selected letters of a. m. a. blanchet, bishop of walla walla and nesqualy (1846-1879)

7/30/2019 Selected Letters of A. M. A. Blanchet, Bishop of Walla Walla and Nesqualy (1846-1879)

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Edited by

ROBERTA STRINGHAM BROWNand

PATRICIA OCONNELL KILLEN

Selected Letters of

A. M. A. B L A N C H E T

Bishop of Walla Walla & Nesqualy

1 8 4 6 1 8 7 9


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Sc L f A. M. A. Bc


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Edited by

Roberta Stringham Brown

and Patricia OConnell Killen

Translated by

Roberta Stringham Brown

U ni v er si t y o Washington Pre ss

Seattle and London

Selected Letters o

A. M. A. B L A N C H E T

Bishop o Walla Walla & Nesqualy

1 8 4 6 1 8 7 9


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Selected Letters of A.M.A. Blanchet, Bishop of Walla Walla and Nesqualy (1846-1879) / edited

by Roberta Stringham Brown and Patricia OConnell Killen ; translated by Roberta Stringham

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I 978-0-295-99263-1 (ck)

1. Blanchet, Augustine Magloire Alexander, 17971887Correspondence. 2. Catholic Church

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Preace ix

Acknowledgments xv

uc 3

etter 1. C Dufc-D, f N-Dm Vc, , Fu 25, 1847 | 13

etter 2. F N Bc, Acp f O C,Dcm 12, 1847 | 16

etter 3. C Guu, Vc-G, Sup, C fS.-A---c, [Ju] 1848 | 25

etter 4. Mm f Cuc f Sc f p- f F, L , [Mc] 1848 | 31

etter 5. L f m Bp f Rqu f Bp

Dm, [Mc 1848] | 34etter 6. Jm Buc, Sc f S, Mc 31, 1848 | 37

etter 7. Jm Buc, Sc f S, Ap 1, 1848 | 43

etter 8. G A, G, Gm fO, Ap 29, 1848 | 45

etter 9. J-C c, Bp f Mp, Cjuf Dc f M, Ju 27,1849 | 48

etter 10. Mm f Cuc f Sc f p- f F, L , Ju 14, 1849 | 60

etter 11. p u X, Nm 1, 1849 | 67

etter 12. c Bu, Bp f M,Fu 6, 1850 | 72

etter 13. J. B. A. Bu, Vc-G, Mc 9, 1850 | 80

etter 14. c Bu, Bp f M,

Nm 22, 1850 | 83


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illstration allery 1 88

etter 15. c S, G f ,Oc 20, 1854 | 104

etter 16. J D, Sc f , C, D.C.,Dcm 28, 1854 | 108

etter 17. m Lc, M, Cwz M,M 15, 1855 | 110

etter 18. Mc B, Cwz M, M 15, 1855 | 114

etter 19. Nc C, Sc f Ju, Ap 26, 1856 | 117

etter 20. Dc f Sc f p f F, , M 15, 1857 | 120

etter 21. m C, Sup, S f c, M,Ju 16, 1857 | 124

etter 22. m Ac, .S. Am S, F Scm,.., Ju 28, 1857 | 130

etter 23. u-Cm Cu, O f M mmcu,Mc 12, 1860 | 133

etter 24 . w R. G, Sup f A f

O , Oc 7, 1860 | 138etter 25. A McL, Mc 6, 1862 | 143

etter 26. C Cuc f Sc f p f F, Ap 15, 1862 | 146

etter 27. Mj kLu, Cmm Oc, FVcu, M 22, 1862 | 149

etter 28. C B Sm, Sc f , ,D.C., Ju 16, 1862 | 151

etter 29. Au Ju, M f ,Nm 6, 1862 | 157

etter 30. J. B. A. Bu, Vc-G, Mc 20, 1863 | 161

illstration allery 2 166

etter 31. Dc f Lp Sc,Ju 25, 1864 | 185

etter 32. S Jp f Sc H, Sup,Fu 11, 1864 | 190


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etter 33. C V, M, Ju 23, 1864 | 194

etter 34. Fc X f, M,Ju 24, 1864 | 198

etter 35. Scu Ru C f Dc,Ju 8, 1867 | 201

etter 36. J-Bp Auu B, M,Auu 31, 1867 | 203

etter 37. c Bu, Bp f M,Oc 10, 1867 | 206

etter 38. Fc X f, M,Oc 14, 1867 | 212

etter 39. J. B. A. Bu, Vc-G,Ju 20, 1868 | 214

etter 40. D Sm, Sc f Ju, Fu 15, 1871 | 216

etter 41. Jm R B, Acp f Bm,Ju 15, 1873 | 220

etter 42. C S, Bp f Vcu ,Dcm 30, 1873 | 223

etter 43. J. B. A. Bu, Vc-G,Nm 24, 1874 | 226

etter 44. c Bu, Bp f M,Ju 17, 1875 | 230

etter 45. H mc C A Fc, fc f Sc C f p f F,Ju 9, 1876 | 233

General Chronology 240

Selected Bibliography 247

Patrons 257

Index 258


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fc

More than a decade ago, while doing research in the Archives of the Arch-

diocese of Seattle, we rst encountered a set of ve leather-bound letterbooks

that had laid largely untouched for a century and a half. Penned in ornate

nineteenth-century scrawl, mostly in French with occasional Latin or Eng-

lish, their 1,164 pages contain copies of outbound letters that tell of the strug-

gles, setbacks, and successes of Washingtons rst Roman Catholic bishop,

Auu M Ax (A. M. A.) Bc. Fm u pu

f k, w u.

