Marie Aioe Dorion
Encyclopedia
"Madame" Marie Aioe Dorion Venier Toupin (ca. 1786–September 5, 1850) was the only female member of the Astor Expedition
, also known as the Wilson Price Hunt Expedition. Marie Dorion was a member of the Iowa tribe
of Native Americans
. She was married to Métis
expedition member Pierre Dorion. She was also known as Laguivoise and Wihmunkewakan.
who died several days later. After reaching Fort Astoria
, Dorion and her family returned with a trapping party to the Snake River
area. The party was attacked by Native Americans and all but Dorion and her children were killed. Though she tried to save a French member of the party by putting him on a horse and moving him away from the scene, he died the next day. After the attack, Dorion and her children survived 50 days of winter living in the Blue Mountains
.
Dorion would marry two more times and have three more children. Her second husband was Louis Venier. With her third husband, Jean Toupin, she settled near Saint Louis, Oregon on the French Prairie
. It was in Saint Louis that she began to be known as "Madame".
Roman Catholic Church
in Saint Louis. When the church burned down in 1880 and the current church built, the location of Dorion's grave was forgotten and remains unknown to this day. It was only when the church register
was translated from French into English many years after the original church burned down that it was learned that Dorion had been buried there. There is no record of why she received this honor instead of being buried in the nearby cemetery, but church burial requires special dispensation and may have indicated that Dorion was especially devout.
Among the places memorializing Dorion are Madame Dorion Memorial Park in the foothills of the Blue Mountains near Milton-Freewater, Oregon
, and the Dorion Complex residence hall at Eastern Oregon University
in La Grande
. There is a plaque noting the place near North Powder where she likely gave birth. Hers is also one of the 158 names of people important to Oregon's history that are painted in the House and Senate chamber of the Oregon State Capitol
. Her name is in the Senate chamber.
Author Jane Kirkpatrick wrote the Tender Ties trilogy of historical novel
s based on Dorion's life.
Astor Expedition
The Astor Expedition of 1810-1812 was the next overland expedition from St. Louis, Missouri to the mouth of the Columbia River after the Corps of Discovery, led by Lewis and Clark.-History:...
, also known as the Wilson Price Hunt Expedition. Marie Dorion was a member of the Iowa tribe
Iowa tribe
The Iowa , also known as the Báxoje, are a Native American Siouan people. Today they are enrolled in either of two federally recognized tribes, the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma and the Ioway Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska....
of Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. She was married to Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
expedition member Pierre Dorion. She was also known as Laguivoise and Wihmunkewakan.
Astor Expedition and Oregon
Accompanying Dorion and her husband Pierre on the Astor Expedition were their two young boys, who were probably two and four years old. She gave birth to another child near North Powder, OregonNorth Powder, Oregon
North Powder is a city in Union County, Oregon, United States. The population was 489 at the 2000 census.-History:North Powder was platted in 1885 or 1886 along the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company rail line, having been a stage stop before then....
who died several days later. After reaching Fort Astoria
Fort Astoria
Fort Astoria was the Pacific Fur Company's primary fur trading post in the Northwest, and was the first American-owned settlement on the Pacific coast. After a short two-year term of US ownership, the British owned and operated it for 33 years. It was the first British port on the Pacific coast...
, Dorion and her family returned with a trapping party to the Snake River
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
area. The party was attacked by Native Americans and all but Dorion and her children were killed. Though she tried to save a French member of the party by putting him on a horse and moving him away from the scene, he died the next day. After the attack, Dorion and her children survived 50 days of winter living in the Blue Mountains
Blue Mountains (Oregon)
The Blue Mountains are a mountain range in the western United States, located largely in northeastern Oregon and stretching into southeastern Washington...
.
Dorion would marry two more times and have three more children. Her second husband was Louis Venier. With her third husband, Jean Toupin, she settled near Saint Louis, Oregon on the French Prairie
French Prairie
French Prairie is a prairie located in Marion County, Oregon, United States, in the Willamette Valley between the Willamette River and the Pudding River, north of Salem...
. It was in Saint Louis that she began to be known as "Madame".
Death and legacy
After Dorion Venier Toupin died on September 5, 1850, she was buried inside the original logLog cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in Saint Louis. When the church burned down in 1880 and the current church built, the location of Dorion's grave was forgotten and remains unknown to this day. It was only when the church register
Parish register
A parish register is a handwritten volume, normally kept in a parish church or deposited within a county record office or alternative archive repository, in which details of baptisms, marriages and burials are recorded.-History:...
was translated from French into English many years after the original church burned down that it was learned that Dorion had been buried there. There is no record of why she received this honor instead of being buried in the nearby cemetery, but church burial requires special dispensation and may have indicated that Dorion was especially devout.
Among the places memorializing Dorion are Madame Dorion Memorial Park in the foothills of the Blue Mountains near Milton-Freewater, Oregon
Milton-Freewater, Oregon
Milton-Freewater is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. The city received its current name in 1951 when the neighboring rival cities of Milton and Freewater voted to merge. The population was 6,470 at the 2000 census...
, and the Dorion Complex residence hall at Eastern Oregon University
Eastern Oregon University
Eastern Oregon University is one of seven state-funded, four-year universities of higher education in the State of Oregon and belongs to the Oregon University System...
in La Grande
La Grande, Oregon
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 12,327 people, 5,124 households, and 2,982 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,833.5 people per square mile . There were 5,483 housing units at an average density of 1,260.3 per square mile...
. There is a plaque noting the place near North Powder where she likely gave birth. Hers is also one of the 158 names of people important to Oregon's history that are painted in the House and Senate chamber of the Oregon State Capitol
Oregon State Capitol
The Oregon State Capitol is the building housing the state legislature and the offices of the governor, secretary of state, and treasurer of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in the state capital, Salem. The current building, constructed from 1936 to 1938, and expanded in 1977, is the third...
. Her name is in the Senate chamber.
Author Jane Kirkpatrick wrote the Tender Ties trilogy of historical novel
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
s based on Dorion's life.