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What if the answers hidden in your family tree could change the way you see the place you call home?For years, a story passed down from a grandmother suggested there was French-Indigenous ancestry somewhere in the family tree. Wanting to learn more, Laurie and her cousin, Ross, began searching for answers, sharing discoveries through a Facebook family group where relatives could contribute stories, photographs and family records.
What began as a search for family history soon led somewhere unexpected.
The journey revealed a connection to the Myaamia people. Like many people in the Detroit River region, Laurie knew little about the Myaamia or how their history connected to so many local families. The more she learned, the more she realized this was never simply a family story. Before long, the idea for this book began to take shape.
Beginning with the 1704 marriage of Marie-Marguerite Wanbakiikwa and Pierre Roy, The Downstream Legacy - Myaamia, French Fur Traders & The Families Who Shaped the Detroit River traces the history of the Detroit River region through the experiences of one family lineage. In doing so, it reveals a story that reflects the journeys of many families whose roots remain connected to the river today.
More than a genealogy, this book is a journey of discovery through family history and the changing region those families called home. It is an invitation to look more closely at the stories hidden within our own family trees and a reminder that our stories are rarely ours alone. They are part of a much larger story that connects families, communities and generations across time.
Join us for the launch of The Downstream Legacy and discover how a search for one family's past became a shared story of the Detroit River region.
Visit Storytellers Bookstore on November 7 from 1 to 2 p.m. (with extended time available if needed). Learn more about the inspiration behind The Downstream Legacy, pick up a copy and explore the connections you may share with the region's history.
Each book includes a complimentary bookmark featuring one of the local trees highlighted in The Downstream Legacy.
Copies will be available for purchase for $40 (cash only). The first printing will have a limited number of copies. Readers may reserve a copy in advance through Storytellers Bookstore. If the first printing sells out, a waiting list will be available for future printings.
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Event venue
Storytellers Bookstore, Vertika Pole Fitness, 1437 Ottawa St, Windsor, ON N8X 2G1, Canada
Tickets
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.