Chrestien Le Clercq facts for kids
Chrestien Le Clercq was a Recollect Franciscan friar and a missionary who lived in the 1600s. He traveled to Canada to work with the Mi'kmaq people on the Gaspé Peninsula. He was also a writer who recorded the history of New France, and he helped translate a Native American language. He is famous for adapting a special system of symbols used by the Mi'kmaq into a writing system known as Míkmaq hieroglyphic writing.
Life of Chrestien Le Clercq
Chrestien Le Clercq was born in 1641 in a region of France called French Flanders. He joined the Recollect Franciscans, a group of friars. In 1673, he was sent to Canada to work as a missionary.
On October 11, 1673, he was put in charge of the Mi'kmaq mission by Francois de Laval, the Bishop of Quebec. While there, he learned the Mi'kmaq language. He spent his time teaching and sharing his faith with the Mi'kmaq people. In 1676, he tried to convince them to build houses like the French, but the Mi'kmaq Chief politely refused.
The Mi'kmaq Writing System
Father Le Clercq noticed something amazing. He saw some Mi'kmaq children using charcoal to write on birch bark. They were using special symbols, like pictures, called hieroglyphics.
This inspired him! He decided to use these symbols to help teach hymns and prayers. The Mi'kmaq people sometimes even used porcupine quills to make these symbols directly on the bark. Le Clercq helped adapt and organize these symbols into a more formal writing system.
Returning to France and Later Life
In 1680, Le Clercq's leaders sent him back to France. He went to help with matters related to the Franciscan missions in Canada. He came back to Canada the next spring. He had permission to start a new friary (a home for friars) in Montreal. He worked on this project during the summer of 1681.
In November, he returned to the Mi'kmaq mission. He stayed there for the next twelve years, continuing his important work.
In the autumn of 1686, Le Clercq left Canada for good and went back to France. There, he held various important positions within his religious order. We don't know the exact date he passed away, but we know he was still alive in 1698.
After returning to France, he finished two books. He published them in Paris in 1691. One of his books, Nouvelle Relation de la Gaspesie, was later translated into English in 1910 by William Francis Ganong.