k f m cp f , G c S,

w f fu , Bp A. M. A. Bc

spent over three decades, as the longest serving institutional leader in a single

role from the end of the United States and Great Britains joint occupancy

in 1846through most of Washingtons territorial period. Stevens saw histime in Washington as preparatory to roles on a national stage; Blanchetsappointment was for life. Stevens viewed his responsibilities through the lens

f f S. A p

in a transnational organization, Blanchet perceived his charge through the

travails of indigenous residents and the tousle of ordinary newcomers, includ-

mf, w f ju u m f c f N

America. e correspondence recorded on these pages reveals, in ways that

other leaders exchanges do not, the cosmopolitan reality of Washington Ter-

ritory, where English was a minority-spoken language well into the latter halfof the nineteenth century. We knew it was time for these letters to be made

w uc.

And so began our work of collecting, translating, and researching the

m u c k, f- f wc

we have selected for this volume. Our diering backgrounds contributed

to a fruitful collaboration. A seventeenth-century French literature special-

ist concentrating on womens spirituality and the history of New France,

Roberta has turned to researching French Canadian presence in the Pacic

Nw. A f pjc, cuc c c

x


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x fc

Montreal, Quebec, Paris, and Lyons. She translated the corpus of Blanchet

letters into English and subsequently wrote introductions and annotated a

portion of the selected letters. Patricia is an American church historian whose

c puc fcu cc Nw. mk

c f f um, c xm -tions as she scrutinized the ways the letters both chronicled and challenged

common narratives. She conducted research in Canada and in regional

archives and also wrote a portion of the introductions and annotations for

um. u w f xc , w xp

the many ways the letters expand on and oer alternative narratives of Wash-

.

Our hope for readers of this book: that they come away with a deeper

appreciation for Washingtons territorial history as, ultimately, a moving

mosaic of peoples representing multiple ethnicities, cultures, and convic-

. pp m w u c m

were being drastically remodeled by events that were oen beyond their

control. Confronted by seemingly endless change and challenge, the indi-

u cmmu w m w pcu-

lar cultural resourcesincluding religious and spiritual traditionsinner

c, c, fm c , c c, u .

e goal of making those people and their lives accessible to readers shapes

ucu f um. uc pc c p-

vide historical background and context and relate what happened between

x uf f Bc pcpc. um cmpx f Bc p ppc-

tives from which he wrote to a widely dispersed group of recipients. To his

friend Ignace Bourget, Blanchet was a fellow French Canadian Catholic oen

at odds with both British and American colonial interests. To U.S. govern-

ment powers, he was a fellow Euro-American colonist. To the pope, he was

an obedient and devoted bishop. Compressing the introductions to provide

cku, , pc w fw pp

m ck c m f fm w f c

. um c p ucu f fw


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fc x

unfolding story of the bishops life and episcopacy, placing it within a broader

c cx.

Following each letter are extensive explanatory notes and references for

the reader who wishes to pursue the topics further. In the interest of space,

w m p ccstandard references. An unnumbered source annotation at the end of each

c pm c uc w u f x f

; fw uc f , cp, umm wc

we referred. Full titles and archival locations of our main source for each,

including depositories in the United States, Canada, and Europe, are listed

p.

In the interest of authenticity, the ve selected letters written in English

puc w f w. f c w w

Fc w--cu , u -

lations preserve the bishops register and tone, his sentence and paragraph

, , w f c w uc f ,

his punctuation, capitalization, and complimentary closes. e translations

retain French phonetic spellings of geographical names that did not have a

uniform spelling at the time the letters were written, such as Wallametfor

Willamette, p w ufm the time: Nesqualyfor the Catholic diocese of that name, but Nisquallyfor

the Indians, the river along which they still live, and the fort, and Yakima

f , , c, u Yakama f

Indian nation living in the area. Following contemporary U.S. practice, we

have opted for uniform spellings for the names of individual Indians, and

mp c m Indian. F c ccuc, w

French spellings of persons from French Canada and French-speaking Eu-

rope, with the exception of a few priests who are more widely known todayby the English spelling of their names. e titlesMr(Master)andMonsieur

(S), fqu u m f cu c (

u ), pc m m, Father. p

cc xp ppp pc

texts of the letters themselves in brackets. Any use of parentheses in the letters

p mf pp x.


