Geneviève Abitakijikokwe / Kizikwe
Across Two Name Systems at the Mission du Lac-des-Deux-Montagnes
The Identification Challenge
Geneviève Abitakijikokwe was the wife of Kitchiwabisi, an Algonquin war chief at the Mission du Lac-des-Deux-Montagnes (Oka). Bernard Wabisi — 8abizi le jeune, of Kitchiwabisi’s family — succeeded Kitchiwabisi as war chief. Geneviève shared the name Abitakijikokwe with Marie Josette Abitakijikokwe, my fourth-great-grandmother, who married the French-Canadian fur trader Gabriel Guilbault at Oka in January 1801.
The central challenge of this research is that Geneviève is named in eleven parish records across thirty-eight years, under eight distinct spellings in the original registers belonging to two distinct name systems. Her first three records spell it the same way; after that, almost no two agree. No published index or search algorithm connects both systems to a single individual. The identification must be built not from consistent spelling but from a chain of life events: the same husband, the same children, the same mission, across nearly four decades of records — from May 1786 through February 1824.
Eric Pouliot-Thisdale, who worked directly from the original registers and published his index in 2015, explicitly characterizes many of these variants as “misspellings” by the priests — confirmation that the orthographic variation reflects scribal inconsistency, not separate identities. This methodology documents each record in chronological order, explains the name variant it introduces, and establishes the evidentiary link that connects it to the chain.
Original Parish Registers, Oka (L’Annonciation)
Manuscript registers of the Mission du Lac-des-Deux-Montagnes, 1786–1824. LAC reel C-2895 (Volume 2, 1786–1806) and C-2896 (Volume 3, 1806–1831). The authoritative source for transcriptions and name spellings wherever original images are available. The Volume 2 register opening page bears the certification of Hertel de Rouville, judge in the District of Montréal, dated December 28, 1785: “Fait double à Montréal.” Volume 1 (1721–1777) may hold Geneviève’s baptism record (birth now confirmed c. 1752 by D-012 burial age); those individual acts have not yet been systematically searched.
Cadieux Transcription & Index, Volumes 2–3 — MG 8, G 21
Pauline Cadieux’s typed transcription of the Oka registers and accompanying handwritten index. LAC reel C-2895 (Vol. 2, 1786–1806) and C-2896 (Vol. 3, 1806–1831). Cadieux states: “CE TRAVAIL est une copie fidèle et conforme des registres de l’état civil du Lac des Deux Montagnes (Oka), dont un seul exemplaire existe.” On orthography: “Dans la copie, tout a été respecté, orthographe comprise, et l’on ne s’étonnera pas de voir dans un même acte, le même nom écrit de deux ou trois manières différentes.” The FamilySearch DGS 130869 exclusion warning applies only to the 1967 FamilySearch extracts — NOT to the Cadieux transcription on C-2895/C-2896, which does include all Indigenous acts. Researchers must use C-2895/C-2896, not the FamilySearch extracts, for Indigenous records at Oka.
Pouliot-Thisdale, 1786–1800 Oka Mission Parish Registers
Eric Pouliot-Thisdale’s 2015 published index and transcription of the Oka mission registers for 1786–1800. Includes manuscript images, commentary, and cross-references. Pages 148, 158, 282–295, and 313 are directly relevant. Pouliot-Thisdale’s linguistic notes, including his characterization of Geneviève’s name variants as “misspellings,” inform the orthographic analysis.
Paquin / weskarini.ca & PRDH-IGD
Jean-Guy Paquin’s genealogical fiches for Bernard Wabisi and Jacques Amikwabe at weskarini.ca aggregate multiple records into compiled family units. Used for context and cross-checking, not as primary authority for individual records. PRDH-IGD provides database transcriptions for records that entered its Quebec-wide indexing system; Indigenous records at Oka are only partially represented.
Eleven Records, Thirty-Eight Years
The following records document Geneviève’s presence at the Oka mission from May 1786 through February 1824. Eleven of them name her; the twelfth, D-006, is her husband’s burial, included as context because it marks the start of her widowhood. They are presented chronologically. Each entry identifies the name as recorded, the name system to which it belongs, the evidentiary role the record plays in the identification argument, and the source citation.
L’an mil sept cent quatre vingt six et cinquièsme, le vingt sept may je soussigné ay baptizée genevieve née vers le six novembre de l’année dernière, fille légitime de joseph Kakijik8aham et de agathe ita8abik8e. Le parein a été michel ana8bite et la mareine genevieve abitakijig8k8e. — Guichart ptre
Baby Geneviève, born ~November 6, 1785, is the legitimate daughter of Joseph Kakijik8aham and Agathe Ita8abik8e. Godfather: Michel Ana8bite. The godmother — our Geneviève — is recorded as Abitakijig8k8e. This is her first documented appearance in any known record.
Evidentiary role: First appearance. Establishes Geneviève as an adult woman active at the Oka mission in 1786. The child’s father carries the same Kakijik- root embedded in Abitakijikokwe. The child’s mother, Agathé Ita8abik8e, will become the godmother of Geneviève’s own son Joseph ten years later (D-007, 1796) — a reciprocal godparent relationship documented across a decade.
