Page 68 - Fortier Family History

the front row? I originally had these mixed up, but with new photos of Emile to compare with and new discoveries over the past 10 years I can conclude now with near certainty that the boy on the left is the orphaned son of Nick’s sister Mary and her husband Noel Samuel Desmulons. Both died five days apart in 1889 (flu perhaps) leaving several orphaned children. In the 1901 census, several of these orphaned nephews of Nick’s were shown living with Nick and Jane, and later with John and Angelique. One document has the word “adopted”. So these Desmulons children are the Finlayson kid’s first cousins. One of these orphaned children or cousins was Ellis Felix Desmulons, b. July 9 1887 just 2 years old when his parents died, and he shows up living with Nick and Jane and later with Angelique after John died. I’ll include a picture of him as an adult taken in the 1940s I believe. Ellis or Felix as he was sometimes called married Jane Winn and they lived at Mobert . He was Chief there in 1946. Prior to living at Mobert he lived at Pic River and was Chief there in 1930. I was told that Ellis was instrumental in leading the Mobert community’s efforts to block Provincial efforts to erode their land base in the 1950’s. Now for the sisters in the photo. The oldest sister was Sarah, b. Feb 18, 1887. Uncle Bob calculated that she is the girl standing right next to the cradleboard. Next would be Elizabeth or Eliza b. March 1, 1888. Uncle Bob suggested that she is the one in white, standing on the far left over John’s shoulder and close to her mom Jane. I originally had these two switched because I thought the girl on the far left looks more like the photo of Sarah as an adult. Keep in mind that a professional photographer would position the children based on age/size having the boys sit up front and the older girls standing , and the younger girls sitting or positioned forward. Next in order came Louise, b. May 19, 1889. Uncle Bob said she was the one sitting up front between the two boys. I used to think that Louise was the girl on the far left in the plaid dress, but Uncle Bob said by age appearance, that girl looks younger than the girl sitting in white shirt between the two boys and upon closer inspection with a much clearer photo now I would have to agree with him. Next comes Flora, b. Nov 3, 1890. According to Uncle Bob’s logic and memory, Flora is the girl standing far left in the plaid dress next to John. Next comes Catherine b. May 25, 1892. She would be the littlest girl (besides Agnes) and is clearly grandpa John’s “favorite” as she gets the coveted spot almost in his lap. See how his hand behind Louise’s head is holding onto Catherine’s shoulder as something off camera to the right has gotten her attention. She’s not looking at the camera. Finally, I can just imagine poor Angelique Shebagijig fearing that the camera was going to steal her soul, her eyes look almost closed. Of course this could be wrong and I might have some of these girls mixed up, but based on the documentary records, uncle Bob’s memory (I really miss him a lot) and simple logic and deductive reasoning, I think this is a fairly good estimation. But, it is not written in stone and I am sure people will disagree. By all means please chime in, the more information we have the better we can come to an accurate, if not definitive conclusion. One last word about Ellis Felix Desmulons. When I was completing the documentary Gifts From the Elders with Diane Richmond’s daughter Chantelle (she is a professor at Western University in London, Ontario, the film project was funded through her research grant and project), I was digging through the Canadian Archives in Ottawa (online) and I discovered an old audio recording that gave me shivers when I listened to it. It was in Anishinabe so I did not know what was being said, but the interview was with none other than Ellis Felix Desmulons of Mobert. The archive description of the interview simply read “Ellis Desmulons of Mobert Reserve speaking in Ojibway about issues of land, traditions and health.” Well, that’s what our documentary was about! I ordered a copy and then found a clear photo of him with his wife and elders taken at Mobert circa the 1940s. I sent a copy of the audio recording to Diane Richmond and with the help of some other elders at Pic River they translated the interview for me and that audio recording became the opening voice over of the film as the camera takes viewers up the Pic River in slow motion as Ellis speaks off camera in Anishinabe about the powerful forces that connect the land to our spiritual, emotional and physical well- being. Miigwetch to him and all our ancestors for surviving what I can only call at a minimum “ethnic cleansing,” and yet somehow they were able to leave just enough behind for us to pick up the pieces and make it whole again.