French Canadian and Native Families
Researching Native, First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Ancestry: First, follow all of your ancestral lines back as far as you can go with primary records, rather than relying on family trees found online. In the vast majority of cases, you will find proof of your Native Ancestry in the parish records, especially the marriage record for the French Canadian and his Native Spouse, and / or the baptisms of their children. See the Profiles of Detroit River Region Families for examples of how these relationships are recorded in the Parish Registers.
Database of Native Americans who Married or had Children by a Native American: See Denis Beauregard's lists of these marriages on his website Genealogy of the French in North America under the topic Metis Founders: http://www.francogene.com/gfna/gfna/998/index.htm
Parish Records for Michilimackinac: Although a translation/transcriptions of the first volume of the parish records for Michilimackinac is available on Ancestry, if you are researching your ancestors who lived in the area known as Michilimackinac, we recommend that you consider purchasing the CD from Ste. Anne's on Mackinac Island. Their CD contains the original parish records from 1695 to 1888 as well as a translation/transcription of the first volume of the parish records. Click on the link to access the Gift Shop at Ste. Anne's: http://www.steanneschurch.org/giftshop.htm
Detroit River Region métis Families, by Diane Wolford Sheppard
Each profile contains images of one or more original parish records or other records that prove that the descendants were métis. The profiles includes coverage of members of second or third generation métis families that originated in another area but who lived in the Detroit River Region for a period of time. Profiles of métis families who lived at Michilimackinac or Fort St. Joseph are included with the profiles of the other families who lived at those forts. Please see those pages on our website.
Our goal is to accurately document the French-Canadian and Native Families in the Detroit River Region with primary and established secondary records.
Articles:
Articles about specific families:
FCHSM Members – Log In to Read Articles about the following métis families:
The Roy Family, by Suzanne Boivin Sommerville, published in the October 2008 and January 2009 issues in Michigan’s Habitant Heritage.
The Chesne dit Labutte Family, by Gail Moreau-DesHarnais and Diane Wolford Sheppard, published in the October 2012, January 2013, and April 2013 issues of Michigan’s Habitant Heritage.
The Bocade > Bocage > Baillargeon Family, by Gail Moreau-DesHarnais, published in the October 2014 through October 2015 issues of Michigan’s Habitant Heritage.
James Otto Lewis 1827 portrait - Francis Godfroy - A Celebrated Miami Chief - The portrait was painted at the 1827 Treaty of Fort Wayne. Francis Palawonza Godfroy was a War Chief of the Miami. He was probably the son of Jacques Godfroy by a Miami. Francis Godfroy was the great-grandson of Pierre Chesne dit Saint-Onge and Louise Jeanne Bailly
Portrait of Jean Baptiste Pin$iwa Richardville - Civil Chief of the Miami Indians. Jean Baptiste Richardville was the son of Joseph Antoine Drouet dit Richardville and Tacumwah, sister of Miami War Chief Little Turtle. At the time of his death, Jean Baptiste Richardville was reputed to be the richest person in Indiana. This portrait was downloaded in 2012 from the History Center https://fwhistorycenter.org/richardville-house/ The above portrait is no longer featured on their website. A later portrait is now the featured portrait.
