‘You have to get the stories of the patients,’ says Métis health-care researcher – UM Today News
March 12, 2025
Then, about five years ago, a cousin pursued genealogical research and verified the Métis identity of Bouchard’s mother’s family.
“It was a community that I should have been a part of, growing up,” says Bouchard, a 26-year-old graduate student. “At first, I felt a sense of loss and anger at my ancestors for hiding it.
“But as I learned more about the reasons why families hid their Métis ancestry, I shifted to understanding the system of colonialism and oppression. I’m ‘re-membering’ myself as part of the Métis community.”
Bouchard, now a card-carrying citizen of the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), holds a bachelor’s degree in biology. He is pursuing his master of science at the College of Pharmacy. His supervisor, assistant professor Dr. Anna Chudyk, has expertise in engaging patients in health services research.
