Domitilde

Domitilde Marie Kapeouapnokoue (c. 1692–1782, aka Ouikabe, LaFourche, Nepveu Villeneuve, Mouet) was an Odawa woman of the Nassauakueton doodem.[1]: 107  Her father was chief Returning Cloud Kewinaquot and her mother was Nesxesouexite Neskes Mi-Jak-Wa-Ta-Wa. Her brother was Nissowaquet, also known as La Fourche.[2] She lived near Michilimackinac, where the Jesuits had very few converts to Catholicism, Domitilde being one of the few.[1]: 109 

In 1712, she married Daniel Villeneuve, a French courer des bois with whom she had seven Métis children.[1]: 110  Villeneuve died in 1724, and soon after Domitilde married Augustin Langlade, giving birth to Charles Michel de Langlade in 1729.[3] Domitilde went on to become the godmother of dozens of French, Métis, and Anishinaabe children and adults, a number of whom were enslaved, at least one to her.[1]: 113 

Domitilde's position within the Anishinaabe, Catholic, and fur trading communities created powerful alliances for her brother Nissowaquet and her son Charles.[1]: 117  Her marriages were especially important because there were relatively few Anishinaabe–French marriages at the time.[1]: 117 

  1. ^ a b c d e f McDonnell, Michael A. (2016). Masters of empire : Great Lakes Indians and the making of America. New York. ISBN 978-0-8090-6800-5. OCLC 932060403.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ^ Armour, David A. (2000). Colonial Michilimackinac. Mackinac State Historic Parks. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-911872-74-3.
  3. ^ "The Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture". metismuseum.ca. Retrieved 2022-01-23.