From the time of the first colonists, the main method of preserving food was by "salting". As the first ships of the King often transported salt, this ingredient was plentiful in the colony. The inhabitants often put most of the butchered porc in the "salting tub"...
1. 1. Conservation des aliments Preserving Food
Du temps des premiers colons, la principale méthode de conservation des aliments étaient le « salage ». Comme les premiers navires du Roy transportaient souvent du sel, cet ingrédient ne manquait pas dans la colonie. Les habitants mettaient souvent la plus grande partie des porcs de boucherie au « salois »...
2. Recettes d'époque Ancient Recipes
Si cela vous plaît d'essayer les bonnes recettes de nos ancêtres du Québec, en voici quelques-unes extraites du livre de Lorraine Boisvenue, épouse d'un de nos grands écrivains québécois « Yves Thériault ».
RÔTI DE PORC-ÉPIC
1 porc-épic
lard salé tranché
2 oignons coupés en morceaux
2 gousses d'ail...
Nettoyer et dégraisser...Some of these recipes of our Quebec ancestors, that I hope you will try….. are extracted from Lorraine Boisvenue's book. Lorraine Boisvenue was married to Yves Thériault, a well known Quebec writer,
Porcupine Roast
1 porpupine
Slices of salted back-fat
2 chopped onions
2 cloves of garlic
Clean and take off ...
3. Mariage/Marriage « à la Gaumine »
Une courte explication au sujet de l'expression « Mariage à la Gaumine ». Lorsque des jeunes gens rencontraient trop d'obstacles au sujet de leur mariage que ce soit du côté des autorités religieuses ou de leurs parents, quelques-uns d'entre eux usaient d'ingéniosité pour que leur mariage soit célébré et qu'il soit valide devant Dieu et devant les hommes. ..A brief explanation about this expression. When young people met too many obstacles to their marriage because the authority or their parents were of the opinion that their marriage was not reasonable, some of them used ingenuity to obtain a valid marriage in front of God and men...
4. Petits à côtés des épousailles - The Broadside of Marriage
Pour encourager les mariages ultra-hâtifs, les parents qui avaient des filles de seize ans ou des fils de 20 ans non encore mariés, devaient comparaître devant un tribunal tous les six mois pour expliquer les raisons pour lesquelles leurs enfants n'étaient pas encore mariés...To encourage early marriages, parents who had sixteen year old daughters and unmarried twenty year old sons were obliged to appear before a court of justice every six months to explain the reason for the non-engagement of their children...
5. Les bonnes veillées d'Autrefois - The Soirées of olden times
Nos ancêtres qui aimaient rire et chanter aimaient se réunir à différentes occasions soit dans le Temps des Fêtes comme il le disaient ou encore tout simplement pour être ensemble. Les chansons que l'on disait chanson à répondre étaient très populaires; souvent ils chantaient en chœur des chansons ...Our ancestors who loved to laugh and sing loved to get together on different occasions like during Feastive Times as they called them or simply to be together The songs which we called Song to Respond to were very popular; often times they sang in choir songs which came from their country of origins, ...
6. Vie quotidienne de nos ancêtres - Daily life of our Ancestors
C'est grâce à leur débrouillardise que nos ancêtres ont réussi à survivre sur une terre qui leur était parfois hostile et grâce à leurs efforts constants, à leur énergie débordante, à leur joie de vivre et à leur gaieté manifeste qu'ils ont su braver les rigoureux climats des hivers sur le sol québécois...It is because of their resourcefulness that our ancestors were successful in surviving in a land that was at times hostile, and thanks to the constant efforts, to the endless energy, to their love of life and to their funloving spirit that they have been able to brave the rough winter climates on Québecois soil...
7. Tout cela à cause d' une simple boîte de conserve…
and in English All that from a simple canned-good..
J'avais environ 9 ans à la fin de la guerre (IIe); j'habitais alors Montréal et les religieuses nous avaient demandé d'apporter des victuailles pour les envoyer aux enfants habitant en Europe qui vivaient à ce moment-là dans de villes ravagées par la guerre. Nous pouvions apporter tous les aliments non-périssables que nous le pouvions...I was about 9 years old at the end of the war (WWII); I lived in Montreal and the religious sisters had asked us to bring food in order to send it to children living in Europe who were living at that moment in villages ravaged by war. We could bring any non-perishable items...
8. Le nouage de l'Aiguillette - The knot of the Aiguillette en français & in English;
Le nouage de l'Aiguillette1 était un maléfice qui empêchait le nouvel époux de consommer le mariage en le rendant impuissant. La pratique était courante en France depuis plus d'un siècle. Elle avait été condamnée plus d'une fois par des synodes et conciles provinciaux dont le dernier était de St-Malo en 1620...The knot of the Aiguillette (aglet)1 was an evil spell that would prevent the new spouse from consumating the marriage by rendering him impotent. This was the current custom in France for more than a century. It was condemned more than once by synods and provincial councils of which the latest was at St-Malo in 1620...
9. Jean Rattier en français & in English.
Natif de St-Jean d'Angély, Jean Rattier était venu à Trois-Rivières en 1665. Il s'était placé chez un certain bourgeois du nom de Jean Godefroy de Tonnancour. Sept ans plus tard, il s'était marié avec une femme originaire de sa province natale. L'union fut féconde : le couple eut cinq enfants en cinq ans...A native of St-Jean d'Angély, Jean Rattier came to Trois-Rivières in 1665. He worked as a domestique for a certain bougeois by the name of Jean Godefroy de Tonnancour. Seven years later, he married a woman from his original native province. It was a fruitful marriage with five children in five years...
YEAR 2006 ANNÉE
10. Souvenirs d'enfance à St-Aimé (Massueville)
St-Aimé est un tout petit village situé près de Sorel que l'on a essayé un jour de rebaptiser Massueville en l'honneur du Seigneur Massue qui possédait la plupart des terres de cette seigneurie mais les anciens ont toujours continué de nommer leur village St-Aimé. Aujourd,hui, si vous allez dans ce coin du Québec, vous verrez les affiches indiquant "St-Aimé de Massueville".
St-Aimé is a very samll village situated near Sorel which, one day, it was decided to rename it Massueville in honor of the Lord Massue who owned most of the land of the Seignory, but the seniors still call their village St-Aimé. Today, if you visit that part of Québec, you'll notice the signs indicated "St-Aimé de Massueville"...
11. Îles de la Madeleine - une présentation
Cette présentation MS Powerpoint nous a été envoyée par ma chère cousine Dolorès. Il vous faudra le programme MS Powerpoint installé sur votre ordinateur enfin de voir cette présentation.This MS Powerpoint presentation - The Madeleine Islands - was sent to us by my cousin Dolorès. You will need MS Powerpoint installed on your computer to view the presentation. The media show is automatic; no need to click the mouse or a key. The song is in French.
Merci bien, Dolorès.
1. Jim's Tidbits The beaver, an animal or a fish? & also a newspaper clipping from January 1986A bit of history here, taken from Une Histoire de Québec by Jacques Lacoursière, pp.37-38.......
"In the XVII century, in the Catholic countries...Last evening I purchased a book in a shop and in it was hidden a newspaper clipping from January 1986....... Dies at 104 years Another giant of the North Shore has come to his resting place, Théophile Landry, 104 years. He was the "doyen" (oldest person) of all the North Shore folk and undoubtedly the eldest of all Québec...
Being born under a curious star, if there is one, and for all practical purposes we will say that there is, I attribute my passion for research, be it genealogical or other, to this particular star. Quickly did I become aware that searching out my ancestors encompassed much more than names, dates and places. ...After watching the the events of Feb. 1 and with much interest, mind you, I began to do a little arm chair mental meandering. The following text is not for everybody as it could easily be taken wrong. This is for people who have some knowledge of exploration, of the hardships that it encompasses and can understand the consequences which may arise in such undertakings...
This fellow is one of my favorites. You can go through the list of Intendants and Seigneurs and there are a few, to say the least, who were more interested in their personal advancement than the advancement of the colony, their primary job. Francis Parkman said, " Canadian feudalsim was made to serve a double end, .....to produce a faint and harmless reflection of French aristocracy, and simply and practically to supply agencies for distributing land among the settlers"...4. Immersion
When you learn a second language, French in this case, you also learn a new culture. This is the neat part. How do you know when you have obtained enough culture to say that you are bilingual? Rule of the thumb, if you can understand jokes in your new found tongue, you're standing in tall cotton. You got it!...Some months ago, a nine year old girl living in Michigan in a town on the shores of the lake that bears the same name, gave a fifteen minute lecture on Acadian history. The class was stunned, the teacher awed, to say nothing of her mom who was absolutely ignorant of her daughter's talents in that domain. The girl has Acadian roots through her mother and she only shared with the class what she had heard and learned of her heritage in her short life...6. Names
Names have always interested me, this could be a possible minor reason as to why I enjoy genealogical and historical research. There are quite a few unanswered questions which come to mind when I get into different regions and I try to draw a hypothesis to discover the “why’s” of such trends to use one name or another, and even though these trends occur in the same time frame, we can find names used occasionally in one one region, and not at all in others...De retour d'un voyage que m'avait amené dans l'état d'Arkansas. Comme je passais sur la I-40, dans la région d'Ozark j'ai remarqué quelques announces pour les vins locaux. Curieux de nature, et pas trop pressé de me rendre nul part car mon aventure n'avait pas vraiment de destination, je me suis laissé tenté par les visions d'un ou des vins très médiocre. Ozark, comme dans Ozark Annie, Ozark Ike et le berçail des hillbillies (L'il Abner et cie.), ne m'a pas allumé toute de suite...Returning from a trip which took me in the state of Arkansas, as I was passing on I-40, in the Ozark region, I noticed some ads for local wines. Curious by nature and not too pressed to get nowhere quickly, I allowed myself to be tempted by the attraction of one or more mediocre wines. Ozark, as in Ozark Annie, Ozark Ike, and the cradle of hillbillies (L'il Abner & Co.), didn't ring a bell right away...
The natural abundance of meat and fish, also often by necessity, modified the usual menu of the French-America, which did not persist to import from Europe at a very high price, the food and drinks, that they could have lived without. In the conservation of habits and traditional recipes as much as the new, the olde Canadians remained the old civilized [folks], by adapting to their environment and drawing from their natural resources...Parmi les nombreuses croyances et pratiques superstitieuses des Montagnais, il en est une, que l'on connaît sous le nom de « Lecture de l'omoplate ,» mais c'est l'une, je crois des moins connues en la présence d'un blanc, « notre frère, » à moins que celui-ci soit tenu en haute estime ou ait vécu parmi eux. Je suppose que c'est dû à ce que le secret en pourrait être dévoilé à leur préjudice. Dans le dialecte Montagnais cette coutume s'appelle "outlickan meskina" dont la traduction littérale serait « Pistes de l'os de l'épaule. » ...A while back this year, Marc-Guy Létourneau presented a collection of his recently published books, which consisted of the burials and epitaphs in the Monte-Marie Cemetery of Lévis, Québec, along with a team of people who scoured the entire cemetery to acquire the names from the headstones. Now I have a copy of the burial act of Joseph Drolet, gr-grandfather, who is buried in this cemetery as stated in the burial act. However after consulting the collection of Mr. Létourneau I found no mention of this gentleman...
