George R. D. Goulet facts for kids
.jpg)
George Richard Donald Goulet is a Canadian Métis author, historian, and a retired lawyer. He is also a Métis Scholar and an activist who works to support Métis rights. He received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his contributions.
Contents
Life
Early Life and Family
George Goulet was born on September 27, 1933, in Saint Boniface, Manitoba. He was the fifth of eight children. His parents were George Wilfrid Goulet and Marie Alexina Laura McDougall. His grandmother was a descendant of Pierre Delorme, an important Métis leader. George's family history also includes early French Canadian settlers like Louis Hébert and Jean Guyon du Buisson. He is a father of five children, including Tag Goulet, Laura de Jonge, Catherine Goulet and John McDougall-Goulet.
Education and Achievements
George attended St. Paul's High School in Winnipeg. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Manitoba. He then studied law, getting a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Manitoba Law School. Later, he completed a Master of Laws degree from the University of Toronto. The University of Toronto has recognized George as one of its distinguished alumni, alongside people like astronaut Roberta Bondar.
Career
Author and Historian
George Goulet has written several history books. These include The Trial of Louis Riel: Justice and Mercy Denied, The Metis: Memorable Events and Memorable Personalities, and Louis Hebert and Marie Rollet: Canada's Premier Pioneers. His wife, Terry Goulet, co-authored the last two books. Together, George and Terry have given many talks at schools, universities, and public events. They even spoke at the Manitoba Pavilion during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
In 2012, they spoke at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Cambridge. There, they discussed the rights of the Métis people in relation to the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines.
Work with Métis Organizations
In 2007, the Métis Nation of British Columbia asked George and Terry to write a book. This book was about the history of the Métis people in British Columbia. It was released in September 2008 and was called The Metis in British Columbia: From Fur Trade Outposts to Colony. George and Terry also worked as Historical Consultants for the BC Metis Federation.
In September 2008, George was a speaker at the event to remember the Elzéar Goulet Memorial Park in Saint Boniface. George is a great-grand-nephew of Elzéar Goulet, a Métis martyr.
Honoring Contributions
An annual scholarship, called the George and Terry Goulet Bursary in Canadian History, was created in their honor at the University of Calgary.
Advocacy for Métis Rights
George and Terry Goulet are known as "Experts on Louis Riel" by the Okotoks Western Wheel newspaper. They strongly support clearing the name of Louis Riel, a historical Métis leader. George has spoken about his support for a bill in the House of Commons that aimed to recognize Riel as a hero. In a 2011 article, it was noted that Riel's execution was "a case of both justice and mercy denied," a phrase from George's book.
In October 2012, George and Terry spoke to a committee of the Senate of Canada. They discussed how Métis identity is recognized legally and politically in Canada.
George and Terry also strongly support the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. In April 2018, they published a paper arguing that the Canadian government should uphold this declaration.
See also
- List of Canadian historians
- Notable Aboriginal people of Canada
