The “Métis” of Historic Acadia 1955
295. Further Mid-Twentieth Century Academic Writings Concerning the “Métis” of Historic Acadia: This folder contains a copy of the Wednesday, July 06, 1955 issue of the Chicoutimi and Saguenay, Québec newspaper entitled, “Le Progrès du Saguenay.”
This issue of the “Le Progrès du Saguenay” is important because of an article written by Acadian Genealogist and Historian, Bona Arsenault. This article is properly entitled, “L’Acadie des Ancêtres” and can be found on page 04 of this issue. I’ve already provided biographical information concerning Mr. Arsenault at various points in this collection therefore, I won’t be providing any additional information concerning him in the current summary. An important excerpt from this article concerns the “Métis” people of Acadia in the seventeenth century and is as follows:
“… Au cours de ces ranconnées, ils réussirent à atteindre la plupart des “coureurs des bois” français disperses dans les solitudes acadiennes et à légitimer plusieurs unions contractées entre Français et sauvagesses. Plusieurs des compagnons de Latour, et Latour lui-même, avaient eu des enfants nés de ces alliances. L’une des filles de Latour, née d’une sauvagesse vers 1626, sera légitimée sous le nom de Jeanne de Latour. C’est ainsi que nombre de Métis habitant les missions indiennes des provinces maritimes et de la Gaspésie ont du sang français dans les veines. Ces métis grandiront et formeront à leur tour des familles sang-mêlé. Très vaniteux de leur sang français, ils deviendront les allies naturels et les aides précieux des premières familles européennes qui s’établiront en permanence en Acadie…”
This loosely translates to:
“… During these ransoms, they managed to reach most French "coureurs des bois" scattered in the Acadian solitudes and to legitimize several unions contracted between French and Savage women. Many of Latour's companions, and Latour himself, had children born of these alliances. One of Latour's daughters, born of a Savage woman around 1626, will be legitimized under the name of Jeanne de Latour. This is how many Métis living in the Indian missions of the Maritime Provinces and Gaspésie have French blood in their veins. These métis will grow up and in turn form mixed-blooded families. Very vain of their French blood, they will become the natural allies and the precious assistants of the first European families who will settle permanently in Acadia…”
This excerpt is important because it “neatly summarizes” much of the information that we’ve discussed throughout this collection, especially in relation to Sieur Charles Saint-Étienne de La Tour and his “eighteen to twenty men.”
Everything in this excerpt has been touched upon in detail elsewhere in this collection therefore, I won’t discuss it any further in the current summary. I will however, note that the reason why I included a discussion concerning “L’Acadie des Ancêtres,” which appears to be based on Bona Arsenault’s 1955 book of the same title, in this collection is simply because it is an article that was published in a well-known newspaper in the mid-twentieth century.
In conclusion, all I can say at this point in relation to “L’Acadie des Ancêtres” is that there is to nothing left to be said about the content of the recently discussed excerpt from it besides that this information has already been discussed elsewhere in this collection.
