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Matriarch celebrated Weekend of events for Catherine Beaulieu Bouvier LamoureuxRoxanna Thompson Northern News Services Published Thursday, Aug 23, 2012
Between Aug. 17 and 19, the life, legacy and achievements of the historic Metis woman were celebrated. The weekend culminated in the formal unveiling of a plaque on Sunday that recognizes her designation as a National Historic Person by the federal government. The plaque, on which is a summary of the Metis matriarch's importance – inscribed in three languages – will be placed in front of the Our Lady of Providence Church, close to her former home. Diane Payment, an author and historian who helped piece together Beaulieu Bouvier Lamoureux's history, presented a summary of it to the crowd gathered in the Fort Providence arena on Aug. 18. "Catherine was a strong and indomitable woman," said Payment. She is the first Northern Metis woman to be designated as a National Historic Person and, together with her father Francis Beaulieu II, are possibly the first father-daughter team to earn the designation, Payment said. Beaulieu Bouvier Lamoureux was born in 1836 in the Salt River region near Fort Smith. She was baptized in 1845 into the Roman Catholic church at Portage la Loche, Sask., and attended the Grey Nun's school at St. Boniface, Red River from 1848 to 1852. Although baptized as a Catholic, it is believed she kept the spiritual customs of her Dene roots, said Payment. She also maintained her connection with the Grey Nuns. When the Oblate mission of Notre Dame de la Providence was established in Fort Providence, Beaulieu Bouvier Lamoureux's family moved to live beside it in 1861. She made sure the nuns had a supply of fresh meat and vegetables from her garden. She was also a strong supporter of schooling and wanted her five children, who she had with husband Joseph Bouvier, to attend school. Beaulieu Bouvier Lamoureux, who also lived in Fort Resolution, Fort Simpson and Big Island after her marriage in 1852. She was described as a strong, determined and forceful woman, who also had a nurturing side, said Payment. Almost all of the Metis in the territory have descended from her, she said. Violet Mandeville, one of the descendants, shared a story during the weekend that illustrated Beaulieu Bouvier Lamoureux's nurturing nature and explains how she got the additional name of Kokum Baie, which loosely means One Who Gives and Sustains Life. Mandeville told how her mother Albina Bouvier, Beaulieu Bouvier Lamoureux's great granddaughter, used to go to her great grandmother's house every morning along with her sister to have a baked potato and some milk from Beaulieu Bouvier Lamoureux's cows. Bouvier called her great grandmother Kokum Baie because she couldn't pronounce the French word boire, which means to drink. Mandeville, who is from Fort Resolution, said she was "so happy, proud," to see Beaulieu Bouvier Lamoureux celebrated. "It's been a long time coming," she said. Mandeville said she spent the weekend visiting with relatives, some she was meeting for the first time. A lot of participants were comparing the weekend to a large family reunion, said Albert Lafferty, Fort Providence Metis Council's president. "At it's core, it's about our lives in the North and our values," he said. The celebration is about the fact that whether we identify as Dene or Metis, we have common origins and things to share, said Lafferty. He added, many people in the North lose sight of the rich heritage they have. "We don't celebrate often enough," he said. Lafferty, who worked on compiling Beaulieu Bouvier Lamoureux's history, said the celebration was, "phenomenal."
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