Date of Award
5-1-2025
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts
Department
English
First Advisor
Benedict, Pinckney
Abstract
This thesis is the first section of a planned historical novel. It takes place during 1627, 1657, and 1667 through 1669, in France and in territories now encompassed by New York State and the province of Quebec. The main events concern the first years in Canada of René-Robert Cavelier, le Sieur de la Salle, an explorer best known for traveling to the mouth of the Mississippi River. While the scenes are imagined, the story involves several historical figures as well as fictional characters. The action largely occurs within the ancestral, traditional and contemporary lands of First Nations including the Innu Nation; Anishnaabe peoples including the Odawa, Algonquin and Ojibwe Nations; and those of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
Access
This thesis is only available for download to the SIUC community. Current SIUC affiliates may also access this paper off campus by searching Dissertations & Theses @ Southern Illinois University Carbondale from ProQuest. Others should contact the interlibrary loan department of your local library or contact ProQuest's Dissertation Express service.