FORT PROVIDENCE (August 17, 2012) – Catherine Beaulieu Bouvier Lamoureux will be celebrated as a National Historic Person this weekend.

Ms. Lamoureux is the first NWT woman to receive this designation from the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

“We remember Catherine and honour her memory by carrying on her work and the things she stood for: the family and the community,” said Premier Bob McLeod. “We can be especially proud that in Catherine’s case oral histories were used to recognize her as a person of national historic significance. This has never been done before by  the National Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. It is a testament to Catherine’s legacy that she was able to speak to us across the generations and that the importance of oral traditions to the indigenous cultures of the NWT are being recognized.”

“The work which brought us to this commemoration required countless hours of time which spanned over decades with the contributions and accounts of many,” said Albert Lafferty, President of the Fort Providence Métis Council. “On another level it offers us a glimpse in time which goes back for generations, and into centuries past when the early explorers and newcomers were venturing into the Northwest of what was to develop and later become Canada.  It is also about our adaptation, emergence as a new culture, while bearing in mind the sacrifices, endurance and early contributions which were made to our country.”

The nomination was made by the Fort Providence Métis Council, which will be hosting celebrations all weekend and unveiling a plaque to emphasize the important role culture plays in shaping our territory.

As a woman of energy and ability and a caregiver, Catherine Beaulieu Bouvier Lamoureux stands as an iconic figure among the Métis of Fort Providence and the Mackenzie Basin. She is still revered as the “old mother of all of us,” an outstanding inspiration and role model to her people as Kokum Baie, “one who gives and sustains life,” and Ehtsu Naats’i, “Grandmother of the winds,” referring to her great abilities as a traveller.

A complete schedule of the weekend’s events is available from the Fort Providence Métis Council.

For more information, contact:

Megan Holsapple
Media Liaison
Office of the Premier and Executive Council
Government of the Northwest Territories
Tel: (867) 669-2302
Fax: (867) 873-0111


Albert J. Lafferty
President
Fort Providence Métis Council
Tel.  867.699.4320    Fax:  867.699.4319
email:  pvmetis@ssimicro.conm
www.dehchomackenziemetis.ca