Original register detail, May 27, 1786. “la mareine genevieve abitakijig8k8e.” Priest: Guichart. LAC reel C-2895.
| Rang | Nom | Lien | Origine | Âge | É.m. | Pr. | Sexe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Genevieve XXXXX | — | SAUVAGESSE | --- | c | p | f |
| 02 | Joseph KAKIJIKOUAHAM | PÈRE DE 01 | SAUVAGE | --- | m | p | m |
| 03 | Agathe TAOUABIKOUE | MÈRE DE 01 · CONJOINTE DE 02 | SAUVAGESSE | --- | m | p | f |
Registre de la paroisse de l’Annonciation d’Oka, Vol. 2, 27 mai 1786, baptism of Geneviève, MG 8, G 21; LAC reel C-2895; transcribed in Cadieux, Index, Vol. 2, p. 6. Also: PRDH-IGD, record #642236.
L’an mil sept cent quatre vingt sept et le dix sept avril par moy pretre soussigné a été baptizée Marie Janne agée d’environ cinquante jours fille légitime de [blank] Kichi8abizi et de Genevieve abitakijig8k8e. Le parain a été Simon ching8naguichkain et la mareine Janne Marie 8netchi8an8k8e. — GUICHART, ptre
The original manuscript shows abita kijig8k8e — the same Abitakijik- root that Cadieux transcribed as abitakijig8k8e. Pouliot-Thisdale apparently read only the second component as Kijig8k8e; critically, his own publication photograph of this manuscript page shows abita kijig8k8e — his photograph and his transcription are internally inconsistent. The Cadieux reading is confirmed by the original.
Implication: This record belongs to System 1 (Abitakijik-). The System 2 (Kijik-/Kizik-/Nizik-) forms are not documented until D-010 (1805, Nizik8e) and D-012 (1824, Ninzikwe).
Evidentiary role: Spousal identification of Geneviève as Kitchiwabisi’s wife; parental identification of Marie Janne as their child.
Original register detail, April 17, 1787. Mother’s name reads abita kijig8k8e — Abitakijik- root confirmed. Priest: Guichart. LAC reel C-2895, Image 480.
Original register full page, 1787. Margin note reads marie janes de Kitchi8abizi. LAC reel C-2895.
Registre de la paroisse de l’Annonciation d’Oka, 17 avril 1787, baptism of Marie Janne, MG 8, G 21, Vol. 2; LAC reel C-2895, Image 480 (original: abita kijig8k8e — confirmed); transcribed in Cadieux, Index, Vol. 2 (reads abitakijig8k8e — confirmed); also Pouliot-Thisdale, pp. 148, 158 (reads Kijig8k8e — PT’s own photograph of this page shows abita kijig8k8e, inconsistent with his transcription).
Baby Geneviève, daughter of Charles 8cha8en and Helene, aged approximately 5 months. Godmother: Geneviève abitakijig8k8e, femme de 8abizi le grand (“wife of 8abizi the Great”) — the same spelling as in 1786 and 1787. Indexed in Cadieux under both “A” and “W” (Wabizi). The act opens a été baptisée par Messire Guichard and is signed Leclercq ptre: Guichard performed the baptism, and Leclercq wrote the entry.
Evidentiary role: The single most important record in the identification chain. The priest wrote not only Geneviève’s name but her identity relative to her husband: femme de 8abizi le grand — wife of the Great Wabizi, i.e., Kitchiwabisi. This is the anchor record of the entire identification.
Original register detail, July 13, 1788. Geneviève abitakijig8k8e femme de 8abizi le grand — the spousal identification in Leclercq’s hand. LAC reel C-2895.
Registre de la paroisse de l’Annonciation d’Oka, 13 juillet 1788, baptism of Geneviève, MG 8, G 21, Vol. 2; LAC reel C-2895 (original manuscript: abitakijig8k8e femme de 8abizi le grand); transcribed in Cadieux, Index, Vol. 2; indexed under “A” and “W.”
L’an mil sept cent quatre vingt treize le cinq mai j’ai baptisé therese agée de cinq mois fille légitime du grand 8abissi et de genevieve ontakijikok8e, le parain jean baptiste gastongai et la maraine therese naokijikok8e. — Leclercq ptre
Name analysis: The initial A- of Abitakijik- has been replaced with ON- or KON-; the core root -TAKIJIK- and feminine suffix -ok8e remain intact. Pouliot-Thisdale’s p. 148 characterizes this as a “misspelling.” Father identified as du grand 8abissi — the same Kitchiwabisi from D-002 and D-003. Transcription made from the original register; Pouliot-Thisdale covers this act at pp. 282 and 293.
Detail: “Thérèse agée de cinq mois fille légitime du grand 8abissi et de Geneviève ontakijikok8e.” Priest: Leclercq. LAC reel C-2895.
Registre de la paroisse de l’Annonciation d’Oka, 5 mai 1793, baptism of Thérèse, MG 8, G 21, Vol. 2; LAC reel C-2895. Pouliot-Thisdale, pp. 282, 293.
