Plaque commemorating Nicolas Perrot, Clergue Park, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Nicholas Perrot (1644 - 1717), explorer, diplomat, and fur trader, was one of the first white men in the upper Mississippi Valley. Born in France, he came to New France around 1660 with Jesuits and had the opportunity to visit Indian tribes and learn their languages. He formed a fur trading company around 1667 and undertook expeditions to various tribes and land in and around present-day Wisconsin. He was sometimes the first white man seen by the native peoples and was generally well received. Flag Seal Nickname: The Soo Motto: Naturally Gifted Location Coordinates , Government Country Province District Canada Ontario Algoma District Incorporated –as a town –as a city 1887 1912 City Mayor Governing Body MPs MPPs John Rowswell The Corporation of the City of Sault Sainte Marie Tony Martin David Orazietti Geographical characteristics... New France (French: la Nouvelle-France) describes the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River, by Jacques Cartier in 1534, to the cession of New France to the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1763. ... The Society of Jesus (Latin: Societas Iesu), commonly known as the Jesuits, is a Roman Catholic religious order. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

In 1670 he was an interpreter for Daumont de Saint-Lusson, a French commissary assigned to the country of the Ottawas, Amikwas, Illinois, and other Indian natives to be discovered in the direction of Lake Superior. He continued to travel around these areas and engaged in fur trading, giving the natives such items as cooking kettles and hatchets (to replace stone tools). In 1671 he married Madeleine Raclot. He was given a land grant on the river Saint-Michel in present-day Quebec, and the 1681 census showed him having six children. The Ottawa (also Odawa or Odaawa) are a Native American people. ... You may be looking for Chief Illiniwek, a mascot of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. ... Lake Superior (known as Gichigami in an Ojibwe language), bounded by Ontario and Minnesota to the north and Wisconsin and Michigan in the south, is the largest of North Americas Great Lakes. ... Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Official languages French Flower Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor Linné) Tree Yellow Birch Bird Snowy Owl Capital Quebec City Largest city Montreal Lieutenant-Governor Lise Thibault Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 75 24 Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of...

He continued to be involved in Indian affairs. In 1684 he succeeded in bringing the warriors of several nations to Niagara to meet with the Governor's army, where a peace treaty was signed. In the spring of 1685 he was appointed Commandant-in-Chief of Bais De Puants (present day Green Bay, Wisconsin) and the neighboring regions when war broke out between the Fox tribe and the Sioux and Chippewa tribes. He worked hard to bring about peace, and was successful, at least for a time. After this, Perrot traveled to the northern waters of the Mississippi River, in the territory of the Sioux, where he built Fort Saint-Antoine. Niagara is a town located in Niagara County, New York. ... A Tall ship sailing into the mouth of the Fox River The Bay of Green Bay is an arm of Lake Michigan. ... The Fox tribe of Native Americans are an Algonquian language-speaking group that are now merged with the allied Sac tribe as the Sac and Fox Nation. ... The Sioux (also: Lakota) are a Native American people. ... For other uses of Chippewa, see Chippewa (disambiguation). ... The Mississippi River, derived from the old Ojibwe word misi-ziibi meaning great river (gichi-ziibi big river at its headwaters), is the longest river in the United States; the second-longest is the Missouri River, which flows into the Mississippi. ... The Sioux (also: Lakota) are a Native American people. ...

