Should the Quebecois Project be renamed? If so, to what?

Question

OK, I think this issue needs to be tackled head-on. Recently it has come up multiple times that the Quebecois Project is not as well-named as it could be. The reason for this is that people were not called "Quebecois" until after the period of time covered by the project (European settlement to 1867, primarily). Also, the word "Quebecois" can have political connotations, which may not be ideal for a project.

So I would like to hear suggestions for a better name for this project. Nouvelle-France has been suggested, though technically this project only covers a portion of New France (that which is now Quebec). Another idea I like is Project:Canadiens, since the French colony covered by this project was originally called Canada and the people were the Canadiens. Any other suggestions?

Keep in mind the scope of the project, which will probaby remain the same: the French settlers in what is now Quebec, and their descendants up to the time of Canadian Confederation.

Answer 1

What is the difference between Quebecois Project and the Category Canada, Nouvelle France ?

http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Canada,_Nouvelle-France

Why not naming the project Canada,_Nouvelle France

Comments

The difference is that one is a category and one is a project. All profiles in Category:Canada, Nouvelle-France would be part of the Quebecois Project.

It could be named Project:Canada, Nouvelle-France. The only issue there is that it was only called Nouvelle-France until 1763, and the project goes beyond that. On the other hand, almost everyone covered by the project either lived in Nouvelle-France or had ancestors who did, so that might work.

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If we have profiles later that 1763, naming it Canada, Nouvelle France would not be right.

I would prefer to follow the History of our country.

Answer 2

Nouvelle-France was more than present-day Quebec; Acadia and Louisiana would have to be included ... do you really want to add those areas?

Of course most of the few settlers in the Pays d'en Haut came through the St Lawrence valley but the Louisiana colonists came direct from France, through the West Indies or from Acadia.

I could live with Canadiens, so long as it does not get confused with the hockey team.

Comments

Your issue with just calling it Project:Nouvelle-France is the same one I had. There is already an Acadians Project, and I think the Louisiana part of New France would fall under Project:Lousiana Families. So no, I don't want this project expanded to include those areas as well.

Good point about the hockey team. Although, most of the players probably have ancestors in the project, right? :P I know my cousin Maurice "The Rocket" Richard sure does!

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Where's the "like" button in this thing?

 

My New England ancestors were called Canadiens or Canucks or Francos, until they assimilated enough to change Lafreniere to Ashley. (In those days, Canuck was a pejorative, not a hockey team from Vancouver.)

Answer 3

Early Quebec Project ?

Answer 4

I think the basis of settlement to confederation time period is too broad for a project.

Just for a bit of history, after the conquest and ceding of the territory to the English in 1763, the clergy had to compose with the protestant bias of the English, and in order to retain the religion, had to swear fealty, in return of which they were allowed to continue to practice their religion as well as their parishioners.  The English thought there would be assimilation.  To counter that, the priests preached 'be fruitful and multiply', which resulted in what is known as ''la revanche des berceaux'' (the revenge of the cradles).  There was a fair-sized population explosion as a result, families with 10 or more kids were frequent.  So we are talking about a huge population to cover under this project as outlined.

As far as the name of the project goes, Canadiens again is not totally accurate, since Canada as a French colony consisted of the St-Lawrence valley colony.  It spread out from there, the Gaspé area for example is part of the province but only part of it is in the St-Lawrence basin, the other part being next to the Atlantic ocean etc.  Canadiens also has political and pejorative connotations in some minds as well. I agree we should stay away from such, not conducive to good agreement.

So, I think the project should be split up, Canada Nouvelle-France being one part, post-conquest to Confederation being the other.  What to call that part is a puzzle though.

And of course the other parts of Nouvelle-France would need their own project.  For example, Pays-d'en-Haut consists of the colony that grew around the great lakes.  Some parts are now in the USA, some in Ontario, some in Québec.  A mish-mash as far as that goes.

Comments

And I'm forgetting the Illinois colony part of Nouvelle-France, now in the USA

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The reason I've been resisting splitting it up is because the people are the same. It seems wrong to follow the same families forward in time to a certain point, and then have to switch projects for the descendants past that point.

The scope of this project only seems complicated when you're looking at the government. When you're looking at the people, it's the same families all the way down.

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That particular objection would also apply pre and post confederation.  And my question becomes more basic:  what is the exact aim of the project?  To get all the people living in a geographic area over time listed in the tree?  Tall order.  It's a big country.  Even just the St-Lawrence valley is pretty big, and has a lot of population.  I think projects and categories are overlapping in any case, such as Filles du roy and other such projects/categories.  This is probably why this project has been spinning its wheels, so to speak.  Clear definition is needed of what exactly we are aiming for.

