Adrien-Gabriel Morice
Encyclopedia
Adrien-Gabriel Morice was a missionary
priest belonging to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He served as a missionary in Canada, and created a writing system for the Carrier language
.
in 1880, and after a stint in Williams Lake
at St. Joseph's school, where he studied Chilcotin
and, with the aid of Jimmy Alexander, the son of a Carrier woman and a fur trader who was sent to St. Joseph's School, began his study of Carrier.
, the fur trading and missionary center in the Carrier region. Father Morice rapidly learned the Carrier language and became the only missionary to speak more than rudimentary Carrier. Within a few months of his arrival he created the first writing system for Carrier, the Carrier syllabary, by making a radical adaptation of the Cree syllabics
. From 1891-1894 he published a bimonthly newspaper, the Dustl'us Nawhulnuk, in Carrier. He was responsible for the translation of the catechism and many hymns and prayers into the language.
From this, Father Morice was the first person to recognize all of the phonological distinctions in an Athabascan language and write it accurately.
He was also the first person to make extensive transcriptions of material in an Athabascan language. His magnum opus was his massive two volume The Carrier Language: A Grammar and Dictionary, which immediately made Carrier by far the best documented Athabascan language of the time.
where he spent the remainder of his life as a scholar, writing extensively on Carrier language and culture, more general Athabaskan topics, the history of the Roman Catholic church
in Western Canada, the history of the French and Métis
of the West, and occasional other topics.
, Morice Lake, Morice Range
, and Moricetown
- all located in the Bulkley
region of northwest British Columbia, are named in honour of Morice.
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
priest belonging to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He served as a missionary in Canada, and created a writing system for the Carrier language
Carrier language
The Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
.
Early life
Born and raised in France, as a seminarian he was inspired by Father Émile Petitot and set himself the goal of becoming a missionary and explorer in Northwestern Canada. He arrived in British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
in 1880, and after a stint in Williams Lake
Williams Lake
Williams Lake is the name of several places:CanadaWilliams Lake is the name of several places:CanadaWilliams Lake is the name of several places:Canada:Cities and towns:...
at St. Joseph's school, where he studied Chilcotin
Chilcotin language
Chilcotin is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in British Columbia by the Tsilhqot’in people....
and, with the aid of Jimmy Alexander, the son of a Carrier woman and a fur trader who was sent to St. Joseph's School, began his study of Carrier.
Work with aboriginal languages
In 1885 his dreams were realized and he was posted to Fort St. JamesFort St. James, British Columbia
Fort St. James is a district municipality and former fur trading post in north-central British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the south-eastern shore of Stuart Lake in the Omineca Country, at the northern terminus of Highway 27, which connects to Highway 16 at Vanderhoof...
, the fur trading and missionary center in the Carrier region. Father Morice rapidly learned the Carrier language and became the only missionary to speak more than rudimentary Carrier. Within a few months of his arrival he created the first writing system for Carrier, the Carrier syllabary, by making a radical adaptation of the Cree syllabics
Cree syllabics
Cree syllabics, found in two primary variants, are the versions of Canadian Aboriginal syllabics used to write Cree dialects, including the original syllabics system created for Cree and Ojibwe. Syllabics were later adapted to several other languages...
. From 1891-1894 he published a bimonthly newspaper, the Dustl'us Nawhulnuk, in Carrier. He was responsible for the translation of the catechism and many hymns and prayers into the language.
From this, Father Morice was the first person to recognize all of the phonological distinctions in an Athabascan language and write it accurately.
He was also the first person to make extensive transcriptions of material in an Athabascan language. His magnum opus was his massive two volume The Carrier Language: A Grammar and Dictionary, which immediately made Carrier by far the best documented Athabascan language of the time.
Disputes with the Church
Father Morice would have preferred to remain in Fort Saint James but in 1904 he was withdrawn by the bishop, who finally paid heed to the complaints of the Hudson's Bay factor. Father Morice proved unwilling to perform the other duties the bishop assigned him and unable to get along with other priests, so after several years of conflict the Church set him up in a house in WinnipegWinnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
where he spent the remainder of his life as a scholar, writing extensively on Carrier language and culture, more general Athabaskan topics, the history of the Roman Catholic church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in Western Canada, the history of the French and Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
of the West, and occasional other topics.
Legacy
Morice RiverMorice River
The Morice River is the outflow of Morice Lake south west of Houston, British Columbia, Canada. Morice Lake and Morice River are named after Father Adrien-Gabriel Morice The Morice River is a small river when it leaves Morice Lake but it converges with the Thautil and Gosnell Rivers...
, Morice Lake, Morice Range
Morice Range
The Morice Range is a subrange of the Tahtsa Ranges, located on the west side of Morice Lake in northern British Columbia, Canada.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
, and Moricetown
Moricetown
Moricetown is a Wet'suwet'en village in Central British Columbia, Canada. The current village was built during early 1900s. Evidence of inhabitants date back to around 4,000 years ago. The original name of the village was 'Kyah Wiget...
- all located in the Bulkley
Bulkley Valley
The Bulkley Valley is located in the northwest Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada.-Geography:The 257 km long Bulkley River runs through the valley which is bounded on the west by the Hudson Bay Mountain range and on the east by the Babine Mountains...
region of northwest British Columbia, are named in honour of Morice.