10. Trading Post
Jeanne Pomerleau wrote an interesting book about the coureurs de bois, entitled none other than " Les coureurs de bois ". It is an overlook of the life and times of these people. The problem with this subject is that the vast majority were illiterate, and even if they could take down notes, they were paddling fifty-five minutes per hour, all day long, leaving little time for jotting down their feelings and all.. This leaves us somewhat ignorant as to their real lives, their tragedies and their personal victories...11. The sentences handed down by the Conseil Souvereign
The sentences handed down by the Conseil Souvereign varied according to the degree of the crime committed. Here we can see that part of the sentence was based in humiliating the convicted person in public, and in turn they used the poor soul for an image of what might or would happen to you if you decided to disobey the law. Of course, being as how jails were almost non-existant, and those that did exist were at best terrible, as they were not heated, there was often no food and the humidity and dampness was enough to finish off an already not too healthy prisoner...12. August 14, 1746 The Pennsylvania Gazette
ALL the accounts I have yet seen of Quebec are so faulty and deficient, that, I believe, I shall not displease you by a true representation of this capital of New France. It indeed merits your knowledge, were it only on account of the singularity of its situation, for perhaps it is the only city in the world that can boast of a fresh-water harbour, capable of containing 100 men of war of the line, at 120 leagues distance from the sea. It lies on the most navigable river in the universe...13. September 11, 1746 The Pennsylvania Gazette and also The Literary Roots
and in French La chasse aux castorsTHE Fort is a handsome Building, with two Wings. You enter by a spacious and regular Court, but there is no Garden, because it is built on the Edge of the Rock. This Defect is supplied in some Measure by a fine Gallery, with a Balcony, or Balustrade, which surrounds the Building. It commands the Road, from the Middle of which a Speaking-trumpet may be heard, and you see all the lower Towns under your Feet. Leaving the Fort to the Left, you cross a pretty large Esplanade, and by an easy Descent you reach the Summit of Cape Diamond,...This French was spoken especially in the "campagne" - "country" by the people. It is part of our roots, and over the years has been saved from extinction by people of the arts and literature colony.
>The Literary Roots
" Nazaie yon' tait in gas ben smat,
A l'écol parsonn' pouva l'battre;
Pas même l'tit noèr à Benhamen.
...Avant l'arrivée des Européens, les Amérindiens utilisaient la peau de l'ours pour se vêtir. Ils chassaient le castor pour sa chair et non pour sa fourrure. Mais la demande des marchés européens change leurs habitudes de chasse. Ils se lancent à la poursuite du castor...
14. Philadelphia Gazette, also The Tremblay Invasion of Charlevoix and The Tide Riders
DRIVING the French out of Canada, and making the river St. Lawrence our own, has been by ENGLISHMEN, for more than half a century past, thought one of the principal objects worthy of our regard in a war with France. I have now before me a French plan of Quebec and its harbour, with a view of 34 English ships in the latter, making a fruitless attempt to take the place. This expedition is said by the geographer to have been made in 1670. ---Some years ago I began a project on the Deschênes-Drolet family and their ascendants which has been an interesting past time to date. The Deschênes branch that I am doing crossed the St. Lawrence from the region of St. Jean-Port-Joli, dropped the "Miville" in their name and settled in Les Éboulements. Naturally if you settled in Charlevoix back then, your descendants were sure to meet up with and marry a Tremblay, or some one who has a Tremblay in their parentage...
This piece of research I entitled "The Tide Riders" as it treats a very special part of, in this case Charlevoix Co. history, the men who worked the Saint Lawrence River between Charlevoix and Québec on what is known as goélettes or schooners. To begin the text, let us return back to Noël Simard who had a farm at Saint-Joachim on the seigneurie of Mgr. De Laval in 1678. Mr. Simard found himself with a land grant from Mgr. de Laval which was located a few miles west of Baie-Saint-Paul in an area known as Maillard. Now between the two places there is a short walk of about forty miles...
15. The Pennsylvania Gazette, also The Lower North Shore
Captain Dalton, Superintendant of Indian affairs for the United State, arrived here last week from Canada, which he left about a month since, in company with 200 Americans, who are at length happily liberated from a cruel captivity with the savages. But he is sorry to inform us that there are a number of unfortunate fellow sufferers, who are still retained as prisoners by the Indians. The sufferings of Captain Dalton and his lady have been very great, both having been many years prisoners with the enemy, and forced to endure the most cruel treatment from their captors...Napoléon-Alexandre Comeau wrote one book, " La vie et le sport sur la Côte-Nord " and the first edition came out in 1909. I have two copies, one which was edited in 1926, the other in 1945. This man wrote his mémoires in such a way that the details are good enough to bring you to his table, in his group of friends and mostly into his life. The following is a text which I consider of great interest as you shall see as you read on. Enjoy...
16. The Woods
Over the past twenty-five to thirty years I have spent a lot of time in the woods. I am out there five days a week usually, either walking, working, X-C skiing , whatever. During this span of time I was fortunate to have "sacrificed" twenty years in the sugar bush where I ran a small sugarin' outfit. Well in the spring when we were boiling down there were some really long hours of doing nothing but being a stoker of what is called the "arch" or evaporator, and running off the occasional batch of golden delicious...17. Peogamy, Chig8timi & Metabet
There is a phrase I use which pertains to the different spellings of names that we see in the early days of the colony, and even on into the nineteenth century. "The names are written through the fantasy of he who holds the plume". Here are a few examples of an area dear to my heart, which was first visited in 1544 by an explorer, but where the official history began about 1647 upon the arrival of Father Jean Dequen. Jean Dequen left Tadoussac with two young Montagnais guides & paddlers on July 11th and he arrived on July 16th at Lac Piouagmik at the place inhabited by the Porc-Épic (Porcupine) people...In a previous posting I touched the subject of goëlettes and their utility along the Saint Lawrence River. And again these vessels were maritime history makers, and they deserve their place in our culture and even our language as the vocabulary used in this environment was as special as that used by the bûcherons, voyageurs and any other specialized group who helped form Québec...19. The Way It Was
This past summer I had the pleasure to attend the Fêtes de la Nouvelle France in Québec City. It is truly quite a happening, I must say. When you mention the word "history" every kid within earshot will disappear instantly, but when it is "animated history" they not only hang around, they get implicated in the animation...Some years ago I did a research for the family of Aristide Savaria. On his maternal side, Malvina Besset his mother and daughter of Magloire Besset and of Adélaïde Letertre, I found way back about five generations, a certain Marie-Louise Letrefil married to Nicolas Lague. Now this name sort of bothered me as it is certainly not as common as Tremblay, Martin or Roy. After consulting Tanguay, PRDH, marriages of Chambly, St-Mathias to name only a few and the micro-films at the A.N.Q. I discovered that there were many spellings of this name such as Lidfril, Lightfil, and twenty-four more...22. A Bit More On The Way It Was
Occasionally there are movies out there which depict the early colonies in either the New France or in America. In these flicks the people of some distinction are always dressed elegantly, and even the King's Daughters are very well attired as well as the local population and their clothes are made to the fashion of the day, and they are clean...23. Low Tide
Now although this piece is on low tides, I must insert this thought. High tides, a layer of snow and a good shoe shine all have one thing in common, they hide a multitude of sins. They also hide a multitude of historical events. As the tide falls, the times gone by rise or rather the artifacts of these times rise and one can sit and only try to imagine how life was along the riverside or waterfront and if thoughts could get profound enough, one could easily picture the comings and goings of the previous generations ...24. Jim's Tidbits: Maliseet Medicine
Almost every common tree and plant played a role in Maliseet medicine. Poplar bark was steeped in tea for emaciation, headache, impure blood, lack of appetite. Sarsaparilla root became a tonic for coughs, rheumatism, skin ailments. Tamarack bark, steeped in with cherry bark, was for colds. Bunchberry, dried and steeped was swallowed for fits and convulsions...25. Jim's Tidbits: Just Another Tradition
Some of you older folks from Québec will surely remember back many years ago when it was "la mode" to step outside the church on the "perron" to have a smoke during the sermon. At the time I was living on the Côte de Beaupré and over the years attended Mass at Courville, Beauport and St-Grégoire-de-Montmorency, and it was a carbon copy as there was always a group of men who stood in the back of the church and when the sermon began they would ease out to burn one down and discuss current events...26. Seeing the Waning Winter through Wet Eyes
When does winter begin and when does it end? The calendars are just a reference point in time when it comes to dealing with Mother Nature as far as I am concerned. It starts and ends when you decide that it does, that is all there is to it. The geese are gone, my yard and house are winterized, the winter garage is up and my bike is put away the day before the first snow. That’s not winter. You step out in the morning, there is a raw breeze from the northeast, the temps are in the low twenties and your cheeks tingle. There is six inches of new fallen, the deer visited your apple tree and suddenly, you can “smell” or “sense” it. It has arrived...27. Old Folks, Hearsay & Steamer Trunks
My great-grandmother died in 1943. She was the recipient of a widow’s pension of $40.00 per month as her husband, my great-grandfather, was a Civil War Vet. All she had went to my grandmother, who died in 1955. My grandma would tell stories of her family, most too far-fetched for a youngster to understand but at the same time her family’s status of “idol” raised in my mind. She would tell me of her paternal grandparents who were born in my favourite state, Vermont, way up by the border. Her father was born in Compton, in Québec she said...28. Jim's Tidbits: Maliseets-Malécites
As you head south from the Rivière-du-Loup area which we call “La 185” which ends at the New Brunswick border just up from Edmundston, you will drive through the Maliseet territory or settlement ( I do not like the word ‘reservation’) which is situated between St-Antonin and St-Louis-de-Ha-Ha, called Whitworth. Now the 185 runs parallel with the Lake Temiscouata, from which the Madawaska River gets its source to eventually empty into the St. John River. Incidentally in between the highway and the lake and river there is a 135 km. bike trail which also passes through the territory of the Maliseets. That is today. It was not always as such...29. Jean Nicolet and the Stinkers
No, this is not about a 17th century band. Matter of fact it is hardly about Jean Nicolet either, but you shall see how they fit into place as we go along. History can be fascinating if we take it out of our high school classes and personalize it to our own liking and by which we set up our own perimeters within which we dwell . A month ago a friend sent me a book entitled , The Long Ships Passing, which was edited in 1943 and whose author, Walter Havighurst does a very good job of keeping the reader interested in the history of shipping on the Great Lakes. Naturally anyone writing almost anything about the Great Lakes of any historical value has to return to the period of the fur trade and the many people who were responsible for their economical development...30. Jim's Tidbits: Roadsick Blues
Ah mannnnnn, here I am up in the boonies and for the time being due to unforeseen circumstances I ain’t goin’ anyplace. The leaves are not out yet, snow patches can still be found, and I spent the afternoon listening to Waylon, Willie & Bocephus and I got me a pack of the roadsick blues! Could really use an evening in the Railroad Blues Bar in Alpine, Texas and a dinner at Joe Cotton’s north of Corpus and a long barefoot walk on Galveston Island right about now...This is a chapter of my writings mostly done in Wal-Mart coffee shops all over the place between home and Portsmouth, Va. It is called Y"gotta Luv Traffic Jams. Y'gotta luv 'em! Here we are poking along an Interstate at 70 mph, nice day out, good music on the radio and all and we enter a curve there are miles of tail lights, all lit up. Automatically I switch to the TJ mode (Traffic Jam), look for the shortest line, glance in the mirror to see if that Freightliner I just passed will not be rolling over me, and then I settle down for an undetermined time...32. A Dying Breed
