Étienne Brulé

Brulé, Étienne (1592?–1633), French-born Canadian explorer. He came to Quebec around 1608, and was sent by Samuel de Champlain to live with the Algonquins (1610) and the Hurons (1611), studying their language and becoming an interpreter. On another mission for Champlain, he was the first European to reach Lake Ontario (1615), and also explored the valley of the Susquehanna River. When Quebec was seized by the English (1629) he fled to the Hurons; according to some accounts, he was later killed by the Hurons.