Les voyes de douceur et d'insinuation: French-Amerindian policy on New France's western frontier, 1703-1725.

Abstract

During the term of Philippe de Rigaud de Vaudreuil as governor of New France (1703-1725), diplomacy involving the French and the Amerindian nations to the west of Montreal was conducted in accordance with diplomatic protocols of Amerindian origin. Diplomatic relations between the Amerindians and the French were predicated on the basis of a fictive kinship relationship, wherein the French governor assumed the Amerindian title Onontio and the role of a "father" to his Amerindian "children." The forum for formal intercultural encounters was the council, an Amerindian institution that consisted of a structured dialogue between two parties, punctuated by the exchange of validating gifts. The diplomatic culture of the French made few inroads into the intercultural diplomacy of the period. Neither the Amerindian nor the French diplomats of the period acted as comprehensive cultural mediators during diplomatic encounters. Vaudreuil's corps of diplomatic agents was largely made up of military officers, seconded by interpreters. All of these agents were ethnic Frenchmen, although many interpreters benefited from intermarriage with synethnic and Amerindian women. Few agents cultivated long-term ties with Amerindian groups, or mastered Amerindian languages; those that did were to be found in the lower ranks of colonial society. In general, French agents were primarily interested in exploiting diplomatic ties with Amerindians in order to advance both French interests and their personal careers. French diplomatic agents adopted and learned to manipulate selected Amerindian diplomatic protocols in order to fulfill these goals. Although the French made extensive cultural adaptations in the realm of diplomacy, their motives were pragmatic, and their acculturation limited. The value and meaning with which they invested these alien diplomatic institutions were different form those the Amerindians accorded to the same forms. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)