Bourassa II, Daniel
Born June 22, 1780, Daniel II was the son of Daniel Bourassa and Marguerite Bertrand. Descending from a family of fur traders, Daniel took after his father and became an agent for John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company. On March 15, 1808, Daniel married a Nishnabe woman named Theotis Pisange. Theotis’ father was Ojibwe and her mother was Odawa, believed to be the sister of famed warrior and leader Shabbone. Daniel and Theotis had 13 children.
In 1837, Daniel and his family had relocated to the Yellow River in Indiana, residing in the village of Potawatomi leader Menominee. Along with Potawatomi from around the region, the family had come to participate in removal negotiations. On the morning of September 4, 1838, Daniel, his family and some 850 Potawatomi were forced to remove west to Kansas on what would become known as the Trail of Death. Muster Rolls record that Daniel and eight family members suffered the forced march.
Arriving in Kansas on November 4, tribal members faced one of the fiercest winters in Kansas history. They were not afforded shelter or supplies that the government had promised upon their arrival. Many succumbed to exposure, while others became sick and eventually perished. While living on the Sugar Creek reserve, both Daniel and Theotis died in 1840.
Citations
Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center. 2005. Bourassa Family Manuscripts