of the Ohio
and Wabash River
s. Until his death, which occurred some time after September 1749, Orontondi continued to intrigue with the English emissaries, the Iroquois
, and the disaffected Miamis
. When there was no longer doubt of the renegade leader's demise, de La Richardie resolved on a final attempt at conciliation. He had already at intervals spent months at a time among the fugitives, and now in September 1750, at the peril of his life he started, with only three canoe men for the country of the "Nicolites" as they were then termed. The greater number remained obdurate. It is the descendants of the latter who in July 1843, removed from their lands at Upper Sandusky, Ohio, to beyond the Mississippi
, to occupy the Wyandot reserve in the extreme north-eastern part of Oklahoma
. The father's failing strength obliged his superiors to recall him to Quebec in 1751, and on 30 June he bade a final farewell to the Detroit mission. From the autumn of 1751 until his death he filled various offices in Quebec College. His Huron name was Ondechaouasti. He died at Quebec.
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
in Canada.
Born at Périgueux
Périgueux
Périgueux is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Périgueux is the prefecture of the department and the capital of the region...
, he entered the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
at Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, 4 October 1703, and in 1725 was sent to the Canada mission. He spent the two following years helping Father Pierre Daniel Richer at Lorette
Lorette, Manitoba
Lorette is a community in the Rural Municipality of Taché, in the province of Manitoba, Canada.- History :Lorette was founded as a French settlement along the Seine River. By 1878, Lorette was already appearing on Manitoba maps.- Transportation:...
, and studying the Huron language. In 1728 he went to Detroit to re-establish the long-interrupted mission to the dispersed Huron-Petuns in the West. Not a solitary professing Christian did he find, but among the aged not a few had been baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
. The new Indian church, though "seventy cubit
Cubit
The cubit is a traditional unit of length, based on the length of the forearm. Cubits of various lengths were employed in many parts of the world in Antiquity, in the Middle Ages and into Early Modern Times....
s long" (105 ft?) was scarcely spacious enough to contain the fervent congregation of practising Hurons. During the night, 24–25 March 1746, the father was stricken with paralysis
Paralysis
Paralysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. A study conducted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggests that about 1 in 50 people have been diagnosed...
, and on 29 July he was placed in an open canoe and thus conveyed to Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
.
In 1747 the Hurons insisted on his returning to restore tranquillity to their nation. The father had almost completely recovered from his palsy
Palsy
In medicine, palsy is the paralysis of a body part, often accompanied by loss of sensation and by uncontrolled body movements, such as shaking. Medical conditions involving palsy include cerebral palsy , brachial palsy , and Bell's palsy ....
, and willingly consented. He set out from Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
on 10 September, and reached Detroit on 20 October. From this date until 1751, leaving the loyal Hurons in the keeping of Father Potier at the Detroit village, he directed all his energies to reclaiming Nicolas Orontondi's band of insurgent Hurons. These had already in 1740, owing to a bloody feud with the Detroit Ottawa
Ottawa (tribe)
The Odawa or Ottawa, said to mean "traders," are a Native American and First Nations people. They are one of the Anishinaabeg, related to but distinct from the Ojibwe nation. Their original homelands are located on Manitoulin Island, near the northern shores of Lake Huron, on the Bruce Peninsula in...
s and to the reluctance, if not refusal, of Governor Beauharnais
Charles de la Boische, Marquis de Beauharnois
Charles de la Boische, Marquis de Beauharnois was a French Naval officer who served as Governor of New France from 1726 to 1746.Charles had two brothers who also impacted the history of New France...
to let the Hurons remove to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, sullenly left Detroit and settled at "Little Lake" (now Rondeau Harbour
Rondeau Provincial Park
Rondeau Provincial Park is a provincial park in southwestern Ontario, Canada, located on an 8 km long crescentic sand spit extending into Lake Erie. There are only two sand spits like this one in all of North America, one in Rondeau and one in Florida. Rondeau was established in 1894 as a response...
) near Sandusky
Sandusky
-Cities and towns:* Sandusky, Indiana* Sandusky, Michigan* Sandusky, Ohio* Sandusky, Wisconsin-Townships:* Sandusky Township, Crawford County, Ohio* Sandusky Township, Richland County, Ohio* Sandusky Township, Sandusky County, Ohio-People:...
. There they had been won over to the English cause, had openly revolted in 1747, and had murdered a party of Frenchmen. Early in the spring of 1748 Orontondi set fire to the fort and cabins at Sandusky, and withdrew to the White River
White River (Indiana)
The White River is a two-forked river that flows through central and southern Indiana and is the main tributary to the Wabash River. Via the west fork, considered to be the main stem of the river by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, the White River is long.-West Fork:The West Fork, long, is...
, not far from the junction of the Ohio
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
and Wabash River
Wabash River
The Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...
s. Until his death, which occurred some time after September 1749, Orontondi continued to intrigue with the English emissaries, the Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
, and the disaffected Miamis
Miami tribe
The Miami are a Native American nation originally found in what is now Indiana, southwest Michigan, and western Ohio. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma is the only federally recognized tribe of Miami Indians in the United States...
. When there was no longer doubt of the renegade leader's demise, de La Richardie resolved on a final attempt at conciliation. He had already at intervals spent months at a time among the fugitives, and now in September 1750, at the peril of his life he started, with only three canoe men for the country of the "Nicolites" as they were then termed. The greater number remained obdurate. It is the descendants of the latter who in July 1843, removed from their lands at Upper Sandusky, Ohio, to beyond the Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, to occupy the Wyandot reserve in the extreme north-eastern part of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. The father's failing strength obliged his superiors to recall him to Quebec in 1751, and on 30 June he bade a final farewell to the Detroit mission. From the autumn of 1751 until his death he filled various offices in Quebec College. His Huron name was Ondechaouasti. He died at Quebec.