Ochistauichkoue, Marie Olivier Sylvestre

June's Amerindian Ancestors: Manitouabewich, father; Outchibahanoukoueou, mother; and Ochistauichkoue, daughter.

Marie Olivier Sylvestre (1615 - 1665)
relationship to June: 8th great grandmother

Jean Baptiste Prevost (1662 - 1737)
Son of Marie Olivier

Anne Prevost (1716 - 1750)
Daughter of Jean Baptiste

Marie Anne Pilet (1748 - 1772)
Daughter of Anne

Genevieve Deshetres (1766 - 1839)
Daughter of Marie Anne

Antoine Mailloux (1792 - 1875)
Son of Genevieve

Suzanne Mailloux (1825 - 1905)
Daughter of Antoine

Théotiste Desjarlais (1846 - 1912)
Daughter of Suzanne

Euclide Ovila Gervais (1886 - 1980)
Son of Théotiste

Gladys Gervais (1915 - 1996)
Daughter of Euclide Ovila

Barbara June Agla (1942 - )
Daughter of Gladys

In the early history of Canada, it was not until Olivier LeTardif became the personal representative and interpreter for Samuel de Champlain that we first hear the name Manitouabewich. This young Indian, of the Huron Nation, had been hired as LeTardif's own scout and traveling companion. Manitouabewich had been converted to Christianity by the French missionaries, and as part of the baptismal ritual, had been given the Christian name of Roch, in honor of St.Roch, the patron saint. Olivier LeTardif and Roch Manitouabewich traveled together for many years. After eight years in the field, LeTardif was promoted by Champlain and became the head clerk (equivalent to Secretary-Treasurer) of the fur trading company. It was then that Le Tardif settled down to a more normal way of life, conducting the "inner affairs" of the Company at the main office at Quebec (Basse-ville). Roch Manitouabewich also settled down to a more domestic way of life, but in his own environment of the Huron settlement at Sillery near Quebec. The bond off friendship, trust, and loyalty between these two men was very strong, and, although each lived in his own "milieu", they never lost contact one from the other. It was when Roch Manitouabewich and his wife had a daughter and had her baptized that LeTardif became "Godfather" for the baby girl, and in accordance with the custom of the times, LeTardif gave the girl his own name of Olivier. In addition, the missionary performing the baptism gave the girl the name Marie, in honor of the Virgin Mary, and he also gave her the name Sylvestre, meaning "one who comes from the forest" or "one who lives in the forest". When Marie Olivier Sylvestre was ten years old, Olivier LeTardif, in his generous way and because of his respect for his friend and servant, Roch Manitouabewich, adopted the young Indian girl as his very own daughter (she never carried the family name of LeTardif). This enabled her to be educated and reared in the same manner as a well-to-do French girl. First he placed her as a "live-in border" and student with the Ursuline Nuns at Quebec, and later he boarded her with a French family where she was privately tutored. It was in the atmosphere of this respected family of Guillaume Hubou and his wife Marie Rollet (when she married Guillaume Hubou, she was the widow of Louis Hebert) that Marie Olivier Sylvestre met and married Martin Prevost, friend of the Hubou family and a very personal friend of Olivier LeTardif. This marriage was to be the first marriage on record between an Indian girl and a French colonist. The marriage took place on the third of January 1644 at Quebec. Recorded as witnesses to the ceremony was Olivier LeTardif and Quillaume Couillard (father-in-law of LeTardif).

Marie Olivier OUCHISTAUICHKOUE is listed both as an Algonquin and a Huron. She was also known as Marie Olivier Manitouabeouich and was the daughter of Roch Manitouabeuich. She was adopted by Olivier Letardif and instructed by Guillaume Hubou and the Ursulines. She died at Québec on 10 Sep 1665 and was buried in the cemetery of the Côte de La Montagne, Québec.(2)(4)

(Her father) Roch Manitoueabeouich was born in a Huron village on the shores of Lake Huron in 1599. Roch worked for several years as a guide and interpreter for Olivier Letardif, setting up fur trading posts for Samuel Champlain's company. Roch was baptized in his village on 14 November 1636 and received the Christian name of 'Roch.' At the time of Roch's conversion, the Hurons were typically murdering or exiling those who converted to Christianity and since Roch's last name is Ojibwa and not Huron, Roch was probably adopted by a Christian Algonkin band such as the Weskarini. In 1639, he gave his ten-year old daughter, Ouchistauichkoue, to his good friend Olivier Letardif to be schooled by Ursuline nuns and raised in a good French family. She was given the Christian name of Marie Olivier. When the girl was almost fifteen years old, she was married to Letardif's good friend, the Coureur des Bois Martin Prevost. Roch and his wife settled with a Huron band at Sillery. His wife was born into a band of Abenaki camped along the Becancour River in 1602.