Cliquez ici pour la version française

L’Interprète | The Interpreter 

An interprète, or interpreter, was a person who orally translated one language into another. In New France, French interpreters learned indigenous languages, with the aim of establishing links with aboriginal peoples, living with them and understanding their customs in order to act as intermediaries.

It is important to point out, however, that the first interpreters on this territory were the indigenous, and not by choice. As Jean Delisle bluntly states in the first line of his article entitled “The pioneers of interpretation in Canada”, this history of interpretation starts with a kidnapping. Two of Iroquois Chief Donnacona’s sons were captured by Jacques Cartier’s crew and taken to France in 1534 to learn French [other sources say Donnacona allowed his sons to go]. After learning the language for eight months, they were back in New France, where they translated French to Iroquois and vice versa. Cartier eventually took Donnacona and his sons back to France, where they likely died by 1541.

After an absence of about 60 years, the French returned to New France under the leadership of Samuel de Champlain. The fur trade was his primary focus. In order to trade with the indigenous people, Champlain knew that he needed men with a very unique set of skills: they had to be polyglots, commercial agents, diplomats, guides and explorers.

One of the better-known interpreters of New France was Étienne Brûlé, who was likely the first European explorer to venture beyond the St. Lawrence River westward, and live among the indigenous people. He travelled on many missions as an interpreter of the Huron language for Samuel de Champlain. Unfortunately, relations with the aboriginal people weren’t always harmonious for Brûlé, and they ultimately caused his downfall. In 1629, Brûlé escaped capture from the Seneca tribe, only to be killed and reportedly eaten by the Bear tribe. The reasons for his death are still shrouded in mystery.

Known persons who were interpreters of indigenous languages (with interpreted language in parenthesis, if known): Mathieu Amyot dit Villeneuve, Father Jacques Bigot (Abenaki), Charles Boquet, Étienne Brûlé (Huron, Algonquian), Joseph Chevalier (Outaouais), Father Pierre Cholenec (Huron, Mohawk, Algonquian), Guillaume Couture, Jean Crevier, Jean-Baptiste D'Estimauville, Philippe-Thomas de Joncaire (Iroquois), Pierre Deniau dit Destaillis, Adrien Du Chesne, Jacques Farly, Nicolas Ga(s)tineau, Jean Godefroy de Linctot, Jacques Godefroy de Vieuxpont, François Hertel de LaFresnière (Algonquian), Nicolas Ladouceur (Algonquian), Eustache Lambert (Huron), François Launiere (Abenaki), Pierre le Boulanger, Pierre Lefebvre (Abenaki), Thomas Lefebvre (Abenaki), Jean Legras, Olivier Letardif (Huron, Algonquian, Montagnais), François Marguerie de la Haye, Louis Maray de LaChauvignerie (Iroquois), Nicolas Marsollet dit Saint-Aignan (Algonquian, Montagnais), Jean-Baptiste Ménard (Algonquian), Maurice Ménard [Ojibwa?], François Michau de Michauville, Jean-Baptiste Morisseau (Huron & Iroquois), Mathieu Perrin (Iroquois), Jean Nicolet (Algonquian), Nicolas Perrot (Algonquian, others?], Nicolas Pilessy, Pierre-Esprit Radisson, Jean-Baptiste Rhéaume, Jean Richard, René Robineau de Portneuf (Abenaki), Zacharie Robutel, François Roy (Algonquian), Pierre Roy (Algonquian), Bernard Saint-Germain, Daniel Villeneuve

Sources:

• Jean Delisle, “Les pionniers de l'interprétation au Canada”, 1977, Meta, 22 (1), 5–14, digitized by Érudit (https://doi.org/10.7202/002529ar)

• Olga Jurgens, “BRÛLÉ, ÉTIENNE,” Dictionary of Canadian Biography (2003), vol. 1, University of Toronto/Université Laval, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/brule_etienne_1E.html.