Let's call them Pierre and André. Two old boys who have paid their dues to society, done some hard times, had some good times and now are using up the remainder of their allotted time by just being there. Out in this area, Pierre & André will cruise the dirt roads of their youth a few times a week. Oh yeah they'll have a beer out there. Sorry to offend some of you, but many years ago this was considered a way of life, you cruised with your podnah, you had a beer and you talked...This is brought to you courtesy of the tailgate's immediate owner, a short-bed Ford Pickup and its owner, sponsor, driver, pit crew and gas man, me. I'm Jim, the one who is trying to put down what my p/u's tailgate would relate if it had the where with all to do it...34. Moonwood
For as long as I can remember, since I have had a woodstove, I have burned moonwood or as we say here in Québec, "Bois de Lune". This wood is special and not too many people use it for various reasons that you will discover as you read on.. Firstly it is not a species of wood, nor is it a particular tree, but more of a custom of acquiring this means of heating...35. Shipyard Happenings, Observations and Paybacks
Like all places of work where the work force is almost family or because of such seniority that after many years on the job together, the majority of the workers sort of establish a close relationship. I say the majority. It is like boarding a ship, you board or you fall into the drink. If you aren't accepted, might as well look for another employer because you might find the time long and arduous on occasions...36. As Seen Through the Eyes of the Awkward Seagull
After many hours of reading, many hours, for the sheer pleasure of reading and learning versus researching or studying I let my thoughts go a bit into a mode I call "stumblings of a wandering mind". It would be reasonable in my mind that when ships came in from away with the intentions of setting up a colony, such as La Heve, Trois-Rivières or even vessels whose homeport might have been Québec City and someone decided that it was high time to establish some holdings, that the first three people to set foot on land would have been a notary, a seigneur and a man of the cloth ...Le suivant est un extrait de Le Foyer Paroissial, 1950 que été publié dans La Carvelle, révue de la Société Historique de St-Romuald. The following is a piece taken from Le Foyer Paroissial, 1950 and was published in La Carvelle, a bulletin put out by the Société Historique de St-Romuald...38. The Observings and Thinkings of a Coffee-Ladened Twisted Mind
It must've been about 5:30 a.m. and here I am at N 49°00 - 849 ', W 070° - 017'' at an altitude of 532 meters, a huge cup of very hot Alta Pluma Mexcican coffee and the sound came to me. The sound of hearing the silence. Most folks have never really savoured the moment or minutes of hearing the lack of sound. I just have. I have experienced the complete euphoria of hearing the impossible, and it was a very, well almost, transcendental lapse of time. ( I sure hope that it is the right word, transcendental).As strange as it may seem, you do not need to be a Franco-Canadien to be a Québécois. To me being a Québécois, in a nutshell, is if you can understand something like, ''Aie, toé là-là, as-tu vu la morniffe que ton chum Armand à mangé hier soir au pétanque? C'est moé et ma blonde qui le planté.'' A typical example of what you might hear at Tim's (Tim Horton's Coffee Shop) the following morning and it demonstrates how we have become different from the times when my ancestor by alliance Juste Miville-Deschênes was farming in St-Jean-Port-Joli and waved good-bye to his son Jean-Baptiste as he ventured across the St. Lawrence to Charlevoix seeking a new life somewhere after 1820...Augustin Roy dit Lauzier, b.05-06-1701Kamouraska (K), bp.02-07-1701 Rivière-Ouelle (RO). Godparents: Pierre Michaud and Marie Ancelin. He married 22-10-1725, Boucherville (B). There seems not to have had a marriage contract. The circumstances that preceded and accompanied the marriage, that we will speak of while treating the wife, explaining why they had forgotten to pass the contract...T''The cutting and harvesting of ice has begun on the Chaudière River and if the temperature holds out, it should continue for a few more weeks now. The company "Etchemin Glace" employs actually about twenty men and they should hire an additional thirty at peak time...42. Dear Ancestor, Your Tombstone Stands Among The Rest
Dear Ancestor,
Your Tombstone Stands Among The Rest:
Neglected And Alone,
The Name And Date Are Chiselled Out
On Polished Marble Stone.
It Reaches Out To All Who Care
It Is Too Late To Mourn.
You Did Not Know That I Exist.
You Died And I Was Born
...43. Le jeudi 17 novembre 2005/ Le Journal de Québec
Le jeudi 17 novembre 2005/ Le Journal de Québec. La réhabilitation de Louis Riel n'est pas complète. (120 ans après sa pendaison) Winnepeg……Plus de 18 mois après l'engagement pris pas le premier ministre Paul Martin de revoir la place controversée faite à Louis Riel dans l'Histoire du Canada, les progrès sont minces.
Mais les Métis réunis autour de la tombe de leur héros, hier, …..souligner le 123 ième anniversaire de sa pendaison pour trahaison semblaient différer d'avis ….l'urgence, pour M. Martin, de tenir parole...YEAR 2006 ANNÉE
47. "Jim's Tidbits Us et Coutumes
After doing a mild research on Jean Nicolet, I got to thinking on how some things have become a tradition and/or a custom here. It also came to mind that traveling in a birch bark canoe on the Great Lakes is no meagre accomplishment. Traveling on the Lakes in any small embarkation is a feat worthy of mention, so a canoe of such fabrication could be called a daring adventure in the utmost sense of the word "modesty". I have been on the Lakes and their weather whims can be as diversified as those of the oceans...What memories this phrase brings back to mind, back in the latter days of the goëlettes on the St. Lawrence. These schooners which would come to the Anglo-Pulp Co. in Québec, or the paper mills in Donnacona and Trois-Rivières were the link back to the earliest times of coastal shipping became a way of life for many and an icone for the St. Lawrence River and the people who inhabitated its shores or earned their living on the river. They carried pulpwood and it was stacked so high that I always liked to believe that the helmsman was on tippy-toes to see out the wheelhouse window...49. A Question
Some years ago I acquired book entitled ‘’Le Poste de Metabetchouan’’, a very interesting history of this trading post set up on the shores of Lake St-Jean or as it was called, Lac Péogamy and also the first mission at Chicoutimi, St-Charles...50. Pourquoi j'ai choisi Québec…
Ce texte a été écrit par James Carten, un Américain qui a choisi, il y a plusieurs années, de venir au Québec et qui y est resté.
L'amour qu'il porte à sa province adoptive saute aux yeux à la lecture des paragraphes suivants dans lesquels il tente de répondre à une question qu'on lui pose souvent: "Pourquoi as-tu choisi de venir, à Québec".51. Jim's Tidbits - Me Druthers
This morning it is raining, the skies are at best, a steely grey and the winds are raw and easterly…Well actually it is not raining, in fact it is a beautiful sunny summer day but then everyone would say, ''What are you doing on your computer on a day like this? Get outside and get fresh air and take a bike ride f'gosh' sakes, you moron!''52. Jim's Tidbits - Canadian Humour
You know you are from Canada when :
1. You wake up on a January morning and there is no mercury in your thermometer...53. Autumn
Y'know, you just know it, you do not need calendars or any other device which has pre-determined such events, it is in your bones and when the summer is over you simply know it. Like in the spring you just know when to tap your maple trees...54. Jim's Tidbits - The Art of Woodry
This very informative text will however, give you a sort of insight on the acquisition of wood for use in your stove, and also the care and a few tips on how to prepare your wood without looking like a wannabe country boy. To begin I must define my course of action regarding the overdose of accumulation of wood for my yearly use. Any of you who do wood heat know that we NEVER have enough wood put up, never...55. Jim's Tidbits - Notre-Dame-des-Temps-Durs, P.Q. A noter: en français - In French only
Ce texte est tiré d'un des chapitres dans le livre de ma vie. Le chapitre touche l'époque où je demeurais dans cette paroisse, qui n'est pas vraiment une paroisse mais plutôt un lieu de l'imagination conçu un après-midi pluvieux quand on restait dans la rue Sans-Emploi, un des nombreux culs-de-sac dans ce village, donc il a probablement plusieurs de vous qu'ont déjà passés un séjour. Tout le monde dans ma rue vivaient les mêmes problèmes, les mêmes joies et comme ça, ''en gang'' on n'a pas chiâler trop sur notre situation, étant tous dans le même chaloupe...YEAR 2007 ANNÉE
56. When a Deschênes is not a Deschênes
We all know about my ancestor Pierre Miville who came across from Switzerland and all which is interesting although very used and somewhat wrung out by different researchers over the years and generations. They settled in the St-Roch-des-Aulnaies/St-Jean-Port-Joli area mostly, even if a few showed up around here in St-Romuald. I have been messing around with a sort of ''tourist research'', meaning I go to their 'bercails'' and bum around cemeteries and ask questions and generally make me look like a tourist, pure laine...He did it! This ol' boy opened a can of worms the day he married Elmina ( Mina) Perron because her mom was Adelaïde Tremblay and when you get into that clan down around the area of Les Éboulements, you're going to have to wait out dispensations for marriages. Just for the heck of it let me take you to meet the family...Before I begin, I know that I'm going to rub some folks the wrong way, so those who know of me should know that I do go by the roads less traveled, so now's the best time to flush the text.
As we read history, we are getting basically cold facts and occasionally an insight into an event or a personage, but personally I like to read between the lines and find a story...59. The St. Lawrence and the Éperlan
When I get down to the river anywhere along the shores from, say, Deschambault east to I guess the Saguenay River history comes to mind and the visions firstly of my favourite boats, les goëlettes which plied the river for generations. In fact I have a model of L'Alida which is on the wall just next to my computer. She burned in 1956 off of Orléans Island. Secondly I can relate to the éperlan, the smelt which at one time not too far back came up river in the fall and helped make the history of the river that much more interesting...60. Sugarin' A spoof...Is this for real?
Well it happened last year, but I doubt very much that it will re-occur this year because of the messed up temperatures. What has happened here is that we had a very warm day early in the season and the sap rose like crazy, then at about 3:00 pm, the temps dove down to well below freezing, like in the low 20's within the space of maybe 40 minutes...61. Vocabulaire Du Temps Des Sucres
Voici les principaux termes qui sont utilisés pour désigner des réalités parfois disparues mais dont on parle encore...62. And a comment by Jim:
Norm, women in the church? No problem here, except I sure wouldn't want to confess to one!!!!! I'll go even further. I believe that priests should be able to marry. Women in politics??? no way............LOL........j63. Jacques ''Pino'' Fournaise
Fell upon this name today in a book entitled ''Best Little Stories from the Wild West'' by C. Brian Kelly ISBN 1-58182-263 Library of Congress Cataloging. And browser that I am, fell also upon the story of a Jacques Fournaise, who was called ''Pino'' and who was born on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River in Québec around 1747. Not being able to capture much history on the fur trappers/traders mostly because they were, the vast majority, illiterate and even if they were not, I'm sure they did not have the time nor the space to jot down notes and carry around a diary. Those were priests jobs.64. La Pluie Abondante Cette Année Évoque Le Tragique Été De 1938
La pluie abondante qui tombe sur la région depuis le debut de la saison évoque l'année 1938 marquée par des désastres à la suite de déluges successifs. Le glissement d'une maison dans la Rivière Portneuf avait causé sept morts dans la nuit du 31 août au 1ère septembre. L'écroulement d'un pont ferroviaire à Portneuf également avait plongé dans la mort deux employées du Pacifique Canadien et blessé une trentaine de personnes. L'écrasement d'une maison sous un éboulis de roc à St-Grégoire-de-Montmorency, en pleine nuit, avait anéanti quatre personnes et causé des blessures à douze autres...65. Jim's Tidbits
America the Beautiful in Anishinabe: A favourite song of ours from before the English and Français arrived.66. Jim's Tidbits - A Reaction
I liked Frances Lachance version. Not really being person who discusses religion ( I won't convert you, you won't convert me), I rarely go there.67. Jim's Tidbits
Bonjour.............300+ photos, voici une.......