L’an mil sept cent quatre vingt treize le quinze mai j’ai baptisé simon agé de deux ans fils légitime de louis 8a8ikijik et de marguerite peto8eanok8e, la maraine a été genevieve oatakijikok8e, le parain a été simon maijaokijik8eskam. — Leclercq ptre
Evidentiary role: Just ten days after D-004: same priest (Leclercq), same register page, different initial spelling. Documents that orthographic inconsistency occurs within one priest’s records within the same month — exactly as Cadieux’s preface predicts.
Original register detail, May 15, 1793. Godmother: Genevieve oatakijikok8e (O- initial). Ten days after D-004, same priest Leclercq. LAC reel C-2895.
Registre de la paroisse de l’Annonciation d’Oka, 15 mai 1793, baptism of Simon, MG 8, G 21, Vol. 2; LAC reel C-2895 (original: oatakijikok8e). Pouliot-Thisdale, p. 295 (transcribes as Ostakijikok8e).
Le vingt un avril mil sept cent quatre vingt quatorze j’ai inhumé dans le cimetier de cette mission le corps de 8abissi agé de quarante trois ans ou environ, décédé depuis vingt deux jours dans les terres de chasse. Témoins: fr. ron8ah8nen, louis 8ako8ahes & le village. — Lebrun ptre
Evidentiary role: Contextual. Establishes the point at which Geneviève became a widow. After this date her son Joseph (D-007) is recorded as fils naturel — born outside a church marriage, to a different man. Geneviève outlived Kitchiwabisi by thirty years, as confirmed by D-012 (burial February 1824).
Original register detail, April 21, 1794. 8abissi agé de quarante trois ans ou environ, décédé depuis vingt deux jours dans les terres de chasse. Priest: Lebrun. LAC reel C-2895.
Registre de la paroisse de l’Annonciation d’Oka, 21 avril 1794, burial of 8abissi, MG 8, G 21, Vol. 2; LAC reel C-2895. Pouliot-Thisdale, p. 313.
L’an mil sept cent quatre vingt seize le quatre juillet, j’ai baptisé Joseph agé de six mois fils naturel de Simon Na8ak8eskam et de Genevieve Abitakijikok8e. Le parrain a été Joseph Kakigik8ang et la marraine Agathe Ita8abik8e. — MALARD, ptre
The godmother at Joseph’s 1796 baptism is Agathe Ita8abik8e. In D-001 (May 27, 1786), Geneviève served as godmother to a child whose mother was Agathé Ita8abik8e — the same woman, ten years earlier. Geneviève stood for Agathe’s child in 1786; Agathe stood for Geneviève’s child in 1796. Documented reciprocal sponsorship across a decade.
Name analysis: Malard, newly arrived at the mission, returns to the A- initial and writes Abitakijikok8e — the closest to the “standard” form. Evidentiary role: Confirms Geneviève’s continuing presence at Oka two years after her husband’s death.
Original register detail, July 4, 1796. Baptism of Joseph, fils naturel of Simon Na8ak8eskam and Geneviève Abitakijikok8e. Godmother: Agathe Ita8abik8e. Priest: Malard. LAC reel C-2895.
Cadieux typed transcription, C-2895 Image 625, p. 160.
Registre de la paroisse de l’Annonciation d’Oka, 4 juillet 1796, baptism of Joseph, MG 8, G 21, Vol. 2; LAC reel C-2895, Image 625; transcribed in Cadieux, Index, Vol. 2, p. 160; indexed under “N” (Na8ak8eskam). Note: A second Joseph fils naturel was baptized June 30, 1796 — a different child of a different mother; not to be confused with this record.
Le vingt un septembre mil huit cent trois j’ai baptisé Joseph Mathieu 8ga8 Outaois agé d’environ quatorze ans. Le parrain a été Joseph Minjotté et la Maraine Geneviève Abitakigikok8e qui ont, ainsy que le Baptisé, déclaré ne savoir signer. — MALARD, ptre
Cadieux, p. 322: “la maraine Genevieve Abitakigikokse qui ont, ainsi que le baptisé, déclaré ne savoir signer. MALARD, ptre”
Joseph Minjotté appears twice on this same register page. On September 18, 1803 — three days before this baptism — Minjotté is recorded as the father of Marie Susanne Kiakigikokwe, buried that day, aged seventeen years and nine months. Three days later, he stands as godfather at Joseph Mathieu’s baptism, with Geneviève beside him as godmother. He buried his daughter on the eighteenth; he stood at the font on the twenty-first.
Name analysis: The original register records Abitakigikok8e — with -kigi- where all other Abitakijik- records use -kiji-. Cadieux renders the terminal -8e as -se (same orthographic habit visible in Scolastique Tajaskikigikokse on the same Cadieux page). Evidentiary role: Seventh appearance of System 1; confirms Geneviève’s active presence at Oka in September 1803 — less than a month before she appears in her daughter’s burial record (D-009).
