Did they go native? Representations of first encounters and personal interrelations with First Nations Canadians in the writings of Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr Traill

Abstract : Between 1836 and 1852, Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr Traill, two British gentlewomen who had emigrated to Canada, published accounts of their lives in the backwoods of Canada for a British audience. Descriptions of their encounters with their Native neighbours, more particularly women, are prominent in their texts. A gradual sense of intimacy permeates the writings, battling with the prejudices of the times.