There is a great deal of uncertainty about Stephen (Etienne) Brule’s explorations and discoveries in the early 1600s because he left no written accounts. Historians have relied on brief mentions in accounts of other explorers, such as Champlain, to trace his movements.

Soon after his arrival in New France he was tasked by Champlain with living with the Huron Indians to learn their language and customs. He apparently stayed four years and mastered their ways thoroughly. Throughout most of his career he seems to have been a pathfinder or scout for the better known explorers, probably visiting some areas that they never reached. He is now believed to have been the first European to visit four of the Great Lakes, as well as western New York, western Pennsylvania, and some regions of Canada.