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x fc

G cc p f , ujc,

motivations and actions of the people who emerge from them, it is not sur-

prising that we confronted sensitive topicstopics that are the subject of

lively debates among contemporary interpreters. Our approach to three in

particular merits a few words: the use of ethnic labels; the rapprochementbetween missionaries and Indians; and the relation between our own per-

pc xp .

Francophone descendants of the colonizers of New France (15341760),

including those living in the Northwest, have been known and have described

themselves by four dierent labels, Canadien, mtis (andMtis), French Cana-

dian, Qubcois, u c p pc .

e Iroquois term, Canadien, is believed to have been rst used by Jacques

Cartier in 1535, to refer to the Iroquois living in the St. Lawrence Valley. Dur-

m w G B f Fc

region of Canada into Upper Canada (the future Ontario) and Lower Canada

(the future province of Quebec) in 1791 and the erection of the Dominion

of Canada (uniting Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia) in

1867, the term French Canadian (ranco-canadien) gradually began to be

used by those with a growing sense of their ethnic distinctiveness (French

speaking, Roman Catholic, oen of Latin rather than Anglo descent). With Qu Ru f 1960 pp um m Qubcois.

roughout the majority of his letters, Blanchet refers to himself and his

Fc-pk cmp Canadien. c fm cx f

letters that in doing so, he is speaking of these and not of all peoples within

the political borders of todays Canada. To make clear this historical ethnic

distinction, we have retained, without italics or quotation marks, his use of

Canadien , ppp, u .

Another ethnic label that appears in the letters, mtis (mtisse), is theFrench generic term for persons of any mixed racial descent. Nineteenth-

century francophone correspondents both north and south of the forty-ninth

parallel employed this term, among others, for persons of indigenous (fre-

qu C, Ojw, Cppw) up . H

in the region well before the inux of United States emigrants, the mtis

helped found and maintain nineteenth-century Roman Catholic mission

settlements in the Pacic Northwest. Later francophone immigrants from

eastern Canada were drawn to locales such as Vancouver and Walla Walla

w w cu f fcp . f


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fc x

the inhabitants of these settlements, Blanchet and fellow clerics generally use

the traditional and inclusive term of the time, Canadien. On the occasions

when the clerics speak of both Canadiens and mtis living in a particular

m, w w m w, c f

employ the terms in an overlapping sense or in reference to two groups ofindividuals. We also have retained the clerics use of the lowercase m, in

mtis, both for historical accuracy and to distinguish them (many of whom

for various reasons did not overtly identify themselves as such) from Canadas

fMtis, w cp, f f-pcm

politically recognized mixed-heritage inhabitants of the initial province of

M.

e second sensitive and contested topic, the interaction between Indi-

ans and missionaries, is central to the letters. Quite distinct Indian groups

with their own cultures lived within the geographical area that is the sub-

ject of this book. eir responses to Christian evangelization were shaped

by a variety of factors, including individual experiences mediated through

w u , u f pu pw, m

pc , m f m w

whom they interacted. ose missionaries we meet through the letters also

were individuals. ey were shaped by their cultural backgrounds, includ- u p pu xpc, pp

and situations they encountered. It is impossible to know the missionaries

most deeply held convictions. A careful reading of the letters supports the

conclusion that they were assailed by moments of doubt, that they sometimes

were inuenced by indigenous beliefs and the spiritual practices of those with

whom they lived, and that their perspectives on Indians, and on their roles

m, m.

Not only are the deepest beliefs of these individuals, be they Indians orEuro-Americans, elusive to the interpreter, the outward signs of religious

devotion they chose to display oen had multiple meanings as well. Chris-

tian doctrines, symbols, practices, and objects such as vestments or medals

m w m f w xp f cz, m-

times deliberately and sometimes unintentionally; yet they also, by their very

nature, served as powerful means of subversion. ey were equally as capable

f p c w cmpc. Hc, w c

could be a sign of submission and assimilation to white, Christian domina-

tion, it also could signal political, if not necessarily, religious opposition.


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x fc

Andto briey introduce another important group that emerges in these

letterssome of Washingtons most inuential pioneer women proudly wore

their habits and wimples, not out of passive submission, but as communal

f u pc.

Given these considerations, we think it a serious error to assume that m ccumc

unchanging sets of beliefs and traditions. It is also an error to assume that

m f f f pcc, f m

clothing, were uniform and univocal. Hence, when treating their interac-

, u uc , w mp,

extent possible, to let the persons in the letters speak for themselves from

w pcu cx pcc mm. f

fm mk u um u cu, kw

fu c fm pm f u

wu qu m fw muc um.

