Late Metis elder from Saskatchewan honoured with Canada Post stamp

WATCH: Mick Favel brings you this week’s edition of Indigenous Circle.

A Métis elder and Michif language keeper from Saskatchewan is being commemorated with a Canada Post stamp.

Sophie McDougall, who passed away in 2023, was a teacher from St. Louis, dedicating her life to sharing her knowledge of cultures and language with others.

“She kept us all together,” said the honoree’s daughter Peggy Parenteau at the June 17 stamp reveal. “She taught us so many things. It’s hard to believe that she’s being honoured today. But she’s well-deserved of it. She worked hard all her life.”

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McDougall was an elder with the Prince Albert Métis Women’s Association (PAMWA) for 20 years, and translated books and written materials into Michif, all while engaging in other projects to preserve the endangered language.

“Working with Sophie was such an honour,” said PAMWA Director Noreen McBride in a speech at the stamp reveal. “She took immense pride in these books, which were beautifully illustrated by local youth, and she was proud to share them with young people throughout Prince Albert and beyond.”

The stamp was issued June 20, alongside two other stamps honouring Indigenous leaders.

“These honorees are widely loved, respected and admired in their communities across the country,” said Tyler Thomas, Canada Post’s director of Indigenous and northern affairs. “The Métis National Council selected Sophie for the latest stamp.”

McBride used her speech to share more about McDougall’s character.

“She was a woman of strength. She was a woman of wisdom. And she was a woman to be remembered,” she said. “Her legacy lives on through her family, and her contributions to our language.”