Étienne Brûlé

Étienne Brûlé (* 1592 in Champigny -sur -Marne, near Paris; † in June 1633 in the Great Lakes region ) was a French explorer. Brûlé made ​​a name for himself in the study of Québec.

Brûlé, who first traveled to New France in 1608, two years later by Samuel de Champlain to the Wyandot ( " Huron " ) sent to study this. Unlike most other European explorers Brûlé was open to the habits and customs of the indigenous peoples of North America. So he learned the language of the Wyandot and adopted their customs and traditions.

As Scout Champlain Brûlé explored large parts of present-day Quebec, Ontario and Michigan. He was also one of the first " coureur des bois " (Ranger, Trapper, the unwound the fur trade directly with the indigenous population was still unexplored areas of North America ).

Brûlé was the first European who got all five Great Lakes to face, namely, Lake Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario. Furthermore, he reached in his explorations, the Chesapeake Bay, where he was taken shortly captured by Iroquois and tortured.

Since Brûlé had adopted the customs of the Wyandot and also through his work as coureur des bois eluded the grasp of the French administration, he was the authority always an eyesore. 1620, finally came to a break with Champlain, Brûlé left the city of Québec, to live with the Wyandot. Through his new life Brûlé also felt no loyalty to France over 1629 he betrayed Champlain and helped the British, captured to take this and to take Quebec. In a battle between Iroquois and Wyandot Brûlé was wounded and left behind by his companions. He managed to escape from captivity and return to the Wyandot, which, however, not his story believed him. They accused him of treason or of trading with the enemy and tortured Brûlé in June 1633 death.