In the spring of 1687 he was in the region of Detroit, and while taking part in an expedition fire broke out at the Jesuit mission, where 40,000 livres worth of his furs were destroyed. Perrot was financially ruined. He returned to Montreal where in the spring of 1688 he served as an interpreter for the treaty between Governor and Onondaga chief Otreouti, who promised the neutrality of the Onondagas, Cayugas, and Oneidas. In 1689 he built Fort Saint-Pierre at the mouth of the Wisconsin River, and established peace among area tribes. In subsequent years he was involved in the discovery of lead mines brought to his attention by Miami chiefs. Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes - this motto was adopted after the disastrous 1805 fire that devastated the city) Nickname: The Motor City and Motown Location in Wayne County, Michigan Founded Incorporated July 24, 1701 1815  County Wayne County Mayor... Motto: Concordia Salus Coordinates: Country Canada Province Quebec Founded 1642 Established 1832 City Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area    - City 366. ... The Onondaga (Onundagaono or the People of the Hills) are one of the original five constituent tribes of the League of the Iroquois (Hodenosaunee). ... The Onondaga (Onundagaono or the People of the Hills) are one of the original five constituent tribes of the League of the Iroquois (Hodenosaunee). ... The Cayuga nation (Guyohkohnyo or the People of the Great Swamp) was one of the five original constituents of the Iroquois, a confederacy of Indians in New York. ... The Oneida (Onyotaa:ka or Onayotekaono, meaning the People of the Upright Stone) are a Native American/First Nations people and comprise one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. ... The Wisconsin River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 430 mi (692 km) long, in the state of Wisconsin in the United States. ... The Miami are a Native American tribe originally found in Indiana and Ohio. ...

In 1695 Perrot brought the Miami, Sauk, Menominee, Potawatomi and Fox chiefs to Montreal at the governor’s request, regarding war with the Iroquois. Perrot returned west where his concern was to maintain unity and peace among them in their efforts against the Iroquois. However there was danger, and on two occasions he was almost sent to be burned at the stake with the Mascouters and the Miami tribe. The Miami are a Native American tribe originally found in Indiana and Ohio. ... For the abbreviation or acronym SAC, please see SAC. The Sauks or Sacs (Asakiwaki in their own language) are a group of Native Americans whose original territory may have been along the St. ... The Menominee are a nation of Native Americans living in Wisconsin. ... Rain dance, Kansas, c. ... The Fox tribe of Native Americans are an Algonquian language-speaking group that are now merged with the allied Sac tribe as the Sac and Fox Nation. ... Motto: Concordia Salus Coordinates: Country Canada Province Quebec Founded 1642 Established 1832 City Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area    - City 366. ... The Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee, also known as the League of Peace and Power, Five Nations, or Six Nations) is a group of First Nations/Native Americans. ... The Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee, also known as the League of Peace and Power, Five Nations, or Six Nations) is a group of First Nations/Native Americans. ... The Miami are a Native American tribe originally found in Indiana and Ohio. ...

Perrot then settled on his land grant at Bécancour. The Indian chiefs whom he had known saw him for the last time in 1701 at a peace treaty signed in Montreal. He still served as interpreter, but this period of his life was marked by financial difficulties and harassment from creditors. He asked the authorities for a compensation he said was due to him, and a pension in consideration of services long provided, but was not satisfied. He was involved in court cases involving lawsuits filed by and against him. He also wrote his memoirs, which became valuable to later historians. Bécancour is a town in central Quebec, Canada; it is the seat of the Regional County Municipality Bécancour. ... Motto: Concordia Salus Coordinates: Country Canada Province Quebec Founded 1642 Established 1832 City Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area    - City 366. ...

Nicolas Perrot died on the 13th of August 1717 at about the age of 74 and was buried the next day in the church at Bécancour. Nine of his eleven children outlived him. His wife died in 1724. Bécancour is a town in central Quebec, Canada; it is the seat of the Regional County Municipality Bécancour. ...

Perrot was often unappreciated even during his lifetime, yet was France's best representative among Indians in the western territories of French North America. He was able to learn languages and customs of native tribes and earn their esteem and confidence.

Sources

• Charles Claude Le Roy de La Potherie, "Adventures of Nicolas Perrot, 1665 -1670"
• La Forest, Thomas J., "Our French-Canadian Ancestors"
• Perreault, Robert, "Les familles PERREAULT du Québec", Vol 1; Le Groupe de Nicolas Perrot et de Madeleine Raclos