James Bourque facts for kids

James W. Bourque (born December 17, 1935 – died October 19, 1996) was an important leader for First Nations people in Canada. He achieved something very special in 1992. He became one of the few Canadians ever asked to join the Queen's Privy Council for Canada without first being elected to a political job. This shows how much he was respected.

James W. Bourque: A Leader for First Nations

Early Life and First Steps

James Bourque was born in a place called Wandering River, Alberta. He was from both Cree and Métis backgrounds. When he was just 18 years old, he was chosen to be the president of the hunters and trappers association in Fort Chipewyan. After that, from 1955 to 1963, he worked as a park warden in Wood Buffalo National Park.

Leading Important Groups

James Bourque was a strong leader for many years. From 1980 to 1982, he was the president of the Métis Association of the Northwest Territories. He then worked for the government of the Northwest Territories as a deputy minister of renewable resources from 1982 to 1991. A deputy minister is a senior public servant who helps run a government department. He also led the Northwest Territories' Commission for Constitutional Development, which worked on how the government should be set up.

Bourque also started the Centre for Traditional Knowledge. This center helps to share and preserve old ways of knowing and doing things, especially for Indigenous communities.

In 1984, he started the Fur Institute of Canada. He was the chairman of this group for four years. In 1994, he became a co-director for the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. This was a big study by the government to understand the challenges faced by Indigenous peoples in Canada and suggest ways to make things better. On July 1, 1992, he was officially sworn into the Queen's Privy Council. This is a group of important people who advise the Queen (or King) on matters of state.