Finally, given the contested nature of the topics covered in the letters

cultural conicts, Native Americanmissionary interaction, and religionwe

have sought with particular care to avoid imposing our own personal pre-

suppositions. To the extent possible, we have presented historical actors in

w m, w xp ppc c ways that grate on contemporary sensibilities. We recognized that, for most

of these individuals, religious and spiritual forces were vitally important and

real, so real, that they motivated actions and colored perspectives. us, our

p mp m pc f c

cz f u ujc xpc. Ou c cc-

terized as an embrace of the in-betweena space that honors the discrepant

m, w f kw, u mpu f pp fm

u, m, , .1

Suc ppc qu cp up f mpu

bring closure to interpretations, however brief they may be, of issues these

. p , w k, p f m c

the searches, struggles, and story of the individuals and communities who

cm f u f A. M. A. Bc.

1. Robert Orsi, Between Heaven and Earth: Te Religious Worlds People Make and Scholars

Who Study Tem (c, N.J.: c , 2005), 198.


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x

Ackwm

e many people who helped us along the way are as widely scattered as

the destinations of the letters themselves. Historical documentarian Georges

Au f LAmp, Quc, p muc f 198586 c A.

M. A. Blanchet letterbooks in their original French language, to which he

, m fc, cc f -

coming letters, including large numbers from depositories in Montreal, all

f wc u u f pjc ( Bp). H

his wife, Rene Blanchet, a great-grandniece of the bishop, welcomed us to

their home, drove us to the locations of Blanchets early assignments as priest,

p fm m p f u u, x

inspiring support and friendship throughout the years. Archivists in Quebec,

u qu f cku fm w.

are thankful to Marcel Gagn, S.J., of the Archives of the Archdiocese of Que-

bec, and his assistant, Pierre LaFontaine; Monique Montbriand, of MontrealsArchives of the Chancellery of the Diocese of Montreal; and Marie Claude

Blande, of Montreals Providence Archives. In Paris, R. Sintes, archivist of

the church of Notre-Dame des Victoires (Our Lady of Victories), happily

led his American visitor up the winding staircase to a dusty collection of

memorial brass lockets sent to the church during the nineteenth century

Bc uu m m pfu cum.

In Lyons, Odile Lolom, archivist of todays Oeuvres Ponticales Mission-

, m cc u p Bp Bc to this important funding organization, four of which we have translated

for this volume, and rich deposits of related materials. She also arranged

housing at the original home of the associations foundress, Pauline Jaricot.

Bum, J S, f Lu Amc C f mmcu

Conception, helped satisfy our curiosity about this seminary where a num-

ber of Northwest priests and eventual church leaders were trained during

Bc pcpc.

Ou qu f fm cum w c

cc Nw. C , fm c f


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x Ackwm

Acc f S, m k u, cu-

aged our work, and participated with us in early conference presentations

on the letterbooks. Her assistants, Sarah Nau and Norman Dizon, unfail-

ingly provided generous assistance. Current archivist Seth Dalby, assisted

by Manny Keller-Scholz, continued to support the project with his astuteinsights and by sharing additional, recently cataloged documents and im-

ages. During our forays to Portland, Shawna Gandy of the Oregon Histori-

cal Society Research Library, as knowledgeable of local history as she is of

the invaluable collections in this library, located other materials that have

helped bring the letters to life. Our reconstruction of the essential role that

M S f c p wu

been possible without the rich collections of Seattles Providence Archives,

generously made available to us by archivist Loretta Zwolak Greene, her

associate Emily Hughes Dominick, and visual resource archivist Peter

Schmid. David Kingma, archivist for the Oregon Province of the Society of

Ju, wcm u p uc Bc c-

w Ju.

Fm , w fm fufu c c c-

ferences. In 1999, we presented papers at a joint session of the Canadian

Society of Church History and the Canadian Catholic Historical Associa-tion. With their depth of knowledge and international perspectives, Mark

McGowan, Terence Fay, S.J., Luca Codignola, Bruce Guenther, James Opp,

Elizabeth Smyth, and others helped us conceptualize Blanchets episcopacy

w m, pm cup m -

to-west, Protestant-inected narrative of U.S. history. A National Endowment

for the Humanities (NEH) summer institute on French travel writing from

Amc, Nw L, c u p f

. A u f Hc Dcum, p National Historical Publications and Records Commission, rened technical

pc f puc x.

A u wk p, u um w cuc-

tive criticism, incisive questions, and insights other scholars shared in re-

sponse to our presentations at other meetings in North Americathe Ameri-

c Cc Hc Ac, Amc Acm f R,

Amc Cuc f Quc Su, Amc Sc f Cuc H-

, cc Nw H Gu, cc Nw H

Cfc, Sc f Fc H fm


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Ackwm x

gatherings with local associations and among colleagues. We are indebted

to the many individuals who engaged us around the various dimensions of

pjc.

