After more than seven decades since departing from his native Manawan community in northern Quebec, the body of an Atikamekw infant was discovered in Quebec City during the exhumation of a mass grave. Bébé Maxime, as he is known, will now be laid to rest in his hometown, bringing closure to his family. Manon Ottawa dedicated 12 years to the search for her uncle, Joseph Paul Maxime Ottawa, who was sent for medical treatment as a six-month-old and tragically passed away in Quebec City at the age of 43 days. The family was not informed of his death until two years later, without receiving a death certificate or recovering the body until recently.
Motivated by a promise made to her father, Ottawa embarked on a mission to uncover the truth about her uncle’s fate. She expressed her wish for her grandparents to witness the return of their child to the community. To aid in her quest, Ottawa sought assistance from Awacak, an organization supporting Indigenous families in locating missing relatives from Quebec healthcare facilities. Olivia Malenfant, a lawyer for Awacak, highlighted the significance of the Quebec Superior Court’s decision allowing Bébé Maxime’s exhumation, setting a precedent for reuniting families with their lost loved ones.
Awacak is actively involved in locating approximately 250 Indigenous children who disappeared from healthcare facilities in Quebec. After 72 years, Bébé Maxime will be laid to rest in Manawan, with a ceremony planned to honor his memory. Ottawa, equipped with a baby carrier and tiny moccasins, shared that they would watch over the infant’s body for three days and two nights before the burial. Symbolically, moccasins were offered to Bébé Maxime to prepare him for his journey to the ancestral lands.