Children and Childhood in Wendat Society, 1600-1700

This dissertation examines Wendat childhood in the 17th century. Contrary to European expectations, Wendat child-rearing practices emphasized independence, empowerment, and respect for all individuals, encouraging children to pay attention to and contribute to the safety, health, and well-being of their families and community. As a result, I argue that children and youths took on essential and important roles in Wendat society, including teaching, diplomacy, and spiritual leadership, often in ways that were distinct from that of adults. Youths were often at the heart of Wendat-settler relations in those roles, and helped greet, teach, and support European newcomers. Children and youths helped teach newcomers to speak and act like a Wendat, served as intermediaries and translators between Wendat and non-Wendat leadership, and took on important political and spiritual roles to foster long-term friendships with French visitors. Wendat children and youths were loved, respected, and treated as uniquely important contributors to Wendat society. Children were raised by the entire community, not just the biological parents, and everyone had a role in caring for the youth and preparing them for their life-long responsibilities to family and community. The care for children also extended to Wendat mortuary customs, as childrenespecially infantssometimes had unusual, age-determined burials. This dissertation emphasizes a biographical case study approach, focusing on what the stories of individuals can tell us about the society as a whole. In looking for the stories of individuals, it is apparent that personhood and personal agency were important factors in how different individuals responded to the widespread changes in Wendat society in the wake of French arrival to the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence regions. This dissertation also takes an interdisciplinary and ethnohistorical approach, using archaeological, linguistic, and anthropological sources to complement the analysis of historical documents. Children often fulfilled roles that were different from, and inappropriate for, adults, and their roles were often complimentary to those of child-bearing adults and Elders. For a more complete understanding of 17th century Wendat society, this dissertation argues age must be considered as an important category of analysis.