Hi, .......300+ piocs, here's one...............67. Les Dates & les Saisons - Dates & Seasons
January is the coldest of the cold and probably the most encouraging sign of the time would be around the 10th when you will hear, ''Well the are beginning to get longer now''. A sure sign of someone searching out something optimistic while checking on his woodstove. The new have February 2nd, ''à la Chandleur, la neige est à son hauteur''. I rhymes great andevery generation has heard it from their grandfather. The old folks believed this except that you can be sure that within a few days a foot of snow will fall. So much for the sayings of the old folks. February 15th means winter is over. It is?...68. Les légendes envoyé par Jim.
And another presented by Jim The Hurricane of 1938
My experience and observation of the great hurricane of September 1938 by Warren V. VailIn the whole history of Orient, to my knowledge there has never been any record of conditions to equal or to come anywhere near the savagery of the hurricane of September 21, 1938. We have heard of some very hard gales as told us by old timers, and have experienced a few ourselves, but for all-around destructiveness went beyond any ever recorded here...
Louise-Andrée Éthier aka Sundance Aquero Sharp
Kwai to all my relatives today, the word is Késsinnimek! Family, ancestry, roots all rolled into one beautiful sounding Algonquian word. It reminds me of what the Peace Maker spoke of: Unity and Peace, the precursors of abundance, prosperity and success. Not in the financial sense though that is good too, but in the nature of living one's life!!! Our ancestors always told us that as long as we obeyed the original instructions which was to love one another and to council with one another to be sure amongst the most prominent of instructions, that we would have life on earth forever! ...2. Brother André - Alfred Bessette
It is March and spring is coming soon! The Kessinniek of the wild life will be opening its petals in the flowers and little birds will be chirping asking for their food. Spring always brings a certain nostalgia of my childhood in Canada for some reason. Perhaps because the air changes, but there seems to be freshness about everywhere, even in the desert where the changes are subtle but nevertheless here.
I lived in Montréal as a child. When my parents decided to send me to English school, they moved to a predominantly English neighborhood. It had a French name though, called Notre Dame de Grace. "NDG" as the English called it. My elementary school was situated next to the great St. Joseph's Oratory which fascinated me...3. Sundance's Corner - April Showers
Kwai to all my relations!
April showers came early to Arizona this year! Many of our streets and homes are flooding and people are getting caught in what is called flash floods here in the desert. They are very dangerous. They come quickly in a sudden flash while a person is driving, and it can be very frightening. We are told not to leave our vehicles, to stay in the car till help comes. One man didn't do that last week and he died..." D'un sourire, d'une fleur, je me souviendrai", Blessed Dina Bélanger.
When May comes around in Yuma, all the winter visitor's have left and the streets are empty of RV'S. All other vehicles are gone except for what the native Yumans are driving. Native Yumans comprise of descendant's of white settlers who came during the gold rush who became farmers and or businessmen. Yuma is the "iceberg" (funny word) capital of the country. Lettuce! Lettuce pickers are mostly Hispanic. Some come from Mexico on temporary visas to do the work during the picking season, They go out in the fields in huge gray 1930 type busses and work all day picking lettuce5. June is bustin' Out All Over
Kwai once again to all my relations! Thank you for your comments regarding our magazine. Cousin Normand has had a long vision of this one day coming to fruition and it has at long last come! It is June already, month when the berries start to ripen; and the heat of summer has come upon us. Grandfather Sun is rolling his eyes in heaven and exercising his limbs, and we feel that as heat upon our bodies. Heat is good, like anything else, too much of anything will hurt us, but in moderation, most things have a medicinal value and certainly our sun has that...6. Berries Ripening, Temaskikos
Kwai to all My Cousins, It is the month of the Berries Ripening, Temaskikos! I have a very brave friend; her name is Lillybeth and she is dying from cancer but you'd never know it! She is going on day by day as if nothing is going on in her body. She is happy, giddy, cracking jokes and carrying on as her usual happy self. She talks about her illness as if she were talking about baking cookies. I don't get it! She is absolutely amazing! Several weeks ago, she went for her tests, the ones that came back negative where the Doctor told her that she had three months to live if she does not have a series of surgeries, chemotherapy's, lots of blood transfusions and so on. My friend told her Doctor that she did not want any more treatments...7. Voyage d'une Québecoise - The Travel of a Québecoise
Writing these articles for Késsinnimek has made me think from a different perspective. It appears that my life has been one long journey away from my ancestral and birth place. In fact, my journey started as early as twelve years old when my Mother and I had to go live in Mexico for a while due to my father's illness which was very complicated. In order to get away from it all, my mother was advised by her doctor to leave the country for a while. So she did; and she took me along with her. I had many experiences in Mexico which I'd like to write about very soon. Memories that have been joyful and lasting for me. Prior to that, at six years old I had travelled as far as -Québec City and lived in St. Gabriel de Brandon for a spell with all the ravens and crows which I remember vividly. However, in my travels, I came across many interesting things and people about which I'd like to share stories with you if you will permit me...8. Le Voyage d'une Québecoise and Learning To Walk In Balance
Our native ancestors were very wise in their outlook on life. Respect for life was one of the key elements taught almost in all native societies of North and South America. There is a thread that runs amongst these nations that can be said to be universal. Mainly because we are human beings and human beings have a way of influencing and learning from each other. Whether we lived thousands of years ago or today, our basic needs always remains the same. Physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual needs have not changed since time immemorial9. La Madre de la Santa - Josephina
Here we are about a month away from Christmas. It is still like summer here in Yuma. Winter in the south west is warm and Christmas lights are strewn around cactus plants and meskuite trees. Santa Clause wears red shorts and a white t-shirt! Santa's sleigh works fine in the sand but Rudolph is vacationing at the Taos pueblo in Santa Fe while his team is replaced by a group of road runners and flying lizards. It's quite a sight to see Santa in the Southwest...10. Sundance's Corner - If the shoe fits ...
This is in reference to the message published in Acadian-Cajun List, Volume 05: Issue 6, Mon 3 Jan 2005, Message #3 and Pierre Montour's article A Huge Lie published in the Késsinnimek - Roots - Racines January 2005 issue. When someone points a finger at someone, four fingers are pointing back at themselves. I've often wondered what causes a person to accuse another person unjustly and venomously especially in a public forum which could be considered libelous and slanderous without any thought to the consequences of their actions? First of all, it's very hard to expose a real liar. Liars are careful to cover their tracks and there are legal definitions as to what constitutes a lie...11. Sundance's Corner - Journeys of a Québecoise
I have been too ill to be able to keep up with a monthly article and I regret that I have been unable to write as much as I'd like. However, perhaps from time to time I may be able to continue with my corner when and if the Great Spirit gives me the energy. Having been very moved and inspired by Pierre Montour's article "A Huge Lie", I am here today to lay down my own testimony to the fact that it is time the truth was told and that I support anyone who has struggled with the difficult and sometimes humiliating issue of being a person of mixed ancestry. So first, I'd like to begin this article by thanking Pierre for writing it...12. Sundance's Corner - Journeys of a Québecoise
There is a saying that says: When the pupil is ready the teacher appears. When my children were young and growing, I would say to them "you are a teacher to everyone and everyone is a teacher to you." I believe this is true of all of us. Last month I spoke to you about my entrance into Metissedom. It is how I became aware of immortality as a child which became my spiritual and security base which lasted all my life. As I get on in years, these writings are my memories that I am relating to you the reader in the hopes of making some kind of connection with the world. As I am ill and disabled now, my life is my art and my doctor's appointments....My computer is my new teacher and window to the world and this communication is the exchange. So for me, these memories have value...13. Sundance's Corner - A Mysterious Occurrence
This month of the field planter is the perfect time for planting seeds! Whether they be ideas, thoughts or other. Seeds are the life giving gifts from Creator. They are inherently mysterious as we have no real way of knowing where they come from except as believers of the One great Spirit, we assume that as the origin. It is not often that seeds are spoken of as mystery but they are particularly fascinating as they develop into such strength and beauty as well as great sustenance for life on Mother Earth...14. Sundance's Corner - Impressions of a Québecoise "Bah Humbug!"
It is the moon of the tiller of the soil....the seeds having been planted...hopefully this article will provide good soil for our thouhts. It is always my wish to serve in the most positive manner I can find. Unfortunately, one cannot please everyone. Invariably someone will complain or throw mud at one's works....Some of us have learned to adjust to the adversities of life and some have not....Those of us who do not adjust well become like a bah humbug! I think we all suffer from Bah Humbugism at one time or other in our lives. Most of us however get over it and keep on going but some of us get stuck in it and become very pessimistic, unhappy, moody, and sometimes mean spirited...17. A Soldier's Wife
She weeps eternal tears on the stones of strife
Each one crystallized and blessed with memories
Of times left for the living
She sits alone at night, by day she walks without her heart
Beating for tomorrow
There is no tomorrow
There is only today at life's end
...16. What is a Metisse/Metis Anyway?
Here we are in August...the month of the gathering. Summer has found its way in times of climate changes and the rising in global temperatures where although we might not be aware of these changes, they are affecting life on earth in its most primitive areas like the migrations of the great caribou; or the coral reefs in Trinidad....and for those of us in the desert it's time to remain low and suffer the heat.We do not expect cooler days until November!
Gathering implies many things. Mostly, it makes us think of happy times, unity, celebration, social activities and human interaction of some sort. People struggling collectively and individually to survive life on planet Earth...none of us being immune from some sort of suffering at some period in life whether by illness or death of a loved one..or some other tragedy....we gather together in happy as well as sad times...17. Moon of Skamonkas - Corn Harvest
Mother Corn one of the great sisters of the Life Givers feeds us,she teaches us; she replenishes us every day of our lives. She keeps us as one child in the Universe. Like her children, she comes in many colors. Black, white, blue, red, yellow! She does not see her children divided; she feeds us all equally. Her blood is our blood so we thank her for her gift of Life.
Mixed Bloods: It is only consistent to write about mixed bloods after having written "What is a Metisse!" The subject is "hot", controversial and emotions can rise high when speaking of race or people of mixed races...18. a message to Pope Benedict XVI
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
Vatican
Rome, Italy
Dear Pope Benedict
First many good wishes and blessings on your new mission! It has been a decade since I have communicated with the Vatican! In 1987 Pope Jean Paul was invited to attend a ceremony for Peace at the Scottsdale Yearly Native American Pow Wow to which I was coordinator for the Sunrise Ceremony for Peace to honor Our Mother Earth in the name of our Lord and for the Cause of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. His Holiness sent us his good wishes for a successful event.19. A painting of Joseph Stebbins
(A copy of the painting is shown here...)
The painting created by Sundance Aquero Sharp of her ancestor Joseph Stebbins, age 4, being carried by his sister Abigail and Thankful Stebbins as they were handed over to a Sacred Heart nun and Mohawk Elder Ganastarsi by a Mohawk Indian male on a horse after that very long walk from Deerfield. A copy of this painting was on exhibition at the Deerfield museum reunion 2005...YEAR 2006 ANNÉE
Kwai to all my relatives today, the word is Késsinnimek! Family, ancestry, roots all rolled into one beautiful sounding Algonquian word.It reminds me of what the Peace Maker spoke of: Unity and Peace, the precursors of abundance, prosperity and success. Not in the financial sense though that is good too, but in the nature of living one's life!!! ...
