1592?-1633

French explorer who is believed to be the first European to reach many of the Great Lakes, including Lakes Ontario, Erie, Superior, and Huron. He is also credited as the first European to set foot in what is now Michigan. Under orders from discoverer Samuel de Champlain, Brûlé learned Native American languages, became an interpreter, and traveled into the unknown interior of North America to live among various tribes. After more than two decades of exploration, Brûlé was murdered in the land of the Huron Indians.