The Stadaconans.

In July 1534, while exploring the Baie de Gaspe, the French explorer Jacques Cartier established the first European relations with Iroquoian-speaking Indians from the St. Lawrence River. Little is known about these native North Americans beyond Cartier's early descriptions. These St. Lawrence Iroquoians vanished from the historical record after the abandonment of Jean- Francois de La Roque de Roberval's colony in 1543. When Samuel de Champlain arrived in the St. Lawrence Valley in 1603, he found no trace of them. Still, with careful use of surviving accounts and archaeological evidence, it is possible to describe certain aspects of their culture. The St. Lawrence Iroquoians consisted of at least two distinct groups: the Hochelagans, who lived on Montreal Island, and the Stadaconans, who lived in the vicinity of present-day Quebec City. Although they spoke similar if not identical Iroquoian languages, the Hochelagans and Stadaconans differed in...