1. Genealogy Resources on his website: www.leveillee.net
My contributions to this online magazine will be varied. This month, I will concentrate on resources that are available on my web site: www.leveillee.net
As a result of my courses at the National Genealogical Society and the research conducted since 1985, I've created a list of resources that might prouve helpful to the researcher. The first is found on the home page of my ancestry directory on this site: Table of Contents - Resources2. Mon petit coin - All My Relations - Késsinnimek
When my sister Rita introduced me to genealogy research in 1985, after she had been searching for our family roots, I discovered a whole new interesting hobby. This hobby has turned into a passionate avocation for me. Genealogy was so fascinating that I decided to take courses to learn how to do research properly and professionally. After some ten years or so, I decided to put my sister's and my research on the internet for others to share our findings. After I published our project, I began to realize that there are many others who share this passion, who wish to find their "roots - racines - késsinnimek". The technology - computer, software, internet - assisted me in codifying all the data into an easily readable format to share my findings with others. This technology helped me to find my "késsinnimek"...3. Mon petit coin - Biographical Dictionary - Part 1
I recently came across a series of works translated by the Jesuit Father William Lonc, Emeritus Professor in Physics, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Canada. Another Jesuit Father George Topp is credited with beginning the translation process and continued by Father Bill. I plan to concentrate on one volume of the series. I first became aware of Father Bill's work when Steve Catlin, Archivist at the Martyr's Shrine, Midland, Ontario sent me a copy of Fr. Bill's translation of Jesuit Father Pierre Cholenec's "Catherine Tekakwitha" - Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. This will be the subject of a future "Mon petit coin"...4. Mon petit coin - Biographical Dictionary - Part 2
There is an explanation of Father William Lonc's translation of this Biogrpahical Dictionary in Part 1 April issue. In this May issue, I plan to finish my referencing some of the names found in the biography with surnames in my website at www.leveillee.net/ancestry. Most of the people mentioned in Part 1 and Part 2 are my ancestors. Guillaume HUBOU arrived in Québec in 1623 as an employee of the Compagnie de Caen for one year, with a salary of 150 livres. He married Louis Hébert's widow, Marie ROLLET on 15 May 1629. He remained in Québec during the English Occupation from 1629-1632. He became an important man in the flourishing colony and Champlain granted him a plot of land in the vicinity of Québec. He worked his land and furnished wood to the Jesuits in March 1647. His wife died in 1649; he died four years later in 1653. (BD pp. 208-209)...5. My great-great-grandfather Joseph Léveillée - The Town Crier of St-Aimé
My father, Jean-Baptiste Léveillée, was born in the Parish of St-Aimé, now called Massueville, in Richelieu County, Québec, on 23 June 1905, as a I recently discovered during one of my visits to my ancestral land. My discovery surprised me because we always celebrated my father's birthday on 24 June, feast of St-Jean-Baptiste, after whom he was named. All his documents contain the 24 June date as his birth date which in reality was the date of his baptism. We didn't learn of this birth date until 97 years after his birth, in 2002. I am introducing the reader to the Parish of St-Aimé, founded in 1834, with an anecdote about my father's birth and baptism dates to set the scene for another discovery about one of my ancestors. This person is Joseph Fourquin dit Léveillé who was known as the "Le Crieur de St-Aimé - The Town Crier of St-Aimé". He is my father's great-grandfather, my great-great-grandfather...6. Mon Petit Coin - Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha
In honor of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha's feast day on July 14, my article will focus on this Mohawk-Algonquin Native American, who just happens to be "one of our relations". As an introduction, I need to make the reader aware of my premise for writing this month's article on Tekakwitha, a Native American. For the most part, the literature on Native Americans has been written from the white man's perspective. Research by anthropologists has been conducted by the white man from his viewpoint. Movies have been created by white men writers. I am trying to point out that our information about the Native Americans has been skewed in favor of what the white man imagined an Indian to be ...7. Mon Petit Coin - The Old Man of the Mountain - several articles are reprinted for your enjoyment.
During the night of May 2-3, 2003, a rumble was heard in Franconia Notch, New Hampshire. The next morning, hikers noticed that the Old Man of the Mountain had crumpled down the mountainside. There was no longer a reflection of the Great Stone Face in Profile Lake. The symbol and spirit of the White Mountains, honored by the Native Americans from time immemorial, first seen by a white man in 1805, viewed by millions of people since then, had disappeared forever in 2003...8. Mon Petit Coin - Blessed Dina Bélanger
the July issue of Késsinnimek - Roots - Racines, I wrote about "my cousin", Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. That discovery, written about in that article, was the result of extensive research. I continue this research for every piece of data found on my website. Last summer, during a PowWow at Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada, I met the husband of a distant cousin, a Bélanger, my maternal ancestry. He told me about a cousin of his who had done extensive reseach on the Bélanger ancestry. He gave me his email address and told me that he would write to this cousin, asking him to send me his research...9. Mon Petit Coin - Marie Mite8ameg8k8e Couc
The Algonquin woman, her heart weighing heavily with grief, fanned the embers of her fire covered with sage, sweetgrass, tobacco and cedar, sending billows of sacred smoke towards the Great Spirit as she sang a song of mourning. For days, she had prayed the same chant to Tabaldak, her Algonkin Creator, and to Nemitokusena, her Christian God the Father. She prayed that her mourning chant would give her a vision of what had happened to three people, her husband and two children, whom she loved and who loved her so dearly. Mite8ameg8k8e received comfort as she watched the sacred smoke rise towards the sky, bringing her prayerful pleas to the Great One, on this day of Spring (April 1652)...10. Steve Powley et al v. Her Majesty The Queen
recently became involved in the Corporation Métisse du Québec. This group of Québecois with French and Native American heritage is seeking the same rights and priviledges that the Canadian government extended to the Métis of the West. We are in the process of revising and updating its website. I plan to write about this Corporation in a series of articles. Many of the articles are presently in French only. Each month, I'll translate some of the articles into English. I'll go in succession as indicated in the Table of Contents - Table des Matières. My cousin, Pierre Montour and one of our authors, Louise Éthier Sharp will be assisting in the translations...11. Mon Petit Coin: My Acadian Ancestors and Information on Acadie
I remember having to complete an English assignment in High School in which I was not really interested. It was to read Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Epic poem Evangeline. I wondered why the author had chosen to use the poetic medium to tell us the story of this young girl who was separated from her lover by the British who persecuted and killed Acadians, loyal to the French government in New France (Canada), or deported them to France, or England or various locations in the United States, during the Great Deportation of 1755. It seemed to me that it was a wonderful story but could have been more interesting to a high school student and more easily read if Longfellow had used prose. Some fifty years later, my interest in this poem grew as a result of several factors. In the June 2003 issue of Késsinimex, Juliana L'Heureux wrote about Grand Pré. I purchased Stephen A. White's Dictionnaire généalogique des familles acadiennes. Using this three volume work, I updated the data on all my Acadian ancestors found in my ancestral website...12. Canadian Supreme Court Decisions of September 19, 2003
Since my last article in the October issue, the Supreme Court of Canada finally made decisions on the suits brought to it in March 2003: Her Majesty The Queen v. Steve Powley et al. and Ernest Lionel Joseph Blais vs. Her Majesty the Queen. In effect these two decisions by the Canadian Supreme Court establish the Métis ancestral and territorial rights, that these rights were never abolished by the subjugation of the Métis, first to French civil laws, then to the English civil laws. Here are the summaries: ...13. Suggestion Box - Corporation métisse du Québec
What's happening with the Métis of Québec & Eastern Canada? On November 8, 2003, the Corporation métisse du Québec et de l'est du Canada, met in Rivière-Bleue in the county of Temiscouata, in northern Québec, met for the first time. A result of this historical gathering can be found in three new links on their website: Boîte aux suggestions - Suggestion box - A Vous La Parole - Speak Your Mind14. Mon Petit Coin: Editorial Summary of the First Year of Publication
Permit me to look back on what we have accomplished during the first year of our publication Késsinnimek - Roots - Racines. As of the writing of this article, November 30, 2003, there have been 5796 visitors to our site. We have received comments from our readers indicating that what we are doing is informative, interesting and worthwhile. I chose the title "Késsinnimek - Roots - Racines" because for most of our authors, their "roots" have been threefold: Algonquin, American, Franco-Canadian. This online magazine is the result of my interest in genealogy; and because of this interest, I found many "cousins" who shared my "késsinnimek - roots - racines"...15. Results of the vote taken by the Corporation métisse du Québec & de l'est du Canada
A continuation of my article on the progress of the Métis of Québec and of Eastern Canada will simply point you to the "La définition des Métis(ses) par les titulaires des droits", which is "The Definition of the Métis by the holders (owners) of rights". On the site, I have liberally translated what the Members agreed to on the historic meeting of November 28, 2003. This liberal translation can be found at: www.metisduquebec.ca ...The holidays and holy days at Christmas and New Year have always brought back very fond memories of my youth, growing up in the village of Harris, in the town of Coventry, Rhode Island. This village was founded towards the end of the 19th century by the English owners of Interlaken Mills to receive the French-Canadian immigrants from the province of Québec who came to work in the textile mills along the Pawtucket River. Many of the men of these families came here first to secure work in the mills, either in the various machinery rooms or as a yardman. These men stayed here for several months even a year to establish a home for their family. Then, with a house and a secure job, they brought their family to this village. Eventually, a priest from Québec immigrated and the families built a church for their pastor and for themselves...17. Mon Petit Coin: Harris Village - Rhode Island USA - Le village de Harris.
Last month, I wrote about the Christmas and New Year holy day celebrations. I mentioned that I had lived in Harris Village, situated in the towns of Coventry, Cranston and West Warwick in the state of Rhode Island. Harris Village was one of many small villages situated along the Pawtuxet River where textile mills flourished during the latter part of the 19th and early part of the 20th centuries. Most of the villages were of ethnic origins: Arctic and Centreville for the French-Canadians, the Irish and Scotch; Riverpoint for the Portugese-Americans, Natick for the Italian immigrants. Most of the people, men, women and children, worked in the textile mills built by the English along that river. This was not unique to this region but common to many other New England towns. I will concentrate on the village where I was born and lived for 26 years...18. Mon Petit Coin: Memories Harris Village and also One of my heroes!
This month, I will go back into my mind to relive activities that I enjoyed with both of my "pépères" - my grandfathers. Again, these activities took place in my Harris Village. One of these activities was "jeu de cartes" - playing cards. My "Pépère Joseph Léveillée" taught me how to play cribbage. He was a geat teacher since I learned how to play well enough to beat him on many occasions. Or, did he really let me win! I wasn't sure. But I did always return home with a coin in my pocket, whether I won or not...As a follow-up to Juliana's story about a Franco-American hero in World War II, here's my story. "My cousin Alcide Léveillée was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division which parachuted behind enemy lines at the start of D-Day operations. His unit landed in the village of Ste-Mère Église. One of his buddy parachutists got stuck on the church tower and spent a very uncomfortable night suspended from this tower. A stained-glass window inside the church honors American paratroopers. Several others paratroopers never made it alive to hit the ground and do what they were supposed to do. Luckily, Al made it safely to the ground. However, he along with several other Americans were quickly surrounded and captured...
19. Mon Petit Coin: École Notre-Dame du Bon Conseil
There were thirty-four families in the center of the village of my youth. There were another fifty or more in the surrounding area. More than ninety percent of the children went to the local catholic parish school - Notre-Dame du Bon Conseil (Our Lady of Good Counsel). I never learned the English name of this parish until I was in high school. We also referred to it as Notre Dame when speaking English. I am sure that anyone who attended a French-Canadian-American catholic elementary school (grades 1 through 9) will be able to identify with my experiences.
