Monique Nolett-Ille

Monique Nolett-Ille was born in Odanak to Abenaki parents in the late 1930s. Though her father died when she was only 4 years old, she had a happy childhood with her mother, younger brother, and extended family. She received a Catholic education at Académie Saint-Joseph in Odanak and the convent school in Montebello. 

In those years, basket-making was the primary industry of the Abenaki of Odanak. It was only natural for children to help their families with this work after school, and rewarding for them to contribute to their family’s livelihood.

When she was 17, Monique decided to move to Montreal to look for work. She found a job in the research department of Radio-Canada, and worked there for 32 years. She married Georges Ille, a sculptor of Hungarian origin, and the couple had two children. In 1990, after 35 years in Montreal, Monique was ready to retire. She decided to come back to Odanak with her husband and live in her family home.

As soon as she arrived, she enthusiastically enrolled in Cécile Wawanolett’s Abenaki language classes, which were just getting started. Monique had childhood memories of hearing older community members speaking Abenaki to each other. Even without understanding what they were saying, she had always been fascinated by the softness and musicality of the Abenaki language. In 1997, when Cécile Wawanolett moved to the United States, Monique took over from her as Abenaki language teacher.

For 12 years, Monique taught the Abenaki language in her community of Odanak. She authored two textbooks to help language learners: Vocabulaire français-abénakis (1996) and Initiation à la grammaire abénakise (2006). And she also participated, as content editor and co-host, in the production of a series of four Abenaki language courses, Aln8ba8dwada (known in French as “Parlons abénakis” and in English as “Let’s speak abenaki”). The project took years to complete and resulted in eight DVDs.

Since Monique stopped teaching, her former student Philippe Charland has taken over. He now teaches Abenaki language courses in various educational settings, including the Kiuna Institution (an Indigenous college located in Odanak). In 2019, Governor General Julie Payette honoured Monique Nolett-Ille with the Meritorious Service Decoration (Civil Division) for her commitment to promoting and protecting the cultural heritage of her people, the Abenaki Nation. 
Monique Nolett-Ille is still active as a consultant and translator of short French and English texts into Abenaki.