The arrival of traders and explorers to North America was matched by the arrival of missionaries who worked to convert Native people to Christianity. Missionaries like Father Morice felt that it was their ultimate duty to convert Natives to Christianity. Morice reportedly thought to himself, "That is what I want! To work and suffer for souls, to battle among, and conquer, the lowly of America, that is my vocation" (D.L.S.).
Europeans also transported diseases which had never been encountered by the Native people of North America. Smallpox, to which Native people had no natural immunity, was particularly devastating to all Native populations across the continent. Europeans had a higher degree of immunity to smallpox and must have seemed relatively guarded from the illness in comparison to the horrific toll smallpox was taking on the Native population. Native people ravaged by disease began to turn to the missionaries for aid. The missionaries helped to foster a connection between the benefits of Christian worship and salvation from the deadly effects of illness.
By the turn of the century, about 80 percent of British Columbia's Natives called themselves Christian. Others dismissed or simply refused to give up as many of their traditional customs as the uncompromising missionaries demanded. Some "prophet" cults sprang up that were a mix of Christian and Native methods (Veillette). Many of the First Nations believed Christianity was compatible with their ancient beliefs and customs. "If the Christian God was slow to cure a sick relative, it was only natural to turn to the shaman" (Mulhall).
The following experience of Father Morice demonstrates the difficulties he experienced at his missions as a result of the differing cultural values between him and the Natives.
The chief of a Babine group had been unable to persuade a baptized married man to leave his mistress and return to his wife. But when Morice reminded the man of the possibility of premature death without the opportunity to confess, the man returned to his wife. Then the trouble started. During the night the abandoned woman fled to the forest vowing to hang herself. According to Native law, Morice was responsible for her act and so her brother grabbed his gun and resolved to kill Morice before the night was out. The would-be assassin was eventually calmed down. The following morning his sister was found hiding out in someone else's house (Mulhall).
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