Full register page, 1803. Left column (bottom): burial of Marie Susanne Kiakigikokwe, Sept. 18, father Joseph Minjotté. Right column (top): D-008 Joseph Mathieu baptism, Sept. 21, godmother Geneviève Abitakigikok8e, Malard. Right column (bottom): D-009 Thérèse burial, Oct. 20, Leclercq. All three entries on one leaf. LAC reel C-2895.
Cadieux typed transcription, p. 322, C-2895 Image 789. Joseph Mathieu baptism (MALARD) and Thérèse burial (LECLERO) on the same page. Cadieux spells Geneviève’s name Abitakigikokse for both entries.
Registre de la paroisse de l’Annonciation d’Oka, 21 septembre 1803, baptism of Joseph Mathieu, MG 8, G 21, Vol. 2; LAC reel C-2895 (original: Abitakigikok8e); transcribed in Cadieux, Index, Vol. 2, p. 322, Image 789 (Cadieux reads Abitakigikokse). Note: Joseph Minjotté (godfather) is the same individual recorded as father of Marie Susanne Kiakigikokwe, buried September 18, 1803, on the same register leaf.
Le vingt octobre mille huit cent trois. J’ai inhumé dans le cimetière de cette Mission le corps de Thérèse décédée avant hier agée de douze ans, fille de défunt Sabissy et de Geneviève Abitakijikoke. Ont été présents Laurent Kaondinoketsh et Simon Ki8ek8ato qui ont déclaré ne savoir signer. — LECLERCQ, ptre
Cadieux p. 322: “fille de défunt Sabissy et de Genevieve Abitakigikokse. Ont été présents Laurent Kaondinoketsh et Simon Ki8ek8ato. LECLERO, ptre”
This burial was signed by Leclercq (Cadieux: LECLERO). The Joseph Mathieu baptism on the same register leaf (D-008, September 21) was signed by Malard. Their signatures are distinct on both the original register and the Cadieux transcription, so the two spellings of Geneviève’s name on this leaf come from two different hands.
Thérèse died avant hier (October 18, 1803), age approximately twelve — consistent with her May 1793 baptism (D-004). The father is referenced as défunt Sabissy (deceased Wabissi = Kitchiwabisi), consistent with D-006 (1794). Witnesses: Laurent Kaondinoketsh and Simon Ki8ek8ato. Evidentiary role: Closes the loop between D-004 (1793 baptism) and 1803: same child, same mother, same mission, eleven years later. Not in PRDH; known only from original register and Cadieux.
Original register, 1803. Burial of Thérèse at bottom of right column — record continues on the following leaf. Priest: Leclercq. LAC reel C-2895. No PRDH.
Continuation of the burial record. Witnesses Laurent Kaondinoketsh and Simon Ki8ek8ato named; priest signature Leclercq confirmed at bottom.
Registre de la paroisse de l’Annonciation d’Oka, 20 octobre 1803, burial of Thérèse, MG 8, G 21, Vol. 2; LAC reel C-2895 (original: mother Genevieve Abitakijikoke; record spans two pages; witnesses Laurent Kaondinoketsh and Simon Ki8ek8ato; signed Leclercq); transcribed in Cadieux, Index, Vol. 2, p. 322, Image 789 (reads Abitakigikokse; signed LECLERO). No PRDH entry for this burial.
Le vingt huit aout mil huit cent cinq, après la publication d’un ban à la messe paroissiale, ayant dispensé des deux autres, n’étant survenu aucun empechement j’ai donné la bénédiction nuptiale à Jaques E8anassiketch algonquin et à Marie Angélique Abitakigikok8e, après avoir reçu leur mutuel consentement en présence de Jaques Amik8abe pere adoptif de l’époux, de Genevieve Nizik8e mère de l’épouse et de Louis Ketchi8igaba8ich qui ainsy que les époux ont déclaré ne savoir signer. — MALARD, ptre
Marie Angélique Abitakigikok8e marries Jacques E8anassiketch. Three witnesses physically present: Jacques Amik8abe (adoptive father of groom), Geneviève Nizik8e (mère de l’épouse), and Louis Ketchi8igaba8ich. All declared they could not sign. Geneviève was there, standing, in the church, on August 28, 1805.
Name analysis: Malard, who wrote Abitakijikok8e in 1796 and Abitakigikok8e in 1803, here records the mother under an entirely different name system: Nizik8e. The bride’s name (Marie Angélique Abitakigikok8e, in both the margin and the body of the act) carries the same Abitakijik- root as her mother — in the same -kigi- form Malard had used for Geneviève in 1803 (D-008). Evidentiary role: Physical presence at her own daughter’s wedding is unambiguous identity evidence. This record establishes Geneviève was alive on August 28, 1805 — the last record of her for thirteen years, until she stands as a godmother in June 1818 (D-011).
Original register detail, August 28, 1805. “de Geneviève Nizik8e mere de l’epouse” in Malard’s own hand. Definitive System 2 reading. LAC reel C-2895.
Cadieux transcription, Vol. 2, p. 345. Preserves Nizik8e and mère de l’épouse.
