Adrien-Gabriel Morice facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Adrien-Gabriel Morice
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Father Adrien-Gabriel Morice
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| Born | 27 August 1859 France
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| Died | 21 April 1939 (aged 79) |
| Occupation | Oblate missionary, author, linguist |
Adrien-Gabriel Morice (born August 27, 1859 – died April 21, 1939) was a missionary priest. He belonged to a religious group called the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Father Morice spent many years as a missionary in Canada. He is famous for creating a special writing system for the Carrier language, which is spoken by Indigenous people. He was also a talented linguist, meaning he studied languages.
Early Life and Dreams
Father Morice was born and grew up in a small town in France. From a young age, he was inspired by another missionary, Father Émile Petitot. This made him want to become a missionary and explorer in the wild northwestern parts of Canada.
In 1880, he finally arrived in British Columbia, Canada. He spent some time at a school in Williams Lake. There, he started learning the Chilcotin language. With help from a young man named Jimmy Alexander, he also began to study the Carrier language. Jimmy's mother was Carrier, and his father was a fur trader.
Working with Indigenous Languages
In 1885, Father Morice's dream came true. He was sent to Fort St. James, which was an important trading and missionary spot in the Carrier region. He quickly learned the Carrier language. Soon, he was the only missionary who could speak Carrier well.
Just a few months after arriving, he created the first writing system for the Carrier language. He did this by changing the Cree syllabics, which was another Indigenous writing system. From 1891 to 1894, he even published a newspaper called Dustl'us Nawhulnuk in the Carrier language. He also translated many important religious texts, like prayers and hymns, into Carrier.
Father Morice was the first person to truly understand and write down all the different sounds in an Athabascan language. His biggest work was a huge two-volume book called The Carrier Language: A Grammar and Dictionary. This book made Carrier the best-documented Athabascan language of its time.
Later Life and Legacy
Father Morice wanted to stay in Fort St. James. However, in 1904, he was moved by the bishop due to some disagreements with the local Hudson's Bay Company manager. Father Morice found it hard to get along with other priests and preferred his studies.
After several years, the Church helped him settle in a house in Winnipeg. He spent the rest of his life there as a scholar. He wrote many books and articles about the Carrier language and culture. He also wrote about other Athabascan topics, the history of the Catholic Church in Western Canada, and the history of French and Métis people in the West.
Several places in the Bulkley Valley region of British Columbia are named after Father Morice. These include Morice River, Morice Lake, Morice Range, and Camp Morice. The town of Witset was also known as Moricetown for a long time before it changed back to its original name in 2018.
