Mr.
Chancellor, by the authority of the Senate, I have the pleasure to present to
you, that at your hands he may receive the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa
Pierre David
Bouchard
Distinguished
author and educator, Métis raconteur, and activist; Prolific
artist and pedagogue, authoring more than seventy children’s and cultural
books;
Graduate
of the University of Regina;
An
inspiring mentor whose love of language and learning allowed him to meet the
challenge of dyslexia head on, achieving success as a teacher and school administrator,
whose understanding of the unique challenges faced by Aboriginal, second
language and special needs learners have made him an empathetic and effective
guide for those striving to become literate;
Embracing
the gift from his great-grandmother to become an enthusiastic champion of
traditional storytelling, whose own visually evocative style of writing
provides a powerful reflection of authenticity in Indigenous knowledge and
culture;
Noted
chronicler in English, French, as well as thirteen of Canada’s Indigenous
languages, whose body of work in all its iterations constitutes a veritable
‘Rosetta Stone’ for many of our oldest lexical traditions;
Whose
search to uncover the story of his own true self has inspired a quest to give
voice to those who have long stood in the periphery;
An
engaging speaker whose passion and humanity challenges all of us to see the
potential of Indigenous peoples, while encouraging young Aboriginal people to recognize
it in themselves;
Whose
commitment to share with others never wavers so long as there are people eager
to listen and learn, and whose lectures conclude only after the last curious
soul has left satisfied;
The
recipient of numerous national and international literary accolades, including
the Governor General’s Literary Award, and the Silver Birch Award, and whose
iconic work “If You’re Not From The
Prairie” has been included in Macleans’ Magazine’s list of the top twenty
children’s books in the history of Canada.
Member of the Order of Canada, Board Director
of the Métis Federation of Canada, namesake and inspiration for the
David Bouchard Public School in Oshawa, Ontario;
A
remarkable individual whom we are delighted to welcome to Queen’s, paying tribute to his accomplishments with our
highest award.
