The Wyandot were born of two Wendat peoples encountered by the French in
the first half of the seventeenth century--the otherwise named Petun and
Huron--and their history is fragmented by their dispersal between
Quebec, Michigan, Kansas, and Oklahoma. This book weaves these
fragmented histories together, with a focus on the mid-eighteenth
century.
Author John Steckley claims that the key to consolidating the stories of
the scattered Wyandot lies in their clan structure. Beginning with the
half century of their initial diaspora, as interpreted through the
political strategies of five clan leaders, and continuing through the
eighteenth century and their shared residency with Jesuit
missionaries--notably, the distinct relationships different clans
established with them--Steckley reveals the resilience of the Wyandot
clan structure. He draws upon rich but previously ignored
sources--including baptismal, marriage, and mortuary records, and a
detailed house-to-house census compiled in 1747, featuring a list of
male and female elders--to illustrate the social structure of the
people, including a study of both male and female leadership patterns. A
recording of the 1747 census as well as translated copies of letters
sent between the Wyandot and the French is included in an appendix.