Registre de la paroisse de l’Annonciation d’Oka, 28 août 1805, marriage of Jacques E8anassiketch and Marie Angélique Abitakigikok8e, MG 8, G 21, Vol. 2; LAC reel C-2895; transcribed in Cadieux, Index, Vol. 2, p. 345.
Le vingt deux juin mil huit cent dix huit, j’ai batisé sous condition Bernard né le vingt six mai dernier du légitime mariage de Pierre Jacques Oyabamitch et d’Elizabeth Ikwessens de cette Mission. Le parain a été Bernard Ajawegone et la maraine Geneviève Ninzikwe qui ont déclaré ne savoir signer. — Malard ptre
Geneviève stood as godmother to an infant named Bernard, born May 26, 1818, son of Pierre Jacques Oyabamitch and Elizabeth Ikwessens. Jean-Guy Paquin’s WABISI fiche identifies Elizabeth as a daughter of Bernard Wabisi and Agathe Ikwesens. The Cadieux typescript (Vol. 3, p. 499) reads the godmother’s name as Minzikwe; the original register reads Ninzikwe, the form Malard used again at her burial six years later.
Evidentiary role: Extends her documented life across the thirteen years between D-010 (1805) and her burial (D-012, 1824). The identification rests on the name: the same System 2 name, written by the same priest who wrote Nizik8e in 1805 and Ninzikwe in 1824, at the same small mission. No other woman of that name has been found in the Oka registers. The godchild’s place in Bernard Wabisi’s family, if Paquin is right, also ties Geneviève to that family in 1818.
Registre de la paroisse de l’Annonciation d’Oka, 22 juin 1818, baptism of Bernard, son of Pierre Jacques Oyabamitch and Elizabeth Ikwessens, MG 8, G 21, Vol. 3. Original register image: Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621–1968, Oka, L’Annonciation-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie, 1818 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, 2008). Transcribed in Cadieux, Index, Vol. 3, p. 499, LAC reel C-2895, image 970 (reads Minzikwe). Paquin, “WABISI Bernard” fiche, weskarini.ca (reads NINZIKWE).
Le vingt cinq février mil huit cent vingt quatre, j’ai inhumé dans le cimetière de cette Mission le corps de Geneviève Ninzikwe Algonquine décédée avant hier agée de soixante et douze ans. Ont été présents Augustin Kiwanaki et Jacques Michel Kiwechkam qui ont déclaré ne savoir signer. — Malard ptre
Geneviève was buried at the Oka mission on February 25, 1824. She had died avant hier, on February 23, at the age of seventy-two, which places her birth about 1752. Witnesses: Augustin Kiwanaki and Jacques Michel Kiwechkam. The original register and the Cadieux transcription (Vol. 3, p. 561, Image 48) agree on every detail.
Name analysis: Ninzikwe is the System 2 name Malard wrote as Nizik8e at her daughter’s wedding in 1805 (D-010), with a minor -n- insertion. Same root, same priest as in 1805 and 1818. Evidentiary role: Closes the record of her life at Oka. Bernard Wabisi was buried seven months later by the same priest (B-003).
Original register detail, February 25, 1824. Ninzikwe Algonquine, décédée avant hier, agée de soixante douze ans. Priest: Malard. LAC reel C-2896.
Cadieux typed transcription, Vol. 3, p. 561, C-2896 Image 48.
Registre de la paroisse de l’Annonciation d’Oka, 25 février 1824, burial of Geneviève Ninzikwe, MG 8, G 21, Vol. 3; LAC reel C-2896; transcribed in Cadieux, Index, Vol. 3, p. 561, Image 48. Persistent URL: https://n2t.net/ark:/69429/m02804x54w59.
Documenting the Next Generation
Bernard Wabisi — 8abizi le jeune, of Kitchiwabisi’s family, and war chief after him — is recorded by Jean-Guy Paquin as the son of Kitchiwabisi and Geneviève Abitakijikokwe. No record found names Geneviève as his mother, and the ages given at their burials are hard to reconcile with that relationship (see Q-2). No baptism record has been found for Bernard; the PRDH database and original registers have been searched without result. Three records document Bernard at the Oka mission from 1802 to 1824.
Bernard Wabisi married Agathe Kiwetabanc at the Oka mission on June 8, 1802. PRDH individual record #874014 gives his status as Améridien [sic]. PRDH family record #259308 documents one child: Cécile (born approximately 1794–99), who married Joseph Godin in 1814 and was buried May 6, 1815 at Oka. Bernard is named as “veuf de Agathe” (widower of Agathe) in his 1818 marriage record (B-002), confirming that Agathe Kiwetabanc predeceased him. Jean-Guy Paquin’s WABISI fiche records her in other acts as Agathe Ikwesens (also Kwetchens, Kwessens); at Cécile’s 1814 marriage Cécile is the daughter of Bernard and “défunte Agathe KIWETA_,” so the two surnames belong to one woman. Paquin gives her burial at Oka on June 16, 1813, aged about 48, with Bernard present, and lists children born to the couple from 1790 onward — earlier than the 1802 date PRDH gives as their first marriage.
| Name | Bernard WABISI |
| Status | Améridien [sic] |
| First marriage | 08-Jun-1802 |
| With | Agathe KIWETABANC |
PRDH-IGD, individual record #874014 and family record #259308, Bernard WABISI, Oka, 8 juin 1802. Paquin, “WABISI Bernard” fiche, weskarini.ca.
