Etienne Brule

Etienne Brule was the first coureur de bois, an independent fur trader operating in the Saint Laurence Basin.  He travelled up the Ottawa River in 1610, learnt to speak several Indigenous languages to communicate with Algonquin, Huron-Wendat, and Odawa.  He lived most of his life in the Great Lakes region, working as a fur trader, diplomat, adventurer, explorer and mercenary.