Emma LaRocque
Poverty, racism obstacles overcome
By Deirdre Tombs
Windspeaker Writer
She has been published more than 60 times and is a tireless
advocate for Aboriginal people, but the National Aboriginal Achievement
Award for education is the first award Dr. Emma LaRocque, scholar,
author, poet, defender of human rights and professor in the department
of Native Studies at the University of Manitoba, has ever won.
"It's richly
deserved and it's actually made her feel great, which is a nice
thing to see," said Peter Kulchyski, head of the Native
Studies department. "She's, I think, been under-appreciated
for a long, long time, so it's nice to see her getting some of
the appreciation she deserves."
"It actually means a lot more than I even realized it meant
when I first learned that I got it," LaRocque told Windspeaker.
"I was slow to realize, I think, what an honor it is and
what an important award it is ... But when I actually was there
and got the award, it was a fabulous feeling and especially to
know that this was truly an Aboriginal-based award and to see
so many wonderful Aboriginal people there," said LaRocque.
First and foremost, this unsung hero of Aboriginal culture is
a survivor. Emma LaRocque was born ...
PEOPLE OF HONOUR INDEX