Le sept septembre mil huit cent dix huit, après la publication d’un ban à la messe paroissiale de cette Mission, ayant obtenu la dispense de deux autres bans et de la parenté spirituelle de Mr Henry Auguste Roux Vicaire Général, n’étant survenu ni empêchement ni opposition, j’ai marié selon les cérémonies de l’Eglise Bernard 8abisi Chef Algonquin veuf de Agathe Ik8esens, à Marie Otichk8ayatchi8anok8e veuve en troisièmes noces de Nicolas Cha8enichkam de cette Mission, après avoir reçu leur mutuel consentement en présence de françois Kini8abe et de pierre Kaponiching et de Simon Ki8ek8ato beau frère de l’épouse qui ainsi que les époux ont déclaré ne savoir signer. — Malard ptre
Bernard is identified as “Chef Algonquin veuf de Agathe Ik8esens.” The bride was a widow entering her fourth marriage. The witnesses were François Kini8abe — Bernard’s son, per Paquin’s fiche — Pierre Kaponiching, and Simon Ki8ek8ato, the bride’s brother-in-law; a Simon Ki8ek8ato had also witnessed Thérèse’s burial in 1803 (D-009). Not in the PRDH database.
Original register, September 7, 1818. Bernard Wabisi, Chef Algonquin, second marriage. Priest: Malard. Drouin Collection, Oka, 1818.
Registre de la paroisse de l’Annonciation d’Oka, 7 septembre 1818, marriage of Bernard 8abisi and Marie Otichk8ayatchi8anok8e. Original register image: Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621–1968, Oka, L’Annonciation-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie, 1818 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, 2008), citing Gabriel Drouin, comp., Drouin Collection (Montréal: Institut Généalogique Drouin). Not in PRDH database.
Le quatre septembre mil huit cent vingt quatre j’ai inhumé dans le cimetière de cette Mission le corps de Bernard 8abisi Chef de guerre Algonquin décédé avant hier agé de soixante un ans et près de huit mois. Ont été présents françois Mik8anabe et Jacques Notinons et tous les guerriers qui ont déclaré ne savoir signer. — Malard ptre
Bernard’s death in September 1824 comes seven months after Geneviève’s burial in February 1824 (D-012). Recorded age sixty-one years and nearly eight months (soixante un ans et près de huit mois), placing his birth about January 1763 — the year Paquin’s fiche gives.
Original register detail, September 4, 1824. Chef de guerre Algonquin … soixante un ans et près de huit mois. Born about January 1763. Died seven months after Geneviève. Priest: Malard. LAC reel C-2896, image 57.
Registre de la paroisse de l’Annonciation d’Oka, 4 septembre 1824, burial of Bernard 8abisi, MG 8, G 21, Vol. 3; LAC reel C-2896, image 57 (original: soixante un ans et près de huit mois; died September 2, 1824); transcribed in Cadieux, Index, Vol. 3, p. 590, which agrees on the age and on the witnesses François Mikwanabe and Jacques Notinons. Paquin, “WABISI Bernard” fiche (gives birth year 1763), weskarini.ca.
Eight Spellings, Two Systems, One Woman
The following table organizes all documented spellings of Geneviève’s name chronologically, identifying the name system, the priest responsible, and the root analysis.
| Year | Name as Recorded | System | Priest | Record / Role | Root Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1786 | Abitakijig8k8e | 1 — Abitakijik- | Guichart | D-001 — Godmother | First appearance. Terminal -g8k8e = -gokwe (fem.) |
| 1787 | abitakijig8k8e (confirmed by original register) | 1 — Abitakijik- | Guichart | D-002 — Mother (Marie Janne) | Original reads abita kijig8k8e (space, same root). Cadieux confirmed. PT transcribed only the second component as Kijig8k8e; PT’s own manuscript photograph contradicts his transcription. |
| 1788 | abitakijig8k8e | 1 — Abitakijik- | Leclercq (for Guichard) | D-003 — Godmother + femme de 8abizi le grand | Same spelling as 1786 and 1787. Key spousal ID. |
| 1793 | Ontakijikok8e / Kontakijikok8e | 1 — Abitakijik- (O-/K- variant) | Leclercq | D-004 — Mother (Thérèse) | A- initial → ON- or KON-. Core -TAKIJIK- preserved. |
| 1793 | Ostakijikok8e | 1 — Abitakijik- (O- variant) | Leclercq | D-005 — Godmother (10 days after D-004) | Same priest, same page, different initial. Demonstrates scribal inconsistency. |
| 1796 | Abitakijikok8e | 1 — Abitakijik- | Malard | D-007 — Mother (Joseph, fils naturel) | Return to A- initial under new priest Malard. Most complete form of the name. |
| 1803 (Sept) | Abitakigikok8e (original) / Abitakigikokse (Cadieux) | 1 — Abitakijik- (-kigi- variant) | Malard | D-008 — Godmother at Joseph Mathieu baptism (8ga8 Outaois, age ~14) | Unique -kigi- form (vs. -kiji- in all others). Cadieux renders terminal as -se. Godfather Joseph Minjotté had buried his daughter three days earlier on same leaf. Twenty-nine days before D-009. |