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Wikitree standards say to use the names from the life of the person.  From up to 1763, in was called Canada, Nouvelle France.

From 1763 to 1867 it was a british colony and was divided in two regions, and named at first, Lower and Upper Canada..and then changed to Canada East and Canada West.

How to fix that project to reflect the reality ??

Answer 5

Project:Canadiens would certainly be correct but what about a much more specific name like Project:Habitants?

In the early years of Nouvelle-France, the persons called ''Habitant" were the ones that had established residence in Canada; this is why it was very frequently mentionned in censuses. It excluded those who were only living in Canada temporarely for a specific occupation or mercantile activity and were returning to France.

At the time, "Habitant" meant "permanent resident" unlike todays use, often to disignate a farmer or a person without class.

Comments

The term “habitants” does not designate a population within a defined region. Additionally, the early censuses of habitants included soldiers and contracted workers that were not obligated to stay after completing their term of service.

Answer 6

I like Canadiens. My two and a half cents. Mags

Comments

Canadiens... I am in 2015 and I am a Canadien.

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To be more historically correct, you are North American Canadian

Answer 7

The scope of the project is: 

''' the French settlers in what is now Quebec, and their descendants up to the time of Canadian Confederation.'''

If I understand well, the goal of ''Québécois'' project is to include the French Settlers and only their descendants who lived from the beginning to 1867 in a region that the Confederation named Province de Québec.

Then we should not include french descendants who moved to New England or Detroit or in Ottawa valley.

 

Answer 8

Quebecois may not be the most accurate name, however, for genealogical purposes, it is the most helpful.  It helps me identify the French settlers from Champlain's establishment, through the Kirk period, through the conquest (Seven Year's War), through the Dominion and establishment of the Canadian nation. 

Quebecois is cultural - not just geopolitical and historical.  Ancestors who continued using the French culture, language and who adhered (or deviated from) the church-religious culture throughout the political changes are Quebecois.

Much more importantly there should be an emphasis on accurately naming the birth, marriage and death location in order to put the individual in greater context. For example, an individual may have been born in Richelieu, Quebec, New France but died in Richelieu, Quebec, Lower Canada, Dominion of Canada.  I know for certain, my data needs to be screened and changed accordingly.

Comments

I think it is Richelieu, Canada, Nouvelle France and Quebec, Nouvelle France is wrong.

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So Guy how would you correct it?

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Mary Beth, it would be Richelieu valley if you have no more precise location than that, and Canada, Nouvelle-France.  Québec as a global location other than the city itself dates from confederation onwards.  Canada was the name of the French colony in the greater St-Lawrence valley.  The English confused the issue after the conquest by saying upper and lower Canada.  :D

And I have to note that Québécois as a popular term has truly been in use as a name for the population of this province mainly from around 1960 onward, previously the term used was Canadiens Français to distinguish from English Canadians.  And before that Canadiens was just us chickens, the English and other immigrants after the conquest mostly called themselves British.

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Perhaps the correct identification should be discussed in another thread..

Returning to the initial question "should Quebecois be renamed"?  I would say "No". The title "Quebecois"  is cultural, sociolinguistic and more than a political-historical designation. I wouldn't change it for that reason.

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Should Quebecois Project be renamed ? YES as the word '''québécois''' did not exist in 1660 or 1760 or even in 1860 ...OH... I am wrong... , it existed for people living in the city of Québec, Canada, Nouvelle-France.

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Guy here's a response with some of my thoughts: I don't think the name of the project must be how the subjects named themselves. The pilgrims of Plymouth colony did not identify themselves as pilgrims.  They were not called "Pilgrims" until the mid 19th century more than 200 years after their settlement.  

Calling our project "Quebecois" denotes origins, tradition, language, in the St Lawrence River Valley.  I think it remains the best name to convey these things to members who are including ancestors from first settlers like  Zachary Cloutier, to Filles de Roi and CS, to troupes de la marine, to troupes de la terre who fought in the war of conquest and even emigrants who sought work in New England and New York textile mills.

Answer 9

I am satisfied with the present name, but for my ancestors the transitions were Le Grand Dérangement from the Acadia project, and thence emigration to the United States.

Answer 10

As I being a Quebecois and when I travel, I often get the comment , .'oh so your Quebecois', and I respond I was born, raised and lived in Quebec and I am a Canadian 1st and then a citizen of Quebec.

So maybe . Citzens of Quebec instead of Quebec would be a better name