Parisien | Metis, Mixed-heritage Cree, French | Surname Anchor Post

Index: Indigenous, Metis & Mixed-Heritage Surname Anchor Posts

Each of these posts is dedicated to one surname that is carried by someone connected to indigenous, Metis or mixed-heritage people in Canada. Please be aware that it’s a synthesis of the information I’ve collected in my personal research throughout the years and is by no way complete!

SURNAME NOTES | PARISIEN

Surname lists: Surname Anchor Posts
Regions: Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Western Canada
Ethnicity: Metis, Mixed-heritage Cree, French
Associated surnames: Adam, Alary, Allard, Ballentine, Baron, Batoche, Beauchamp, Bellegarde, Bercier, Bird, Bonneau, Brabant, Breland / Berland, Caisse, Cantin, Caplette, Carriere, Champagne, Comtois, Courchene / Courchesne, Delorme, Deschamps, Desjarlais, Ducharme, Fagnant, Falcon, Favel, Gariepy, Gladu, Goyer, Hainault, Hamelin, Henry / Honroe, Houle, Klyne, Lafontaine, Larance / Lawrence, Lariviere, Leclerc, Major, Martin, McPherson, Nolin, Pelletier, Poitras, Primeau / Primeault, Racette, Roberts, Sauteuse, Sebistis, Smith, Spence, Stevens, Surprenant, Thomas, Vanasse / Anas, Vandale, Vermette, Vivier, Welkie, Zace.
Misc.:
1. One line of Metis Parisiens descends from Quebecker Claude Bonaventure Leger dit Parisien and his Chippewa wife Isabelle Lizette though their son Augustin Parisien who was born in St. Norbert, Manitoba. Augustin Parisien had a first child (Pascal Parisien) with Therese Ducharme. Augustin Parisien then married Louise Vivier dit Allard (offspring: Pierre, Isaic, Rosalie). After Louise’s death, Augustin Parisien then married Angelique McPherson and their offspring were: Isaic Parisien (m. Charlotte Leclair), Pascal Parisien (m. Catherine Courchene), Pierre Parisien (m. Marguerite Adam), Rosalie Parisien (m. Joseph Comtois / Ducharme). [Source: Augustin Parisien, Lawrence Barkwell, Louis Riel Institute]
2. Hyacinthe / Tchee-kee-tarn Parisien was one of Chief Little Shell the second and the third’s counsellors. Hyacinthe was the son of Hyacinthe Sr. and Josephte Carriere and grandson of Bonaventure Leger Parisien) and Marguerite Letendre. The couple resided in St. Joseph, Turtle Mountain and Wood Mountain had many children including the following: Edouard Parisien (m. Blandine Poitras), Elzear Parisien (m. Madeleine Larence) and Jerome Parisien (m. Justine Gladu) and Marie Rose Parisien (m. Louis / Weesug Davis). [Source: Louis Riel Institute].
3. In 1872/1873 , a government survey was undertaken to determine the precise international border between Canada and the U.S.A. Part of the survey was assisted by Metis guides and Chippewa men who were employed as scouts. One of these scouts was Pascal Parisien (son of Augustin Parisien & Therese Ducharme, see above). Pascal Parisien and his wife Catherine Courchene lived in St. Norbert with their six children “Pascal was imprisoned by Riel along with William Hallett during the 1869-1870 Resistance”. [Source: The Boundary Commission’s Metis Scouts: The 49th Rangers, Larry Haag & Lawrence Barkwell].
4. The 1885 North-West Resistance by the Metis and the Cree, Kainai, Piikani, Saulteaux and Siksika peoples took place against a backdrop of starvation, broken treaties and encroachment by new settlers in Saskatchewan and Alberta. The resistance fighters eventually lost and Canada’s federal government asserted its control over the area. Metis Parisiens who were involved in the Resistance included: Caroline Parisien (m. Francois Primeau), Elzear Parisien (m. Madeleine Larance), Joseph Parisien (m. Philomene Parisien), Nancy Parisien (m. Athanase Falcon), Pascal Parisien and Philomene Parisien (m. Joseph Parisien). [Source: Veterans and Families of the 1885 Northwest Resistance, Lawrence Barkwell, Louis Riel Institute].