| 1803 (Oct) | Abitakijikoke (original) / Abitakigikokse (Cadieux) | 1 — Abitakijik- | Leclercq (LECLERO) | D-009 — Mother (Thérèse’s burial) | Terminal -8e dropped. Core root unchanged. No PRDH. Priest is Leclercq, not Malard. Witnesses: Laurent Kaondinoketsh and Simon Ki8ek8ato. |
| 1805 | Nizik8e | 2 — Kijik-/Kizik-/Nizik- | Malard | D-010 — Mother of bride (physically present) | First System 2 record. N-/K- consonant shift. No Abita- prefix. |
| 1818 | Ninzikwe | 2 — Kijik-/Kizik-/Nizik-/Ninzik- | Malard | D-011 — Godmother at Bernard’s baptism | First appearance of the Nin- form. Cadieux typescript reads Minzikwe; the original reads Ninzikwe. |
| 1824 | Ninzikwe | 2 — Kijik-/Kizik-/Nizik-/Ninzik- | Malard | D-012 — Burial. Q-5 resolved. Age 72, died Feb. 23 1824. LAC C-2896. | Same form as D-011 (1818); Nin- = minor -n- insertion vs. Ni- in D-010. Same System 2 root; same priest (Malard). Birth c. 1752. Witnesses: Augustin Kiwanaki and Jacques Michel Kiwechkam. |
| Compiled variants (Paquin, weskarini.ca) — not from original records | |||||
| — | Abitakijikokwe | 1 — Abitakijik- | Paquin (compiled) | Bernard WABISI fiche (mother) | Standardized form. Marie Angélique’s name at 1805 marriage = Abitakigikok8e (same root). |
| — | Kizikwe | 2 — Kijik-/Kizik- | Paquin (compiled) | Bernard WABISI fiche (alternate name) | Simplified form of Kijikokwe / Nizik8e / Ninzikwe. |
What Was Searched and Not Found
BCG standards require that a genealogical proof argument document not only what was found but what was searched and not found. Fewer than 0.1% of Indigenous ancestors from this period have thorough documentation; gaps are the norm. The following negative evidence is part of the evidentiary record.
What Remains to Be Resolved
Original Records & Supporting Sources
Original parish register images, Cadieux transcriptions, and Pouliot-Thisdale index pages consulted in this research. Documents are organized by category. Original register images D-001 through D-010: LAC reel C-2895. D-012: LAC reel C-2896.
En conséquence de la lettre de monsieur le Général Haldiman … Je soussigné certifie que depuis le 29 aout 1777 jusqu’au jour 15 février 1785 le nombre des sauvages
morts se monte à deux cents nonante un (original = 291; Cadieux typed soixante un = 261)
des mariages à quatre vingt un
des baptêmes à trois cent trente quatre
Guichart ptre
mission du Lac des 2 montagnes
Where to Find These Records Online
The following URLs provide direct access to the primary sources used in this research. Documented here for ease of future retrieval.
| Source | Description | URL / Access |
|---|---|---|
| LAC Reel C-2895 — Oka Start Page | Registre de la paroisse de l’Annonciation d’Oka, 1786–1806. Volume 2. Start page for Oka records on the reel. | heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c2895/373 |
| LAC Reel C-2896 — Oka Volume 3 | Registre de la paroisse de l’Annonciation d’Oka, 1806–1831. Volume 3. Contains D-012 (February 25, 1824, burial of Ninzikwe Algonquine, age 72). Cadieux Vol. 3, p. 561, Image 48. Canadiana catalogues this reel as “Fonds de la paroisse catholique Notre-Dame (Québec, Québec) - 2896.” | n2t.net/ark:/69429/m02804x54w59 (D-012 persistent URL) |
| LAC C-2895 — Persistent URL | Permanent identifier for reel C-2895. Canadiana catalogues it under an unrelated title, “Collection des paroisses catholiques du district de Détroit (Michigan) - 2895,” but the Oka registers and the Cadieux typescript are on it. Identifier: oocihm.lac_reel_c2895. | n2t.net/ark:/69429/m03775t3gd4w |
| C-2895 Image 970 — Cadieux Vol. 3, pp. 499–500 | Cadieux typed transcription of Volume 3 (1806–1831), June–July 1818 — on reel C-2895, not C-2896. Includes the June 22, 1818 baptism of Bernard, son of Pierre Jacques Oyabamitch and Elizabeth Ikwessens. | heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c2895/970 |
| C-2896 Image 57 — B-003 | Original register, September 4, 1824: burial of Bernard Wabisi, Chef de guerre Algonquin. The same 1824 register holds Geneviève’s burial (D-012). | heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c2896/57 |
| Drouin Collection — B-002 | Original register image, September 7, 1818 marriage of Bernard Wabisi. Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621–1968, Oka, L’Annonciation-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie, 1818 (Ancestry.com, 2008). | ancestry.com/search/collections/1091 (subscription) |
