Continuing The Lecture Series with Dr. Brandão!

Hello Good People! 

My name is Courtney, and I am taking on the field school this summer! I recently graduated from WMU with my second bachelor’s degree majoring in Anthropology with a minor in Biology. My interests include forensic anthropology/bioarchaeology, so a little different from the historical and public archaeology that this field school does, but this is shaping up to be a great experience! After the field school, I am planning on applying to grad schools and furthering my education in anthropology.

This past Wednesday, as part of the summer lecture series through the Niles District Library, Dr. José António Brandão presented about the Jesuits and their work at Fort St. Joseph with Dr. Michael Nassaney moderating. Dr. Brandão, of the history department at Western Michigan University, presented his paper, co-authored by Dr. Nassaney, The Jesuits at Fort St. Joseph in Southwest Michigan (2021). Some of the main points of Dr. Brandão’s lecture were how the Jesuits came to settle in the St. Joseph River area, their work in converting Native Americans to Catholicism, and the archaeological evidence of religious activity in the area.

The Jesuits came to the St. Joseph River area for the purpose of converting the Native population to Catholicism. Due to the trade accessibility and large amount of individuals in the area of the St. Joseph River, the French crown allowed the Jesuits to build a house and chapel in the mid-to-late 1680’s. Though the missionaries' documents are incomplete, we know that the Jesuits were not a constant presence at the Fort. Based on the baptismal register from the Fort, we know that the Jesuits came to perform baptisms, marriages, and funeral rites. They would also focus on conversions. The missionaries did face some challenges converting Native Americans to Catholicism due to the differing religious and cultural beliefs. The Jesuits had some success, but there was still a large part of the population that did not welcome conversion. Through pressure and persistence, some of the indigenous people in the area were converted. The cultural and religious practices that did not refute Catholic beliefs were left alone, which helped the case for further conversion and education on the tenets of the Catholic faith.  

Materials found at the site such as religious medallions, crosses, and crucifixes were used to aid in the conversion of Native peoples. These visual aids were significant in teaching the converted about the central tenets of Catholicism, with the medallions typically depicting the crucifixion, the holy family, and other Jesuit images. The crosses and crucifixes were used in similar ways. Crosses were more common and made of either copper alloy or silver (the silver crosses being one of the ways we can date the end of the French occupation of the fort). 

Another very interesting piece of religious material found at the fort was part of a cilice, an object used for self-mortification to imitate the suffering of Jesus Christ. Though the owner is unknown, we can infer that whoever wore it was a devout Christian, using it for themselves without being visible to the public. Based on the religious items recovered, we can infer that there was sincerity in religious beliefs, at least somewhat.       

Dr. Brandão’s presentation was a great overview of the history of the Jesuit’s, their work to convert the Native population to Catholicism, and religion at Fort St. Joseph. Be sure to catch the third lecture of the series this Wednesday, July 21st at 7pm from Robert Meyers. The lecture series is almost over, so be sure to tune into the zoom call!

Source: Brandão, J. A., & Nassaney, M. S. (2021). The Jesuits at Fort St. Joseph in Southwest Michigan. Journal of Jesuit Studies, 8(3), 355–384. https://doi.org/10.1163/22141332-0803p002