Jean-Marie Aubin

Jean-Marie Aubin was born in 1928 in Saint-Léon-le-Grand, Quebec. His father was Wolastoqewi (Maliseet), and his mother was a Quebecer. Before becoming Interim Chief of the Maliseet (now Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk) First Nation, in 1987, Jean-Marie Aubin was known as a carpenter, fisherman, nature lover, and skilled craftsperson. Though he was highly intelligent, Jean-Marie never felt at home at school. He dropped out at a very young age. His love of woodworking kindled his creative energies, and he made his own toys. Later, he met the woman he would marry in Montreal, and bought a house in Longueuil that became the family home.

Throughout his long career, Jean-Marie never stopped working with wood. He collaborated with the sculptor Louis Archambault and was part of the team that built Place Dupuis, a Montreal skyscraper. People felt he would have made an excellent engineer.

As a young man, one of Jean-Marie’s favourite pastimes was fishing with snares, often catching a salmon every day. He was also a keen game hunter. He loved music, and it was said he could play every instrument but the violin. On weekends, he liked travelling north to get away from it all. The outdoors helped him find his balance. For a long time, Jean-Marie led a sort of “double life,” keeping the Indigenous part of his heritage hidden. He never discussed his Indigenous identity or spoke his Indigenous language, which had not been passed on to him. This kind of “double life” often happens to people living with an identity that is not totally their own.

Jean-Marie’s children discovered his secret one day when they found his status card hidden in a drawer. Though they were proud of their father’s origins, he wished to keep his secret. In fact, one reason Jean-Marie concealed the truth was that he thought it might protect his children. 

Though he was plagued by doubts, Jean-Marie was also a fun-loving person who loved laughing. He made a point of telling his children at least one good joke every day. He was a dedicated family man, a community builder, and a giving, widely-liked person who treated everyone with respect. He was also a strong negotiator.

One day, Jean-Marie had a life-changing visit. Two Abenaki men from Wôlinak, Noël and Pierre Saint-Aubin, invited him to a meeting called by the Maliseet Nation to address challenges it faced.

At that time, the Maliseet Nation (now the Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk First Nation) was in decline and losing touch with its traditions. To preserve them, they would need to be recognized as Quebec’s eleventh Indigenous nation. Jean-Marie was named Interim Chief. With the support of his wife and children, and a phone book, he set out to find other active members of the Maliseet Nation scattered throughout the territory. In 1987, one hundred of these members met in Rivière-du-Loup to elect a chief and band council. Two years later, in 1989, the Maliseet were officially recognized by Quebec’s National Assembly. Jean-Marie Aubin passed away a few months later.

Those who knew him well remember how Jean-Marie worked tirelessly to help rebuild his nation. He didn’t do this work for himself, he did it for others. Jean-Marie understood how critical it was to revitalize his nation’s culture, and never backed down from this great challenge. As always, his motivation was not personal: he answered the call of something larger than himself. Jean-Marie Aubin’s contribution has gone down in history, and the torch has been passed down to the next generation. Before he left us, he shared how moving his experience had been—he was moved to meet with the leaders of other nations, feel their warm welcome, and, above all, finally accept his true identity.