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Article: On Friendly Terms.(Explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier and Indians in Illinois)(Short Story)(Review)
- Article from:
- Cobblestone
- Article date:
- October 1, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Carus Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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"The Illinois, being brutish, wild and stupid...." That opinion of Indians was shared by many Europeans, but La Salle did not agree with their view. He wanted to befriend the Indians and learn from them.
In 1669, La Salle parted company with the Sulpician missionaries (see the article "La salle and the mississippi"), who took a different route in order to convert more Indians to Christianity. La Salle may have spent the next few years in the wilderness, learning the customs of the Indians and studying various Indian languages and dialects.
La Salle's respect for the Indians also helped him in the winter of 1679, when one of his expeditions needed food. ...