Others to whom we owe thanks for sharing their expertise on particular

individuals, events, or locations include Jean Barman of the University ofBritish Columbia; Monsignor Kevin Codd of the Diocese of Spokane and

former rector of the American College of Louvain; Jean Fisher, librarian,

Special Collections of Northwest Room, Tacoma Public Library; eresa

Langford, curator of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site; Michal McKenzie

of Keuka College; and Sam Pambrum of Walla Walla. We are indebted as well

to Rochelle Snee and Eric Nelson of Pacic Lutheran University, who assisted

us with Latin phrases, and to the Reverend Jon Taylor of the University of

Great Falls, who provided translations of all the Latin passages in letters

cu um.

cc Lu , w w u m p-

sitions throughout most of this project, supported both our research and

conference participation. Religion major Angela Steiert served as research

assistant in the very early stages of the project. A Faculty Excellence Award

helped subsidize travel to archives in Europe, and a Kelmer-Roe Fellowship

for collaborative student-faculty research in the humanities allowed us toengage French major Asha Ajmani as research assistant. As well, the Social

Scc Hum Rc Cuc f C upp p u

initial 1999 presentation to the joint session of the Canadian Catholic Histori-

c Ac C Sc f Cuc H.

A mucp m, m p c. F Jm

Harbaugh, S.J., parochial vicar at St. Leo Church of Tacoma, and Dr. Betsy

Downey of the History Department at Gonzaga University, read the nearly

nal version in full and provided valuable response. At the University ofWashington Press, Julidta Tarver, acquisitions editor, read and responded

to dras, always with warm encouragement. Marianne Keddington-Lang,

w m Zmmm, p u u cqu pc

with grace and steadiness of hand. e volume is far stronger for the con-

structive, critical suggestions of our three anonymous reviewers. Managing

editor Mary Ribesky patiently responded to questions and saw to the nal

puc f k.

C m, w k u u, m Bw D K-

len, for their patience and support. Astute readers and thinkers, they gave


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x Ackwm

fresh perspectives on our interpretations, endured vacations turned into

archival visits, and willingly read the nal manuscript. Lastly, we acknowl-

edge the pleasure this gi of long-term collaborative work has brought us

both. rough our engagement with each other and with the many individu-

w cu cmp f um, w cm cz m pfu w m p f cmmu f

c.


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Sc L f A. M. A. Bc


21/30


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3

uc

O M 8, 1847, R R Auu M Ax Bc,

bishop of Walla Walla, gave the signal to pull out from Westport, Missouri.

A p, fw m, , w

their three wagons, two teams of oxen, one team of cows, and all their supplies,

commenced their journey on the Oregon Trail. Five days later they joined

a group of twelve wagons under the leadership of Captain Wiggins. Since

p fm M Mc 23, Bp Bc m f p

had already traveled nearly two thousand miles by sleigh, stagecoach, train,

and steamboat. ey would traverse the remaining 1,670 miles by wagon, foot,

and horseback. Five of the nine missionaries, recently arrived from France,

j up w S. Lu.

Bishop Blanchet and his companions were among more than four thousand

people with upward of 850 wagons who traversed the Oregon Trail in 1847,

c .

Lk m , CRoman Catholic bishop and his companions were propelled by a vision of

w w p O Cu. fu, k f ,

would be inuenced by multiple factors, many they could neither anticipate

c. A, k w m, Bc cmp wu

be forced to revise their aspirations as they wrestled with the actual material

c ccumc mk w O Cu.

e initial days on the Oregon Trail were dicult. e party was plagued by

bad weather, ignorance of how to drive oxen, broken axels, and a disappearingguide. But with the assistance of fellow overlanders, Blanchets party developed

the skills to manage the journey. On May 22 the bishop and his group le

Captain Wigginss train and struck out on their own. ey could not accept the

partys decision to shoot any Indian who would not withdraw from the path

of the wagons. On May 26 they joined the train of Captain McGowan. Over

wk fw, m m ufu cmf ck,

burying Catholics who died, and baptizing both emigrants and the children of

Cc cu m f .

On August 7, the train reached Fort Hall in the easterly reaches of the


23/30

4 Sc L f A.M.A. Bc

Old Oregon Country, near todays city of Pocatello, Idaho. From there, on

August 14, Blanchet, and fellow missionaries Father Pascal Ricard, Broth-

er Georges Blanchet (no relation to the bishop), and Deacon Louis-Pierre

Gf Ruu u ck p f Hu B Cmp

(HBC) . m f anticipated Catholic missions before the wagons and supplies arrived. e

c , HBC F , c

juncture of the Snake and Columbia Rivers, at three-thirty in the aernoon of

Su, Spm 5, 1847. wk , w c f

remainder of the party, exhausted and hungry, had emerged from the Blue

Mu, w .

Reunited at Fort Walla Walla on October 3, 1847, A. M. A. Blanchet and

his companions could not have anticipated the cultural and political up-

u k pc mm c. N cu

imagined the adaptation, creativity, compromise, and resilience that would

be required over the next three-plus decades to build and sustain a lasting

Cc pc S.