| Cadieux Index — PDF | Index aux Registres de l’État Civil de l’Annonciation d’Oka, 1786–1850 & Appendice. Pauline Cadieux, 1938. MG 8, G 21. Covers C-2895 and C-2896. | data2.archives.ca/pdf/pdf001/p000001401.pdf |
| C-2895 Image 463 — Cadieux Preface | Cadieux preface page XXI. Faithful copy statement; spelling preserved throughout. | LAC reel C-2895, Image 463. MG 8, G 21, Vol. 2. |
| C-2895 Image 465 — Volume 2 Opening Page | Signed Hertel de Rouville: “Fait double à Montréal, le 28 décembre 1785.” Confirms BAnQ Montréal as courthouse double location. | LAC reel C-2895, Image 465. |
| Pouliot-Thisdale PDF | 1786–1800 Oka Mission Parish Registers Kanehsatà:ke, OKA. Eric Pouliot-Thisdale, ©2015. | Google Drive. Contact: ericpt1970@hotmail.com |
| Paquin / weskarini.ca | Jean-Guy Paquin’s fiches: Bernard WABISI and Jacques AMIKWABE. | weskarini.ca |
| PRDH-IGD Database | Records used: #874014 (Bernard WABISI); #259308 (Bernard WABISI family); #642236 (1786 baptism). | prdh-igd.com |
| BAnQ Montréal — Courthouse Doubles | Confirmed location of courthouse doubles: (1) Guichart Récap certifies doubles of 1777–1785 acts deposited in parish archives; (2) Volume 2 opening page: “Fait double à Montréal, 28 décembre 1785” (Hertel de Rouville). Search not yet completed. | banq.qc.ca |
Full Citations — Evidence Explained Format
Registre de la paroisse de l’Annonciation-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie de Oka (Deux-Montagnes), Volume 2: 1786–1806. MG 8, G 21, Vol. 2. Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa. LAC reel C-2895. Accessed via Canadiana Heritage digital platform: https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c2895. Contains records D-001 through D-010. All Indigenous records included.
Registre de la paroisse de l’Annonciation-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie de Oka (Deux-Montagnes), Volume 3: 1806–1831. MG 8, G 21, Vol. 3. Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa. LAC reel C-2896. Contains D-012 (burial of Ninzikwe Algonquine, February 25, 1824, p. 561, Image 48), B-002 (1818) and B-003 (1824). Persistent URL: https://n2t.net/ark:/69429/m02804x54w59.
Cadieux, Pauline. Index aux Registres de l’État Civil de l’Annonciation d’Oka, 1786–1850 & Appendice. Préparé le 26 septembre 1938. MG 8, G 21. Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa. LAC Finding Aid MSS0316. PDF: https://data2.archives.ca/pdf/pdf001/p000001401.pdf. Covers Volumes 2 and 3 (reels C-2895 and C-2896). Cross-references names under multiple index letters. Cadieux’s own preface confirms this transcription includes all Indigenous acts and preserves original orthography throughout.
Pouliot-Thisdale, Eric. 1786–1800 Oka Mission Parish Registers Kanehsatà:ke, OKA. Montreal: [self-published], ©2015. Contact: ericpt1970@hotmail.com. Pages directly cited: 148, 158, 282, 293, 295, 313. Note: Pouliot-Thisdale’s characterization of Geneviève’s name variants as “misspellings” (p. 148) is a primary-source-grounded analytical judgment.
Paquin, Jean-Guy. “WABISI Bernard” fiche and “AMIKWABE Jacques” fiche. Published at weskarini.ca [website]. Accessed March 2026. Birth year 1763 for Bernard Wabisi (Paquin) matches the burial register’s reading of sixty-one years and nearly eight months at death in September 1824 (manuscript: soixante un ans et près de huit mois).
Programme de recherche en démographie historique (PRDH-IGD). Registre de la population du Québec ancien. Université de Montréal. https://www.prdh-igd.com. Individual record #874014 (Bernard WABISI); family record #259308 (Bernard WABISI and Agathe KIWETABANC); baptism record #642236 (Geneviève, May 27, 1786). Note: PRDH coverage of Indigenous records at Oka is partial; Abitakijikokwe name variants are not consistently transcribed.
Cuoq, Jean-André. Lexique de la langue algonquine. Montréal: J. Chapleau & Fils, 1886. Cited by Paquin for name translations: WABISI = cygne (swan); AMIK = castor (beaver). Consult for analysis of ABITAKIJIK- and KIJIKOKWE / KIZIKWE / NIZIKWE root meanings.
Deliris López Tiwari, messages via 23andMe and email to Mary Hamall Morales, 2026, on the meaning of the name Abitakijikokwe (Mid-Sky Woman) and its recording as a surname. Credited with permission.
Généalogie des Canadiens-français d’Amérique du Nord (Franco Gene). [Online database]. Searched March 2026 for Wabisi, Abitakijikokwe, Kijikokwe, Kitchiwabisi. Result: No entries found for this family.
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