NORO (le Porc-épic, the Porcupine), chieftain of the Fox (Outagami) Indians; delegate to the 1701 peace conference at Montreal; fl. 1700–1701.

In response to Governor Callière’s invitation, the Fox Indians of the western prairies sent a delegation to the conference of Indian tribes held in Montreal in the summer of 1701. The purpose of the conference was to discuss the terms of a peace treaty between the Indian allies of New France and the Iroquois. The Fox delegation was under the ceremonial leadership of Miskouensa, who had his face painted red and who saluted the governor by flourishing “an old rusty wig” in the courtly manner for want of a hat. For all practical purposes, Noro was the effective negotiator of his people. Le Roy de La Potherie’s Histoire is the single source which speaks of Noro by name.

Noro presented two requests on behalf of his tribe. He first sought redress from the Chippewas, another ally of the French, for the murder of one of his people. Ouabangué, chief of the Chippewas, replied that the murder was to revenge the death of a Chippewa, said to have been killed by the Foxes. Noro hotly denied the guilt of his tribesmen and said that, at that time, he had been at war with the Sioux. He modestly noted, in passing, that he himself had killed 40 Sioux. The Chippewa chief then admitted that since the fatal arrow was not of Fox making, Noro might be right in suggesting that a Chippewa was to blame for the murder of his fellow tribesman. The two tribes ate together afterward to demonstrate their reconciliation and Noro later accepted a gift to erase the memory of his murdered tribesman. The issue was closed when he smoked the peace pipe “in order to swallow the vengeance which he might have claimed.”

Noro gave Governor Callière a packet of beaver pelts with the wish of the Fox Indians that the governor would send them a Jesuit missionary, a blacksmith to mend their axes and firearms, and Nicolas Perrot. As Noro said, “Perrot is our father, he discovered our land, he made us knowledgeable and has now left us.” The governor received their petition but gave only vague promises in return. The interpreter and agent, Perrot, was never sent back to live among the Foxes.

Peter N. Moogk