A. M. A. Blanchet (17971887) was a strongly built man with a pleasant mien.

He turned y while on the Oregon Trail. A portrait from his middle age

shows his graying, receding hair and bushy eyebrows, a rmly set mouth,

c, xp . muc, M,

f m. S f , Bc m mk

c f C f S. Lu. fc, w

, c wkw m, m u f u, w w

was easily angered, at times prickly and crusty. He clung tenaciously to hisidentity as bishop, and to the authority it carried. Not everyone liked him,

pc m c p c-, J.B.A. Bu, w

w cc c. Y w w p

penetrated his ocial persona wrote of his tenderness and sensitivity, his

pc um.

In spite ofor perhaps on account ofhis human aws, A. M. A. Blanchet

w f cu k f u. H ,

modest farming family near Quebec City, he faced the harsh winters along

the Columbia River, or the mud-soaked roads of Puget Sound, with accus-


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uc 5

tomed ease. Educated and trained for the priesthood in Quebecs Seminary

f F M c f pu m m

ParisBlanchet was smart, widely read, and deeply curious; he harbored a

fascination for politics as well as religious matters. He was good with num-

bers, and while intensely religious, he also was thoroughly pragmatic, a stick- f m .

Bc u x p xpc m pjc.

A 1821, f w-, S.-G,

near Montreal, then as pastor to returning Acadians at Cheticamp, Nova

Sc, M Guf f S. Lwc. Fm

was recalled to take important posts as a parish priest in the Montreal region,

serving at St.-Charles in St.-Charles-sur-Richelieu from 1830 to 1838. He later

served trappers at the HBC post of Les Cdres south of Montreal, followed

p u c f C f S. Jm M. Du

p, p f cp w fm S

f C f c.

Perhaps most signicant, Blanchet had experienced, rsthand, the politics

of keeping the Catholic religion aoat. His pastoral sensibility and political

mp u uc f C B-

ish occupiers in Lower Canada led him to aid his parishioners before theyfought in the battle of Saint-Charles on November 25, 1837. British authorities

interpreted his actions as support for the revolt. Arrested for high treason,

Blanchet was imprisoned in Montreal on December 16, 1837. He was released

on bail on March 31, 1838, aer the bishops of Montreal and Quebec inter-

c w m f. A f xpc fm

A. M. A. Bc c cf m

m c.

F -w p, f Oc 3, F wstrange in its newness. Yet as a social order where HBC ocers, employees,

and indigenous peoples interacted, it was familiar. eir hosts, HBC clerk

m McB Fc-pk m fm, w , pc-

ticing Catholics who welcomed them with food, shelter, and other creature

comforts. McBeans immediate material support of the party represented the

policies of the HBC at that time. In 1838, the company had approved the

entry of Fathers Franois Norbert Blanchet (brother of A. M. A. Blanchet)

and Modeste Demers into the Columbia District (the HBCs name for the

territory that included the Oregon Country), allowing them to travel with


25/30

6 Sc L f A.M.A. Bc

the annual brigade from Montreal. Subsequently, the HBC did not oppose

the establishment of the Apostolic Vicariate of Oregon in 1843 or its elevation

ccc pc 1846. HBC u c u-

ence of Catholic missionaries on the Indians with whom and among whom

cmp p, mp, pmc cmc .w pc f fm wcm w pc

c f F . Sc up R

w m fm w, k McB, w f mx u-Am-

can and Indian heritage. e men, most retired from HBC employ, had served

as boatmen, guides, interpreters, and trappers, and many were Catholic by

ethnic and familial heritage. Similar settlements were found close to other

HBC f u uu Bp Bc c.

Additionally, communities of friendly Indians, some intermarried with

the settlers, some having been fur-trade employees themselves, were, for

varying reasons, willing to host the evangelizing priests on their lands. For

these indigenous peoples, still numerous in spite of epidemics, Christianity

was not new; it had already disrupted, undermined, shied, and been in-

corporated into their native ways. Christian evangelization had begun with

Catholic Iroquois and mtis employed in the fur trade and intensied with

f m 1834 Cc p 1838.Underlying this HBC-inuenced social order lay a culture that was pre-

m u mucuu, w pu u m up.

p m Dc f m m HBC-u

Canadian lands to the north, Blanchet anticipated Indians remaining on their

lands, living in signicant ways as they had for centuries, with a group of

them practicing Catholicism within their own social and economic niches.

H m u fm m mmc ppu-

cx.ough they arrived anticipating a missionary project within the contours

f , Cc m p w, fc, fw

wk w fm c wu mk f z

lead to the familiar orders unraveling. In the process, those who continued

to identify with it would become losers in a contest of political, economic,

cuu pw.

