John Boucher Collection

Senator John Boucher Collection

 John Boucher (1938-2010) was a long-time senator for the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan and the Métis National Council.  John Boucher was very well respected within the Métis community as an elder, political leader, and activist.  He was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2002 for his 40 years of community activism.  He also served almost 20 years as a senator of the Métis Nation, and represented the Métis at hundreds of functions across the world.  For many years, he sat on the RCMP’s Saskatchewan’s Aboriginal Advisory Committee. His grandfather, Jean-Baptiste Boucher Jr. (1861-1943) fought on the Métis side during the 1885 Resistance. 

The John Boucher Collection was graciously donated to the Gabriel Dumont Institute by the late Senator John Boucher’s family after his passing.  The collection contains his papers as a Senator for the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan and the Métis National Council. 

A significant portion of the collection deals with confidential matters relating to the governance of the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan and the Métis National Council, and as a result, much of it cannot be presented to the public.  Also included are a significant number of newspaper clippings relating to the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan, Métis hunting cases, and Métis identity.  What is available for public viewing is correspondence relating to his time as a provincial and national Métis senator.  Included are some of the prayers that he used to open various Métis-related events; various public documents released by the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan and the Métis National Council; photographs of John Boucher’s famous meeting with Nelson Mandela in 1998; and personal correspondence, including cards from friends and family as well as cards thanking him for carrying out his duties as an Elder/Senator.