First of all, the school was located within walking distance of several villages: my own Harris Village, Phenix, Riverpoint, Arkwright and Fiskeville. Those further away, like in the village of Hope, would take the local bus or get a ride from a parent or relative. There were no school buses available to us...20. Mon Petit Coin: Harris Mill & Harris Village
In my previous articles, I mentioned the village of Harris, located in the towns of Coventry and West Warwick, Rhode Island. In this article, I would like to give an historical background to the village of my birth. (Click on photos for enlarged view) Harris Mill was one of the sprawling textile mills built along the northwestern branch of the Pawtuxet River. Elisha Harris commissioned David Whitman in 1850 to build a mill on the shore of the Pawtuxet River. It contained carding machine rooms, looms and spinning frames with spindles, dye rooms and hand looms to weave yarn into cloth, all necessary to operate the cotton mill. Richard Arkwright built a textile mill north of Harris, on the same branch of the Pawtuxet, in Fiskeville...21. Mon Petit Coin: Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish ou en français La Paroisse de Notre-Dame du Bon Conseil
As I mentioned in previous articles, the place of my birth was in my maternal grandmother's home at 68 Mill Street, in the village of Harris, in the town of Coventry, Rhode Island. When I was baptized in the church of Notre-Dame du Bon Conseil - Our Lady of Good Counsel, the Catholic parish that served that village as well as several surrounding villages had been in existence for only 38 years. In this article, I would like to give an historical perspective of the parish of my ancestors here in Rhode Island...Comme je vous l'ai mentionné dans de précédents articles, je suis né dans la maison de ma grand'mère à 68 Mill Street, dans le village de Harris, dans la ville de Coventry, Rhode Island. Au moment de mon baptême, la paroisse de Notre-Dame du Bon Conseil n'avait que trente-huit ans d'existence et desservait les villages environnants. Dans cet article, je vais vous donner le point de vue historique de la paroisse de mes ancêtres dans l'état de Rhode Island...
22. Mon Petit Coin: L'École Notre-Dame du Bon Conseil Rewritten and updated!
First of all, the school was located within walking distance of several villages: my own Harris Village, Phenix, Riverpoint, Arkwright and Fiskeville. Those further away, like in the village of Hope, would take the local bus or get a ride from a parent or relative. There were no school buses available to us. My home was a ten minute walk from the school. Occasionally, during the first years of school, my father would come home for the noon day meal and drive me to school in the mill truck. I very seldom walked to school alone. There were always some friends or classmates who banded together to have fun on the way to and from school. Of course, the younger ones were always watched over by the older children. There were times when this group of travelers stopped on their way from school to play a game of baseball or tag footbal in one of the fields nearby. Every adult along this well-travelled route knew who we were, where we had come from and where we were going...23. A cousin who parachuted into Ste-Mère-Église on June 4, 1944
However, he along with several other Americans were quickly surrounded and captured. They were put into a makeshift prison, probably in the town hall or local school. The prisoners were fed by the French of that village who came across the bridge to the prison each day. In the evening the men of Ste-Mère Église would come to the prison with bread, wine and oftentimes a stew or simply vegetables. Since my cousin was Franco-Canadian-American, he spoke French. He learned English, like myself, in the local parish school, the same school that all of us attended who lived in Harris Village, Rhode Island. He became the interpreter for the rest of his buddies in that unit. My cousin Al was able to escape however. As the story goes, one evening four Frenchmen came into the prison to feed the prisoners. Five left the prison, one of them, my cousin who spoke boldly to his German captor in French, thanking him for allowing the townspeople to feed the prisoners. Al hid in the basement of the home of his rescuer. He stayed there until the Americans who had landed on the Normandy beaches advanced into that village, pushing back the enemy...24. A personal experience in Bastogne, Belgium Ma viste à Bastogne en Belgique
Since my uncle Gérard participated actively in the Battle of the Bulge, I decided to visit the Ardennes, and specifically Bastogne during the summer of 1958. I promised my uncle that I would take pictures of the places where he had been, but especially Bastogne where he had fought. And I did just that. He appreciated seeing these photos. An experience that I will never forget happend to me while I was visiting Bastogne. Three of us arrived on our Maico motorcycles (150cc) into town late Saturday night, on our way back to our colleage in Louvain, Belgium. Just before at the outskirts of Bastogne, my motorcyle started skipping - so much so that I didn't think that I would make it into the center of town. However, I did manage to arrive at a small restaurant-hotel, some of the way by pushing the dead cycle. I inquired if there were any garages or mechanics in town. I was directed to a Monsieur Degraide's Garage at the edge of town...
Mon oncle Gérard était soldat dans l'Armée Américaine, durant la bataille des Ardennes, surtout aux environs de la ville de Bastogne en Belgique. En 1958, j'ai décidé de visiter cette région et de prendre des photos pour mon oncle. Je lui ai d'ailleurs envoyé les photos prises là-bas et il les a bien appréciées. Durant ce voyage à Bastogne, quelque chose d'assez spécial est survenu; un incident que je pourrai jamais oublier. Nous étions trois amis qui étaient en route pour notre Collège Américain à Louvain après avoir passé l'été en France. En approchant de la ville, voilà que ma moto Maico commence à faire des siennes et ne voulait plus rouler. De peine et de misère, je me suis rendu au petit restaurant-hôtel de la ville, la plupart du temps en poussant ma motocyclette. Malheureusement, le garage était fermé pour le weekend...25. Mon Petit Coin: Blessed/Bienheureuse Kateri Tekakwitha
In honor of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha's feast day on July 14, my article will focus once again on this Mohawk-Algonquin Native American, who just happens to be "one of my relations". Last year, I tried to give the reader a view of Tekakwitha from the Native American perspective by using ideas and words from two Jesuit missionaries who were contemporaries of Kateri. I also included opinions and quotes from several scholars on Native Americans, including Native American writers. However, this year I will attempt to write from my heart, how Tekakwitha came into my life and has influenced it since the discovery of "my cousin". Several years ago, in researching my ancestry, I discovered an Algonquin woman, Mite8ameg8k8e, who had been baptized as Marie and worshiped in the Catholic faith. After her Algonquin husband Assababich died, she eventually found love again in the person of Pierre Couc, a French soldier and colonist in New France in the 17th century. They married and raised seven children...26. Mon Petit Coin: A personal experience with Blessed Katéri Tekakwitha - July 2004
Last month, July 2004, my article honored my cousin Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. I made a reference to a story about Kateri, A Litany to My Cousin that was written in May 2002, two and half years after I had discovered this saintly Mohawk-Algonquin woman. The story was also the result of a pilgrimage to Kateri's three shrines: at Ossernenon (Auriesville, NY), Canaughwaga (Fonda, NY) and Kahnawaké (Québec, Canada). During that pilgramage of 2000, I prayed to her for a very important favor. I described this event in my booklet A Litany to My Cousin ... As I walked the grounds of St. Peter's Mission, I kept thinking about my discovery, about my cousin Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, about my request that she watch over my daughter's family as they were going through a tough period of divorce. The chapel is a quiet place with many paintings and artifacts pertaining to our Kateri. The hillside with its Stations of the Cross is an invitation to follow the passion of Jesus and to contemplate its mysteries as Tekakwitha did three hundred and fifty years ago. Then I saw the following statue:...27. A summary of a news story about the Church of the North American Martyrs, in Auburn, Massachusetts
There is a parish in Auburn, Massachusetts which celebrates the North Amercian Martyrs, the eight Jesuits who were sent to New France shortly after the landing of the Mayflower in 1620. They were the Jesuit Father Isaac Jogues, the donnés or lay assistants Jean de Lalande and René Goupil, the Jesuit priests Antoine Daniel, Jean de Brébeuf, Gabriel Lalemant, Charles Garnier and Noël Chabanel who were killed by the Iroquois between 1642 and 1649. Father Joques and Jean de Lalande and René Goupil were martyred in Ossernon (present day Auriesville, NY) in 1646, ten years before Tekakwitha was born to a Mohawk chief and his Christian Algonquin wife in 1656...28. Mon Petit Coin: Discovery of rare books on Catherine Tekakwitha and excerpts from two of these
Recently, I became the proud owner of several first and second editions of books written about Kateri Tekakwitha, namely in the 1930 & 1940's. There was much activity at that time regarding the beginning of the canonization process of this Native American as a Catholic Saint. Récemment, je me suis procuré de plusieurs oeuvres - éditions premières et secondes - écrits, pendant les années 1930 et 1940, au sujet de Catherine Tekakwitha. On était en train de documenter la vie de cette sainte enfin de commencer le procès de canonization. These are the wonderful books that I have acquired and read enthusiastically: Voici les merveilleux livres acueillis et lus avec enthousiasme:1. "La Vie gracieuse de Catherine Tekakwitha" by Juliette Lavergne, Editions Fides, Montréal, written in 1934, in French. (A gift from my cousin Rita Roy Drouin - Merci, Rita). Wildy Brousseau bought it for $2.00 Juliette Lavergne écirt les détails en pleine de la scène autochtone comme fond de la naissance de Tekakwitha comme membre de la tribu des Agniers......29. Mon Petit Coin: Witnesses to Her Sanctity, Apparitions and Cures or/ou Témoignages de Sa Sainteté, Apparitions et Guérisons A continuation of the Life of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha.
I am continuing my story about Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, again citing passages from Father Lecompte's An Iroquois Virgin - Catherine Tekakwitha, Lily of the Mohawk and the St. Lawrence, 1656-1680, Translated by Sister Francis, published 1932. "On the death of a servant of God the first impression is his reputation for holiness with the people. "She is a saint," they vied with one another in repeating. The Iroquois at the Sault, after Catherine had died, said to one another: "The saint is dead."... Father Cholenec, witness of the glory that surrounded Catherine's name, wrote in 1715 to his Provincial in France...Je continue mon histoire de la Bienheureuse Katéri Tekakwitha, en citant d'autres extraits du livre du Père Lecompte, Une Vierge Iroquoise, Catherine Tekakwitha, Le Lis des bords de la Mohawk et du St-Laurent (1656-1680), publié en 1930. "A la mort d'un serviteur ou d'une servante de Dieu, ce qui frappe d'abord c'est sa réputatioon de sainteté, répandue dans le peuple "C'était un saint, une sainte", répète-t-on à l'envi. Les Iroquois du Sault, après le décès de Catherine Tekakwitha, se disaient les uns aux autres: "La sainte est morte." ... Le P. Cholenec, témoin de la gloire qui auréolait le nom de Catherine, écrit à son Provincial de France en 1715 ...
30. How I spread knowledge of and devotion to my cousin Blessed Katéri Tekakwitha My Promise
I am continuing my story about Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. In this article, I would like to share with you one of the ways that I continue to spread knowledge and devotion to my cousin, as I promised her on July 14, 2000 at her shrine in Caughnawaga, now Fonda, NY.As I was praying to Kateri in front of this statue, I renewed my prayerful request ... I became enraptured in meditative prayer. I felt myself going back to the time and place of Tekakwitha. She was speaking to me; she asked me to spend the rest of my life in spreading knowledge of and devotion to her. I promised her that her request would be my guide for the rest of my life here on earth. Excerpt from A Litany to My CousinI suspend a large medal on a deerhide string, on which are beads of different coloring to form a necklace honoring Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. The colors used are of Native American usage...31. Important events in Kateri's life Published in 1940 by the Franciscan Fathers at Fonda, New York.