It began with the killings of the Protestant missionaries Dr. Marcus Whit-

man and his wife, Narcissa Prentiss Whitman, and twelve others at their

pu m f fm F Nm 29, 1847 (


26/30

uc 7

2). w c w .S. S c f

and the establishment of reservations in 1859. is period saw successively

w f Amc m cm f u

silver strikes, Indians defense of their lands through a series of wars, and

cuu c. B f w , HBC m F Vc Vcu . w u p

violent conicts and epidemics had le the territory, moved onto reserva-

, w u m -.

ough the Catholic Church was identied with the previous social world

and faced multiple threats to its existence in the Pacic Northwest during this

p, u. p fc, , fw-

thinking bishop, contributed to its survival and strength. e rst was nan-

cial stability. Among his money raising activities, A. M. A. Blanchet under-

k w Mxc (185152) up (185556), u

wc u u fu f m

c. c fc w upp c fm m -

ters. While in his homeland at the end of the second voyage, he negotiated the

transplanting of a venturesome, talented group of Sisters of Providence, led

by Mother Joseph, to Columbia City (Vancouver). ese exceptionally capable

wm fm M w f w wu cm wk fsocial and health services under their direction and care. Finally, while in

up, Bc uwk f u f u-

cated, multilingual, and committed priests from the American College of the

Immaculate Conception in Louvain, Belgium, who would become the second

generation of pastoral leaders and administrators for his diocese. Addition-

ally, the service of an outgoing and tireless vicar-general, J. B. A. Brouillet,

kp c u p f Ykm

(185558).A u f , pjc f u Cc Cuc

w S u. Cuc m fm

tumultuous twelve years having evolved in ways dierent from what the

up kk O cp.

cm u A. M. A. Bc m w-

of leadership depended upon continued resilience, initiative, and imagina-

tion, exercised within a context in which he had no choice but to cooperate

w m f w c , c u-Amc

world. His model for this collaboration was Montreal, where the Catholic


27/30

8 Sc L f A.M.A. Bc

Cuc uccfu wk p w pc u-

w w xpc .

Taken altogether, Bishop Blanchets thirty-three-year episcopacy spanned

two social, political, and cultural orders that each le profound marks on

the Pacic Northwest. e HBC constituted the older, British colonizationmovement in western North America. e company provided the domi-

nant and only form of nonindigenous political and economic power in Old

O fm 1821 u S m V c-

p m 1843. u HBC pc c

of Oregon south of the forty-ninth parallel through the 1846 treaty ending

j ccupc f O Cu, m , u u

c, pw u 1860.

e newer colonization movement, based in the United States, was a Euro-

Amc mp mk u pup

and nationalistic sentiment. e Americans involved in the eort to settle

Oregon framed the project culturally in terms of democratic freedom and, for

m, C. F m fm, c, um,

O f cqu. F m, uc M-

ist Jason Lee, religious, nationalistic, and economic ambitions quickly con-

. L 1834 m u c O cmovershadowed by his project of building an American colony in the Wil-

lamette Valley. ose who shared Lees view would play a major role in the

organization of the provisional government in Oregon in 1843. Subsequently,

various parties, oen clashing over conicts of interest, were involved in

c, .S.- cz mm. Dp cc,

wc fm c p m, f ,

and national politics, especially around the issue of slavery, they shared a

sense that the land was rightfully theirs as a result of treaty and, for some, .

B 1860, O O w O S (1859) -

ington Territory (established in 1853, with boundaries adjusted in 1859

and again in 1863). e Cayuse (184850), Yakima (185558), and Coeur

A /u (1858) w . -

tem had been established. Vancouver, Walla Walla, Olympia, and Steilacoom

had become towns. Bishop Blanchet with his priests, sisters, and interested

Cc uu Cc uc f c c c

f . Cuc p HBC.


28/30

uc 9

Blanchets three-plus decades of correspondence does more than reveal the

bishops resilience and determination. It tells of circumstances that led to

sometimes forced and sometimes unacknowledged compromises. And, itreveals the challenges involved in building stable institutions in the uid

cc m f p. L

addressing the situation of Canadien and Indian Catholics disclose popula-

w c , c, w c-

ingly eclipsed by political and economic developments. His letters to public

ocials provide the perspective of a cosmopolitan institutional leader on

regional and national political dynamics. e letters also display the degree

wc uc fu f Cc Cuc

f m .

In our time, saturated as it is with myriad modes of communication, Blan-

chets letters are valuable artifacts of another age. Letter writing then was a

pwfu m f cmmuc. Bc m pjc, -

ing Catholic structures in a frontier land, depended upon his communicating

with persons both near and far, of wide political and cultural orientations,

of varying social strata, and of diering degrees of political, economic, andcc pw w. G xp f

diocese, the written word was the only tool at Blanchets disposal, the primary

m f m xc u w u

xp cc p f pw m.

Letters wove together the diocesan Catholic project and tied that project to

a global Catholic Church. ey not only served to inuence, request, and

cmm u w w m pu fp. Of cc

disposition, a person who thought and oen stewed before he wrote, Blanchetc w cfu.

e letters in this volume, most translated into English and published for

the rst time, expand our understanding of missionary history in the Pacic

Northwest. ey supplement a story framed until now primarily in terms

of Protestants and Jesuits. ey provide a fuller perspective on the Catholic

Church in Washington and its contributions to the emergence of the Pacic

Northwest. ey also invite more global interpretations of the regions history.

e letters do more. ey bring to life individuals and communities whose

existence is not prominent in the historical record. What emerges from the


29/30

10 Sc L f A.M.A. Bc

cmp f, w u u, u-Am-

c u, f mx, w C, w pk; w

Fc w u fc f uc u-Amc; w m

people could communicate in at least two or three of these languages. is

population existed in a setting of oen unstable systems of power, rapidc, p ump, k, wc w

ju u .

