Joseph Laurent (; c. 1839–1917), was an

Abenaki The Abenaki ( Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian-speaking people and part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Eastern Abenaki language was pred ...

chief, best known for authoring an

Abenaki language Abenaki (Eastern: ', Western: ), also known as Wôbanakiak, is an endangered Eastern Algonquian language of Quebec and the northern states of New England. The language has Eastern and Western forms which differ in vocabulary and phonology an ...

dictionary. He also established a

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory in European and colonial contexts, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically a trading post allows people from one geogr ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

that is listed in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

Biography

New Familiar Abenakis and English Dialogues

Laurent was chief of the

reserve of

Odanak Odanak is an Abenaki First Nations reserve in the Central Quebec region, Quebec, Canada. The mostly First Nations population as of the 2021 Canadian census was 481. The territory is located near the mouth of the Saint-François River at its co ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, Canada, from 1880 to 1892. He was a teacher and leader in his Algonquian community, and the Odanak Nation throughout his life. Laurent is best known for the publication of his book ''New Familiar Abenakis and English Dialogues''. The book is a dictionary that translates Abenaki to English, and was the first of its kind. The structure of the dictionary is what widely sets it apart from others. His translations are set up as a journey through their land as opposed to a standard list. He takes the reader on a trip from Quebec and throughout

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

through linguistics and language education. Despite Laurent's upbringing of speaking fluent Abenaki and French, he not only created a dictionary to teach English to Abenaki people, he more importantly created the substantial text in an effort to preserve the Abenaki language and culture. The Abenaki language was oral, and little to no written documents had been recorded. ''New Familiar Abenakis and English Dialogues'' was vital in taking the number of a hundred-plus speakers to the rest of the Abenaki population as they continued to be a part of an English-speaking world, and it is still widely used today. Laurent was also an entrepreneur. He purchased goods from Odanak members and took them to his trading post in Intervale, New Hampshire, to sell to tourists. The camp was located in a grove of white pines known as Cathedral Woods, across from the scenic overlook that resides on the border of North Conway and Intervale. They sold things like baskets, Victorian goods, and miniatures. It was not only a business opportunity, but was also a way for his family to practice speaking English. The trading post remained for 33 years, until Laurent's death in 1917. In 1991, the trading post was listed in the

as " Abenaki Indian Shop and Camp". Stephen Laurent (1909–2001), the youngest of Joseph Laurent's 18 children, was also an accomplished writer/linguist, and resided in Intervale from 1940 until his death.

References

External links

''New Familiar Abenakis and English Dialogues''
the first ever published on the grammatical system (1884)
"Western Abenaki Dictionary, WAR Radio, and Online Lessons: Home of the Abenaki Language."
Accessed March 31, 2015. {{DEFAULTSORT:Laurent, Joseph 1830s births 1917 deaths Abenaki people Writers from Quebec 19th-century First Nations writers

Biography

References

Further reading

External links