"Forward: The ever increasing requests for information concerning Catherine Tekakwitha have caused this short account of the"Lily of the Mohawks" to be presented to the public. 1656:Tekakwitha was born either at Ossernenon or at Gandoaouga (now Auriesville, N.Y.) on the south bank of the Mohawk River. Her father was a Mohawk Indian chief of the Turtle Clan...32. A tribute to one of our authors Henri-Vincent Gosselin
In the middle of each month, I send an email to all the authors of our online magazine Késsinnimek - Roots - Racines reminding them of the forthcoming issue, in this case the October 1, 2004 issue. I received the message below from one of our authors Henri-Vincent Gosselin who has written several articles for our magazine:...33. Mon petit coin: My three/mes trois "Pierre Léveillée" and/et Fans of the Boston Red Sox
In my paternal lineage, there are three Pierre Léveillée: my son Peter (Pierre), who for the present is the last in my lineage with the Léveillée surname, is the third Pierre. The second is Pierre Fourquin dit Léveillée, who was born in 1686 in Lorraine, France and who married Barbe Félis in Vittel before 1723. Whether he stayed in France with his mother when his father, the first Pierre, came to New France as a soldier or came to New France with his father and mother, and then returned to Lorraine to marry Barbe Félis. I have as yet found data to support either of these suppositions. Ironically, the first two "Pierre" are also ancestors of my father's maternal lineage...In the spring of 1938, at the age of 3 years, I saw my first Boston Red Sox baseball game. As a matter of fact, I also saw my first Boston Braves game. I have been a Red Sox fan since that time - some times an avid fan, at other times a so-so fan. Every year thereafter, except for one, until I was about 15 years old, my father Jean Baptiste Léveillée, my grandfather "Pépère" Joseph Léveillée, an uncle "mon oncle" Adelare Salvas, other uncles from time to time, and I would go to Boston to watch a Red Sox game. We also had to go to see a Boston Braves game since my "pépère" and "mon oncle" were Braves fans. My father and I were for the Red Sox. My favorite ballplayer and hero, of course, was Ted Williams. But, I remember fondly, and liked very much, Bobby Doer, Johnny Pesky, Dom Dimaggio and Jimmie Fox. Actually, any of the Red Sox players were also my favorite...
34. Mon petit coin: New biography of Dina Bélanger in English and/et en français.
In the August 2003 issue of Késsinnimek - Roots - Racines, I wrote about my discovery of a distant cousin, Dina Bélanger, who was named Blessed by Pope John Paul II in 1993. I wrote a brief history of her life:Blessed Dina BÉLANGER was born at Québec on 30 April 1897, the daughter of Olivier Octave BÉLANGER & Séraphia MATTE. Her parents lived at 168 Notre Dame des Anges in the Parish of Jacques Cartier. Dina was baptized at St. Roch, Québec. She studied music and planned to become a concert pianist. While studying in New York, Dina lived with the Religious of Jesus-Mary. She returned home and decided to enter the religious life in the Congrégation de Jésus-Marie at Sillery, where the nuns had their mother house. She entered the convent at the age of 24, in August 1921. She entered the order of Jésus-Marie in February 1922 and received the name Sister Marie Sainte-Cécile de Rome and took her final vows on 25 August 1923. As a nun, Dina BÉLANGER taught music...35. The Council of Women - A great Christmas Feast English and/et français
Are organizing a great feast for Christmas (alcohol- and drug-free) on Saturday December 11, 2004 at the local L'Âge d'Or of Pohénégamook(St-Eleuthère) at 1904 B St-Vallier basement of the church. To celebrate among family and friends, members and non-members. We will be waiting for you from 2h00pm with registrations for many acitivities for the little ones and the adults such as...Organise une grande fête de Noël (sans alcool et drogue) samedi le 11 décembre 2004 au local de L'Âge d'Or de Pohénégamook(St-Eleuthère) au 1904 B St-Vallier sous-sol de l'église. Pour célébrer en famille et amis, membres et non-membres. Nous vous attendons dès 14 heures avec inscriptions pour plusieurs activités pour petits et grands comme ...
36. Fleur-de-la-Prairie - Prairie Flower: The Algonquin Mother of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha
et en français Fleur-de-la-Prairie: La mère algonquine de la Bienheureuse Katéri TekakwithaThere has been much written about Kateri Tekakwitha. She is called the "Lily of the Mohawks" because she belonged to the Turtle Clan of the Mohawk tribe of the Iroquois nation. There is an extensive bibliography of works on this saintly Indian maiden. Most authors emphasize her Mohawk affiliation. They may, at times, mention in passing her Algonquin heritage. However, there is very little known and written about her Algonquin mother who was baptized a Catholic. Most prayers to her do not mention her Christian Algonquin influence. I contend that Tekakwitha's spirituality is due primarily to, if not almost solely on, the influence of her mother's Catholic faith imparted to her daughter during the first four years of Tekakwitha's life. What three or four year old child is not aware of what her mother is doing, in this case kneeling and praying to the Great Spirit as taught to her by the Black Robes? I am sure that she quizzed her mother...Il y a plusieurs oeuvres écrites au sujet de Katéri Tekakwitha. On l'avait surnommée "le Lys des Agniers" parcequ'elle était membre du Clan de la Torture de la tribu des Agniers (Mohawks) de la nation Iroquoise. Une grande bibliographie insiste sur sa filiation agnière, mais, nous retrouvons peu d'écrits sur sa mère algonquine qui fut elle aussi baptisée dans la religion catholique. La plupart des prières à Katéri ne mentionnent pas l'influence chrétienne algonquinne. Je suis persuadé que la grande spiritualité de Tekakwitha est dûe d'abord à l'influence de la foi catholique de sa mère et ce, dès les quatre premières années de vie de Tekakwitha. Quel enfant de trois ou quatre ans qui voit régulièrement sa mère à genoux et en prières ne lui demanderait pas ce qu'elle fait ainsi à genoux? Je suis certain que la petite Kateri a, sans doute, demandé à sa mère ce qu'elle faisait là...
37. Kateri Tekakwitha according to Juliette Lavergne, Part 2
et en français Katéri Tekakwitha selon Juliette Lavergne, Deuxième partieLast month, I proposed a different look at Blessed Kateri's Christian Catholic influence by her Algonquin mother Fleur-de-la-Prairie. As I read successive chapters in Juliette Lavergne wonderful little book, I found many other references to Fleur-de-la-Prairie's influence on her young daugher. In subsequent articles, I will indicate in bold letters the christian influence of Tekakwitha's mother, Fleur-de-la-Prairie (Prairie Flower) on her daughter, by her actions, words and prayers to the Great Spirit. I would like to see added to all her prayers "Flower of the Algonquins" and not just "Lily of the Mohawks". It was her Algonquin mother who put the seed of a christian life in her daughter at the most influential period of a person's life: childhood. And the Great Spirit allowed this seed to grow within Fleur-de-la-Prairie's daughter..Dans la parution de janvier 2005, j'ai présenté une théorie que notre Tekakwitha a été fort influencée par sa mère catholique chrétienne, par ses actes, ses mots et ses prières au Grand-Esprit. Donc, dans les chapitres suivants, je vais noter les références en lettres en grasse de l'influence de Fleur-de-la-Prairie. Je demande qu'on ajoute à ses prières "Fleur des Algonquins" et non plus seulement "Lis des Agniers/Mohawks". C'était sa mère Algonquine qui a mis la graine d'une vie chrétienne dans l'âme de sa petite fille au moment où une personne est la plus influencée: son enfance. Et le Grand Esprit a permis que cette graine pousse à maturité dans la petite fille de Fleur-de-la-Prairie...
38. Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha - Part Three
et en français La Bienheureuse Katéri Tekakwitha - Troisième PartieFor the March 2005 issue, I will continue the story of my cousin, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, again by basing myself on the beautiful work of Juliette Lavergne La Vie gracieuse de Catherine Tekakwitha (The Graceful Life of Catherine Tekakwitha). As in my preceeding articles, I will indicate in bold print the Christian influence of her mother, Fleur-de-la-Prairie (Prairie Flower). For me, the Christian Catholic influence of Fleur-de-la-Prairie is very strong, as you, our readers, will become aware of in the following chapters. Her mother taught her charity, humility, modesty, the acceptance of sharing the Cross of Christ in the humiliations which she would suffer during her life. And this Christian life would grow under the spiritual influence of the Great Spirit and through the education learned at the feet of the Black Robes, later in her life...Pour la parution mars 2005, je vais continuer l'histoire de ma cousine la Bienheureuse Katéri Tekakwitha en employant le beau texte de Juliette Lavergne La Vie gracieuse de Catherine Tekakwitha. Comme dans mes articles des mois précédents, je vais indiquer en lettres en grasse l'influence chrétienne de sa mère, Fleur-de-la-Prairie. Pour moi, l'influence chrétienne catholique de Fleur-de-la-Prairie a été très forte, comme vous, les lecteurs, allez vous rendre compte dans ces chapitres qui suivent. Sa mère lui a appris la charité, l'humilité, la modestie, l'acceptance de partager la croix du Christ dans les humiliations qu'elle a subis pendant sa vie. Et cette vie chrétienne va s'épanouir sous l'influence spirituelle du Grand Esprit et l'éducation apprise aux pieds des Robes Noires, plus tard dans sa vie...
39. Canadian Folklore Canadien
Fran Wilcox recently sent me an internet site what deals with Canadian Folklore Canadien which can be found at www.fl.ulaval.ca/celat/acef/171a.htm
Articles about Amerindians on this website: Laurier TURGEON, Denys DELAGE et Réal OUELLET, Marius Barbeau et l’ethnologie des Amérindiens/, Marius Barbeau and the Folklore of Amerindians...40. Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha - Part Four et en français La Bienheureuse Katéri Tekakwitha - Quatrième Partie
For the April 2005 issue, I will continue the story of my cousin, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, again by basing myself on the beautiful work of Juliette Lavergne La Vie gracieuse de Catherine Tekakwitha (The Graceful Life of Catherine Tekakwitha). As in my preceeding articles, I will indicate in bold print the Christian influence of her mother, Fleur-de-la-Prairie (Prairie Flower). The Algonquian word "Pittaraski8ssi" which means "Flower of the land" could very well be the native name of this Algonquin woman. In the Ojibway language, Prairie Flower would appear as "Wahwahsekona". The more that I read and research about Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, the more convinced I become of the great influence of her Christian Algonquin mother. Without Pittaraski8ssi or Fleur-de-la-Prairie's influence during Tekakwitha's infancy, there would not have been a "Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha ...Pour la parution avril 2005, je vais continuer l'histoire de ma cousine la Bienheureuse Katéri Tekakwitha en employant le beau texte de Juliette Lavergne La Vie gracieuse de Catherine Tekakwitha. Comme dans mes articles des mois précédents, je vais indiquer en lettres en grasse l'influence chrétienne de sa mère, Fleur-de-la-Prairie. Le mot algonquian "Pittaraski8ssi" , qui veut dire "Fleur de la terre" est peut-être le nom en algonquin de cette femme Algonquienne. Dans la langue Ojibway, Fleur-de-la-Praire sera "Wahwahsekona". Pour moi, en lisant et en recherchant sans cesse au sujet de la Bienheureuse Katéri Tekakwitha, je deviens de plus en plus convaincu de la grande influence de sa mère chrétienne catholique. Sans l'influence de Pittaraski8ssi ou Fleur-de-la-Prairie pendant l'enfance de Tekakwitha, il n'y aura point de "Bienheureuse Katéri Tekakwitha"...
