Bourassa I, Daniel
Daniel Bourassa was the son of French-Canadian fur trader Rene Bourassa and Anne Chevalier. He was born on October 8, 1752 on Mackinac Island, Canada. After the French and Indian War, Daniel and his family moved to Fort Detroit. With the British now controlling the fur trade in the region, more lucrative opportunities became available. At the age of 34, Daniel married Marguerite Bertrand in July, 1786. Marguerite was the sister of Joseph Bertrand, local trader and future patriarch of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s Bertrand family. From this union 14 children were born. Daniel and Marguerite were well established in the area, befriending many local Potawatomi. Church records show that they were the godparents of Leopold Pokagon and his wife Elizabeth’s children. In 1781, Daniel had a daughter named Madeline out of wedlock with a Potawatomi woman. Madeline would later marry Daniel’s brother-in-law Joseph Bertrand.
Citations
Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center. 2005. Bourassa Family Manuscripts