L’histoire des rapports franco-autochtones entre 1534 et 1763 est marquée par une dynamique complexe d’échanges culturels, de transferts de savoirs et de reconfigurations identitaires. Sous le Régime Français, les pratiques d’imitation, d’adaptation et d’appropriation ont joué un rôle central dans les interactions entre Autochtones et Européens, mais aussi dans les relations intra-européennes et entre les différentes communautés des Premières Nations. Ces métissages peuvent être envisagés comme des stratégies de survie ou d’intégration. Ils se manifestent dans les domaines linguistique, religieux, artistique, juridique et politique, ainsi que dans diverses pratiques quotidiennes.

Franco-Indigenous Cultural Crossings (16th–18th Centuries)

Organized as part of the work of the Research Chair on Franco-Indigenous Relations in the Americas at York University

Montréal Friday, May 22, 2026

Argument

The history of Franco-Indigenous relations between 1534 and 1763 is marked by a complex dynamic of cultural exchanges, knowledge transfers, and identity reconfigurations. Under the French Regime, practices of imitation, adaptation, and appropriation played a central role in interactions between Indigenous peoples and Europeans, as well as in intra-European relations and in interactions among various First Nations communities.

These forms of cultural intermixing can be seen as strategies for survival or integration. They manifest in linguistic, religious, artistic, legal, and political domains, as well as in everyday practices. Far from being confined to a binary choice between imitation and resistance, Indigenous societies demonstrate a capacity for innovation and creative reappropriation of the visitor’s customs. In the context of colonization, imitation does not necessarily imply cultural adherence but may reflect a pragmatic strategy for survival or adaptation, facilitating trade or strengthening diplomatic alliances. While imitation could also be imposed by colonial authorities in a logic of conversion or assimilation, Indigenous peoples sometimes turned this logic to their advantage by adopting certain European codes only to subvert them. For example, mimicking European manners and dress could become a form of satire among First Nations.

Moreover, imitation often occurred – perhaps even more so, on the European side, as the visitors adapted to Indigenous rituals and embraced their customs. Europeans espoused and appropriated not only visual imagery but also gestures and language. Furthermore, French administrators did not hesitate to infuse their speech with numerous Amerindianisms, and many French individuals adopted Indigenous ways of life. Some historians refer to this as “going native.” The integration of Indigenous practices and knowledge into the daily lives of Europeans was both a matter of adaptation to the host land and a necessity for survival. The effects of this cultural syncretism were manifold, as the French incorporated Indigenous practices and knowledge into their colonial routines, along with a certain model of freedom. The syncretism of Euro-Indigenous practices had repercussions far beyond the Atlantic, influencing the French language and culture and Western thought. As Laurier Turgeon reminds us, cultures are not “closed entities” (1996: 21) but evolve through interference and crossings.

Thirty years after the publication of the collective volume Transferts culturels et métissages : Amérique/Europe XVI^e-XX^e siècle (Cultural Transfers and Blending: America/Europe 16th–20th Century), edited by Laurier Turgeon, Denys Delâge, and Réal Ouellet, the time has come to revisit these reflections in light of the latest archival discoveries and research advances. Organized as part of the work of the Research Chair on Franco-Indigenous Relations in the Americas, York University, this study day aims to explore the modalities and stakes of the multifaceted relationships woven between the French and Indigenous peoples in French America, highlighting cultural circulations and the questions they raise.

Possible topics for papers include:

• Religious syncretism: Indigenous reinterpretations of Christianity, adaptation of Catholic rituals to local customs
• Linguistic influences: Code mixing, pidgins, vocabulary interpenetration, appropriation of Indigenous expressions by Europeans, Francization of Indigenous peoples
• Narrative and discursive practices: Adaptation of European stories, narrative and discursive hybridizations, speech rituals
• Artistic and craft confluences: Adaptation of craft techniques, artifact hybridity, circulation of objects between cultures, cross-cultural theatricality and choreography
• Governance models and diplomatic protocols: Métis governance, appropriation of diplomatic customs and rituals
• Educational practices: Missionary schools, knowledge transmission, adaptation of pedagogical methods
• Hybrid identities: Coureurs des bois, interpreters, nomadic missionaries, Indigenous expatriates

Submission guidelines

Abstracts, accompanied by a brief biographical note, should be sent to both of the following addresses: mpioffet@yorku.ca and petermurvai@gmail.com

Deadline: November 30, 2025

Abstracts should be 150 to 200 words, and may be written in French or English.

Suggested bibliography

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Bouchard, Isabelle (2020). « Contacts et alliances : relations euro-autochtones aux XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles et les enjeux contemporains ». Recherches amérindiennes au Québec, 50 (3), p. 179-182.

Capanema, Silvia, Quentin Deluermoz, Michel Molin et Marie Redon (dir.) (2015). Du transfert culturel au métissage. Concepts, acteurs, pratiques. Rennes, Presses universitaires de Rennes.

Carayon, Céline (2019). Eloquence Embodied. Nonverbal Communication among French and Indigenous Peoples in the Americas. Williamsburg VA, Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture and Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina Press.

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Turgeon, Laurier et al. (dir.) (1996). Transferts culturels et métissages : Amérique/Europe XVIe-XXe siècle. Québec, Presses de l’Université Laval.

Warkentin, Germaine et Carolyn Podruchny (dir.) (2001), Decentring the Renaissance: Canada and Europe in Multidisciplinary Perspective 1500-1700. Toronto, University of Toronto Press.

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