41. Mon Petit Coin - Some thoughts
The praying towns were started by John Eliot, a Puritan Missionary from England. As the Native people of the different areas where he preached converted to Christianity, they could live in the town. The towns then became known as praying towns. See this website for more information on the towns in CT...42. Watercolor Painting of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha by professional artist Dorothy M. Speiser
(Copy of a watercolor © by Dorothy M. Speiser
Editor's Commentary: If you visit my website dedicated to my cousin Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, you will find copies of many paintings of this Native American saint. However, the above recent acquisition, sent to me by Richard Aubrey Payne, and with the artist's permission to use in my site, is the most beautiful and the closest portrayal of who, in my opinion, is the real Tekakwitha ...43. Tekakwitha at La Prairie and in French Tekakwitha à La Prairie
For the May 2005 issue, I will continue the story of my cousin, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha by using the beautiful work of Juliette Lavergne La Vie gracieuse de Catherine Tekakwitha. Tekakwitha left Caughnawaga (Fonda, NY) for La Prairie, in Québec. The Algonquian "Pittaraski8ssi", which means "Flower of the land" is perhaps the algonquin name of this Algonquin woman. In the Ojibwa language, also in the Algonquian language group, Fleur-de-la-Prairie would be "Wahwahsekona". I have decided that the Ojibwa term "Wahwahsekona" would better describe the translation of "Fleur-de-la-Praire", since it really means "flower of the prairie". Therefore, I will use this Indian name for the Algonquin mother of Tekakwitha. As in previous articles, I will indicate in bold letters, the Catholic Christian influence of Tekakwitha's mother, Fleur-de-la-Prairie or Wahwahsekona...Pour la parution mai 2005, je vais continuer l'histoire de ma cousine la Bienheureuse Katéri Tekakwitha en employant le beau texte de Juliette Lavergne La Vie gracieuse de Catherine Tekakwitha. Tekakwitha est partie de Caughnawaga (Fonda, NY) pour La Prairie au Québec. Le mot algonquian "Pittaraski8ssi" , qui veut dire "Fleur de la terre" est peut-être le nom en algonquin de cette femme Algonquienne. Dans la langue Ojibwa, Fleur-de-la-Praire sera "Wahwahsekona". J'ai décidé que le terme en Ojibway "Wahwahsekona" indique mieux la traduction de "Fleur-de-la-Prairie". Donc je vais employer ce nom indien pour la mère algonquine de Tekakwitha. Dans cet article comme dans les précédents, je vais souligner en lettres grasses l'influence catholique chrétienne de la mère de Tekakwitha, Fleur-de-la-Prairie ou Wahwahsekona...
44. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger - Pope Benedict XVI
Excerpt from www.cnn.com: The cardinal was born in Marktl Am Inn, but his father, a policeman, moved frequently and the family left when he was 2. He and his older brother, Georg -- former director of the renowned Regensburger Domspatzen boys choir -- return annually to the peaceful halls of St. Michael's Seminary to stay in the elegant, but sparsely furnished bishop's apartment next to the church. An accomplished pianist who loves Mozart, Ratzinger enjoys playing the grand piano in the seminary's main hall, and walking through downtown Traunstein greeting people, Frauenlob said...45. Native Americans on the Oregon Trail
The first section of the Oregon Trail bisected two major Native American tribes--the Cheyenne to the north and the Pawnee to the south. The emigrants worried about both. But the expected attacks did not come. In fact, there were many instances of Native American kindness--helping pull out stuck wagons; rescuing drowning emigrants; even rounding up lost cattle Most of the encounters with Native Americans were simple business transactions. The emigrants offered clothes, tobacco or rifles, in exchange for Native American horses or food...46. Tekakwitha at La Prairie and in French Tekakwitha à La Prairie
This article will be the sixth in a series of articles based on the work of Juliette Lavergne's La Vie Gracieuse de Catherine Tekakwitha. This translation will encompass Chapters VI through XI. I will conclude the series in the July issue with the last five chapters of her work...Cet article est le sixième de la série de l'oeuvre de Juliette Lavergne La Vie Gracieuse de Catherine Tekakwitha. Je vais transcrire les Chapitres VI à XI. Je vais conclure la série dans la parution juillet avec la transcription des cinq derniers chapitres de son oeuvre...
47. Election of Benedict XVI 'a moment of grace', by Archbishop Charles J. ChaputFrom the Friends-List.
Election of Benedict XVI 'a moment of grace': The Denver Catholic Register Week of April 27, 2005 By Archbishop Charles J. Chaput* (see Archbishop Chaput's biography below) Archbishop of Denver, Colorado: "Pontiff knows the soul of the world depends on the Church's faithful witness. Moments after the Holy See announced the election of Pope Benedict XVI last week, a friend of mine quipped that "Some folks will think that God isn't a very good listener" because He had ignored - yet again - the advice of most of the American media..."Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha was named one of several patrons of the World Youth Day in Toronto in 2002. Father Paolo Molinari, S.J., the Postulator in Rome, wrote this about her status there: "It is for us of real support - and it is at the same time a consolation - to be aware that the Holy Father has presented Kateri Tekakwitha as a model to the hundreds of thousands of young people gathered in Toronto..."49. Father Ronald Veigas, pastor of St. Francis Xavier Mission in Kable, Diocese of Shimoga, India
St. Francis Xavier, S.J., evangelized and established Missions in Southwest India and Japan during the early 16th century. During the 17th century, missionary activities were widespread across North America. The noted Jesuits, Sts. Isaac Joques, René Goupil and Jean Lalande among others, were evangelizing and establishing Missions. Isaac Joques established the Holy Trinity Mission at Ossernenon (Auriesville NY) around 1642. His two companions were martyred and he was tortured. He escaped but returned to his mission where he, in his turn, was martyred in 1646 by the Mohawks. Ten years later in this Mission was born Tekakwitha. I have written extensively about my cousin Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, both in my site dedicated to her and in this magazine.
The 21st Century: The missionary work continues even today. In Kable, in the diocese of Shimoga, the St. Francis Xavier mission has as its pastor Father Ronald Veigas...50. Conclusion: Tekakwitha at La Prairie et en français La conclusion: Tekakwitha à La Prairie
This is the seventh and last article in the series from the work of Juliette Lavergne's La Vie Gracieuse de Catherine Tekakwitha. I will translate the final Chapters XII to XVI: "Like so many others who came before him to the mission, Aigle was received with a sincere friendship by honest and truly Christian souls. The missionary came to warmly greet the famous Mohawk captain. Étoile-du-Matin (Morning Star) took care of him like a devoted sister. Meanwhile Pied-Léger (Lightfoot) and the Huron, realizing the seriousness of the wound so deep and painful, infected by dust, the lack of care, the rubbing of clothing of the carefree Indian, spoke of this to the missionary Father..."C'est le sixième and dernier article de la série de l'oeuvre de Juliette Lavergne's La Vie Gracieuse de Catherine Tekakwitha. Je vais transcrire les Chapitres XII à XVI: "Comme tant d'autres venus avant lui à la mission, l'Aigle fut reçu avec une sincère amitié par ces âmes droites et vraiment chrétiennes. Le missionnaire vint saluer avec beaucoup d'égards le célèbre capitaine de la Mohawk. Étoile-du-Matin le soigna comme une soeur dévouée. Cependant Pied-Léger et le Huron, constatant la gravité de la blessure extrêmement profonde et douloureuse, blessure envenimée par la poussière, le manque de soin, le frottement des vêtements de l'insouciant Indien, en parlèrent au Père missionnaire..."
51. Hommage à Dina Bélanger * Le courage d'aimer
Les Religieuses de Jésus-Marie de Sillery ont produit un CD dernièrement, un magnifique CD sur la vie de Dina Bélanger. C'est un véritable ravissement que d'écouter ces voix pures et mélodieuses qui nous révèlent la vie de cette jeune sainte encore méconnue de beaucoup d'entre nous. Ce CD contient 20 cantiques qui nous font mieux connaître la vie de la Bienheureuse Dina Bélanger...52. French and Native North American Marriages 1600-1800
The revised editon of Paul Bunnell's book French And Native North American Marriages 1600-1800 is a marvelous book dedicated to all our Native American and European ancestors who married to create a new nation of Métis. Paul has spent considerable time in this second edition, bringing up-to-date data based on more accurate resources. In the introduction, Paul writes: "This work is dedicated to my Huron ancestors to whom I am related, in some cases several times." And for the next two pages, he lists several of his Native American and European ancestors53. Mon Petit Coin #2 - My Little Corner: the passing of a beloved old friend by the name of ...
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend by the name of Common Sense who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic Red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such value lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm and that life isn't always fair...53. Mon Petit Coin #3 for the URL addresses:Acadian-Cajun List & Circle of Nations.
Hi Everybody, I have just posted to items you will find interesting if you had Acadian Ancestors along the St. John River from 1755-1760. Stephen A. White put together an article that is now on my web site. Another item you might find of great interest consists of extracts from the Pennsylvania Gazette that tell us what was happening on the St. John River at that time. Both are temporarily at the top of the sidebar. Enjoy and my thanks to Stephen White. www.acadian-home.org Lucie LeBlanc Consentino ...One of my Email correspondants sent me this URL regarding the Algonquin "Circle of Nations". There is some interesting information at this site regarding the Algonquin nation. One of my ancestors, Mite8ameg8k8e was an Algonguin. The following quotes are from the opening pages of the website: "It was prophesized that the time would come when the voice of indigenous peoples would rise again after five hundred years of silence and oppression, to light a path to an eternal fire of peace, love, brotherhood and sisterhood amongst all nations..."
54. A Poem in Remembrance - IF I KNEW
If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep
...55. Quaker Road Stories - the Goodwillie Family, Farm and Factory by Diane Goodwillie.
For more than 7,000 years humans have lived in southern Ontario, and, for at least one thousand years people have moved through Welland's Quaker Road district. Archeologists have discovered sites revealing the prehistory of the first inhabitants but accurate understanding of the early history of southern Ontario prior to the European invasion is difficult. Much has been lost, ignored or misinterpreted...56. Les Lambert
Pour nos lecteurs francophones, voici un article qui a apparu dans le site Nos Racines: "La grande famille Lambert qui se subdivise sous les surnoms de Dumont, Champagne, Aubin et Sainte-Marie est issue de plusieurs pionniers d’origine française qui ont immigré en Nouvelle-France au XVIIe siècle. Le premier et certainement le plus connu d’entre eux est Eustache Lambert dont le lieu d’origine reste inconnu. On sait que sa mère vivait à Boulogne en 1650, mais de quelle ville s’agit-il puisque ce nom désigne plusieurs lieux. Venait-il de la Vendée ou de la Picardie ? Le fait que sa mère et sa sœur aient vécu à Boulogne permet-il de conclure qu’il y soit né ?..."57. Columbus Day - A National Holiday or A Day of Mourning?
First of all, you need to know that I have an Algonquin ancestor by the name of Mite8ameg8k8e who married Pierre Couc, a French soldier/trader in the 17th century. I was born an American of an American mother and a French-Canadian father who became an American citizen. Both my paternal and maternal ancestors are of French-Canadian origin, in addition to my Algonquin ancestry. Will I be able to write an unbiased opinion? ...58. Sept premières années de ma vie
Je n'avais (prononcé "avé") que sept ans et j'étais (j'été) dans la première grade de l'école paroissale Notre-Dame du (dzu) Bon Conseil avant que j'ai appris à comprendre et à parler anglais (anglade) (ou parfois, on disait "américain").Les cinq