McDonald & Var. | Metis, Algonquin, Blackfoot, Iroquois, Montagnais, Mixed-heritage: Cree

McDonald & Var. | Metis, Algonquin, Blackfoot, Iroquois, Montagnais, Mixed-heritage: Cree | Surname Anchor Post

MacDonald / Macdonald & McDonald / Mcdonnald & McDonnall / Mcdonnel

Each of these posts is dedicated to one surname that is carried by someone connected to indigenous, Metis or mixed-heritage people in Canada.

SURNAME NOTES | MCDONALD & VAR.

Purpose:
- The goal of these Surname Anchor Posts is to answer these questions: Based on settler documents, has my surname of interest ever been associated with indigenous people in what is now called Canada? If so, where and when did it occur? And finally, with which specific peoples was my surname associated? Note: These posts are just a Finding Aide to help you continue with your own in-depth research. The project is constantly updated but will likely never be completed 🙂
Regions:
- These are the regions where the Mcdonald surname (& var.) appears in settler census and/or marriage documents: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Quebec, Western Canada.
- Note: Please see the Census District section down below for links to posts with more location-based information.
Ethnicity:
- These are the ethnicities recorded for the McDonalds in settler census records as well as Metis scrip and marriage documents: Metis, Algonquin, Blackfoot, Iroquois, Montagnais.
- Note: Please see the Census District section below for links to census posts that list ethnicity by location.
Associated surnames:
- These are the surnames of McDonald spouses.
- Allard (Upd. 2023), Anderson, Atkiness, Allard, Atkinson
- Basile / Bazile, Bear, Beaudry, Beauvais, Belcourt (Upd. 2023), Boucher, Burke / Bourque, Burns, Brass (Upd. 2023), Bruneau (Upd. 2023), Bryant
- Cadotte, Calder, Campbell, Capean (Upd. 2023), Cardinal Cleary, Cook, Courtepatte
- (Decaire / Dicaire, Desjarlais, Desrochers, Dorion (Upd. 2023), Ducharme, Dufont (Upd. 2023), Dumont, Duncan, Durocher, Dusome
- Eccles
- Fadden, Favel (Upd.2023), Ferris, Ferguson, Flett, Francis (Upd. 2023), Fraser
- Gabriel, Garrow, George, Gleazer, Godon, Gordon, Green, Gunn
- Hamelin, Hay, Heavy Runner, Henderson, Herne, Herron (Upd. 2023), Hill
- Inkster
- (j-k-l) Jacco / Jacko / Jock, , Jack, Jackson (Upd. 2023), James, Joachim, Johnston
- Kahawison (Upd. 2023), Kirkness, Klyne
- Laderoute, Langevin, Lapierre, Laprise, Larance / Laurance, / Laurence, Laurin, Lazare, L’Hirondelle, Lindstrom, Lizotte, Logan
- Manson, McAulay, McCorrister, McDonnell / McDonald, McDougall (Upd. 2023), McGhie, McKay, McLaren (Upd. 2023), McLeod, Mercredi, Miruabeuit, Moar, Mowatt, Murray
- Nanipo / Nanipou, Napane, Osaabikwe (Upd. 2023)
- Ostawenserahes,
- Patenaude, Peebles, Peel, Pee-pona-kapow (Upd. 2023), Pheasant, Pictou (Upd. 2023), Presley
- Quintal / Quintall
- Raphael, Roach, Robillard, Rodgers, Rowland, Roy
- Setter / Settee, Silver, Sinclair (Upd. 2023), Sylleboy, Sylvestre (Upd. 2023), Swain
- Tait, Tappe, Taiohonronhiokten (Upd. 2023), Taylor, Thomas (Upd. 2023), Thomason, Tourangeau, Turner
- Verhelst, Verrault
- Whetung, Whiteway, Williams.
- Note: Please see the Marriages section down below to reach posts containing my marriage transcriptions.

Misc.:
- This is where I place random bits of information from my Archives.
- 1. There are some Algonquin McDonnells who descend from John McDonnell / Mcdonald (son of Alexander McDonnell and Mary Ann McKay) and Marie Angelique / Manian Angelique Dufond / Osaabikwe (daughter of Amable Jean-Paul Dufond & Elizabeth Fisher.) [Source: Jean-Guy Paquin]
- 2. One branch of Western Metis McDonalds descends from John McDonald and Charlotte Inkster through their son: Donald McDonald (m. Margaret Turner) and their daughter Rosalie McDonald (m. Arthur Cummings Clare).
- 3. In Quebec there are many Montagnais McDonalds, as well as other McDonalds connected to the Iroquois.
- 4. My marriage database contains both Innu Montagnais First Nations individuals as well as mixed Montagnais / French marriages as listed in a study by the Communauté Métisse du Domaine du Roy et de la Seigneurie de Mingan. Some mixed French/Montagnais descendants self-identify as Metis (see Etienne Rivard’s discussion paper).
- 5. In Ontario there are three lines of recognized Metis descending from couples with a McDonnel/McDonald or MacDonald wife. a. Marie Cecile McDonnell dit Mawiskak and her husband Narcisse Pierre Dorion. b. Janet MacDonald and her husband Henry Charles Fraser c. Isabelle MacDonald and her husband Isaac Hunter. 5. In 1884, British General Charles Gordon was trapped in Sudan’s capital city Khartoum, so a rescue mission was organized that would involve watercraft on the River Nile. Canadian Voyageurs of Metis and First Nations background were recruited to carry out this mission. The Voyageurs succeeded in reaching Khartoum but they were too late to save Gordon as the city had already fallen to the Mahdists. There were 4 Metis McDonalds from St. Andrews involved in that expedition. Three were sons of John McDonald and Nancy Ferguson. They were Alexander, Donald and John McDonald. The fourth was William McDonald, son of Alex McDonald and Ann Tait. [Source: The Nile Voyageurs 1884-1885]
- 6. 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. Two of these scouts were Adam McDonald and Donald McDonald (both sons of Donald “Big” Mcdonald & Jane Beaudry). Adam McDonald was married to Maria McKay (daughter of William McKay & Mary Bunn). Donald McDonald was the older of the two and was 49th Rangers’ Deputy Commander. Donald’s wife was Harriet Spence. [Source: The Boundary Commission’s Metis Scouts: The 49th Rangers, Larry Haag & Lawrence Barkwell].
- 7. Hudson’s Bay Company has service records for over 20 individuals with a McDonald or McDonnell surname. Note: HBC service records relate to employees who worked in traditional indigenous territories and who may or may not have started mixed-heritage families. Scroll down to External Links for more information.