1. p m c fm C w F J-Bp A-

ham Brouillet, his vicar-general; Louis-Pierre Godefroi Rousseau, a deacon; and, Guillaume

Leclaire, a subdeacon. Also part of his party were Ferdinand Labrie, his servant; Joseph andGilbert Malo, two brothers who were hired as carpenters; and three others traveling at their own

xp. p w c, Lu H Su , ccmp-

m. H p w xp S. Lu f O f M mmcu

missionaries from France: Father Pascal Ricard, superior; deacons Eugne-Casimir Chirouse and

J-C Fx ; B G Bc ( p); C

Verney, a lay brother. A. M. A. Blanchet, Journal o a Catholic Bishop on the Oregon rail: Te

Overland Crossing o the Rt. Rev. A. M. A. Blanchet, Bishop o Walla Walla, rom Montreal to Or-

egon erritory, March 23, 1847 to January 23, 1851, . . w J. Kwc (F,

.: Y G , 1978), 2122, 30, 3650, 68; G Au, L qu u nices de Monseigneur en Orgon,Mmoires de la socit gnalogique canadienne-ranaise

39, no. 2 (Summer 1988): 9193; Ronald Wayne Young, O.M.I., e Mission of the Mission-

ary Oblates of Mary Immaculate to the Oregon Territory (18471860) (Ph.D. diss., Ponticia

G, 2000), 6061.

2. Julie R. Jerey, Converting the West: A Biography of Narcissa Whitman (Norman: University

f Okm , 1991), 213; Bc,Journal o a Catholic Bishop, 15, 62.

3. Bc,Journal o a Catholic Bishop, 3650.

4. ., 6167.

5. Wilfred P. Schoenberg, S.J.,A History o the Catholic Church in the Pacifc Northwest,

17431983 (, D.C.: , 1987), 2640.

6. ccc pc cmp fm Rck Mu ,

Mexico and later United StatesCalifornia border to the south, the Pacic Ocean to the west,

and the Arctic Pole to the north. With its establishment in 1846, F. N. Blanchet was appointed

archbishop of Oregon City. His fellow missionary, Modeste Demers, was assigned the Diocese

of Vancouver Island, and A. M. A. Blanchet, the Diocese of Walla Walla. Five other districts,

potential dioceses, were identied and attached to the three dioceses for which bishops and

archbishop were provided: Nesqualy, Fort Hall, Colville, Princess Charlotte, and New Caledo-

nia. All this was for an area that, by F. N. Blanchets own reckoning in 1846, included only six

u Cc, N Amc. p f Quc, Jp S,

cp f Bm, Smu cc, S.S., 1843 j qu O m-


30/30

uc 11

m pc c. S c u

the Apostolic Vicariate of Oceania. See Schoenberg, Catholic Church in the Pacifc Northwest,

7797; w Vc OH, A Pioneer Catholic History o Oregon (, O.: G

umm Cmp, 1911), 84, 97100.

7. A. M. A. Blanchet was responsible for the Diocese of Walla Walla as well as the districtsf C F H. m m p f f f Cc,

O, , p f w M w m.

8. Terence J. Fay,A History of Canadian Catholics: Gallicanism, Romanism, and Canadianism

(Montreal: McGill-Queens University Press, 2002), 2947; Terrence Murphy, ed., and Roberto

, c .,A Concise History o Christianity in Canada (Nw Yk: Oxf

, 1996), 55107.

9. Richard Somerset Mackie, rading beyond the Mountains: Te British Fur rade on the

Pacifc, 17931843 (Vcu: f B Cum , 1997), 3133.

10. Great Britain and the United States agreed to jointly occupy the Oregon Country for aten-year period, beginning in 1818 with the Anglo-American Treaty. e joint occupancy agree-

m w w 1827. u f p cm 1843 u

w , w u f- p 1846.

11. For many involved in the Oregon provisional government, divine destiny favored white

Protestants from the United States. e democratization of religious authority that emerged from

the Second Great Awakening and nationalist sentiment reinforced their view. e federal govern-

ments opening of the Oregon Country to settlement before Indian title to lands was extinguished

by treaty further conrmed these beliefs. See Nathan O. Hatch, Te Democratization of American

Christianity(New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1991); Ernest Lee Tuveson, RedeemerNation: Te Idea o Americas Millennial Role (Cc: f Cc , 1968);

Fc u uc, Te Great Father: Te United States Government and the American Indians

(Lc: f Nk , 1984), 1:392409.

selected letters of a. m. a. blanchet, bishop of walla walla and nesqualy (1846-1879)

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