Janet
04-08-23, 03:44
OH and I both found this a very interesting article in yesterday's New York Times.
Switched at Birth, Two Canadians Discover Their Roots at 67
(https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/02/world/canada/canada-men-switched-at-birth.html)
I actually had to write down some notes before I could get my mind around it:
The man raised as Richard Beauvais turns out to be Ukrainian, not Métis. He's the one who now raises horses. Had a difficult childhood, being part of the Indigenous community. Was raised by Camille and Laurette Beauvais; Camille died when Richard was 3; then lived with grandparents; spoke Cree and French; grandparents' surname was Richard, his given name. He and siblings were forcibly removed by the Canadian government from the Métis community and Richard was adopted by the Pools, learned English, lost his French and Cree. He maintains his Indigenous identity in his own mind and would not change anything if he could go back now. His actual birth parents were James and Kathleen Ambrose, prosperous farmers.
The man raised as Eddy Ambrose turns out to be Métis, not Ukrainian. He had a happy, carefree childhood in the Ukrainian community and Ukrainian Catholic church of his upbringing where he was raised by well-off farming parents who also had a general store and post office, was cherished and protected by his parents and three older sisters. His birth parents were actually a couple named Beauvais: Camille (French Canadian) and Laurette (Cree and French Canadian, Métis). Now that he has uncovered his biological identity, he wants to be officially recognized as a Métis and is engaged in an intense search for his roots, starting beadwork, a traditional Métis craft, and bonding with a biological sister.
Switched at Birth, Two Canadians Discover Their Roots at 67
(https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/02/world/canada/canada-men-switched-at-birth.html)
I actually had to write down some notes before I could get my mind around it:
The man raised as Richard Beauvais turns out to be Ukrainian, not Métis. He's the one who now raises horses. Had a difficult childhood, being part of the Indigenous community. Was raised by Camille and Laurette Beauvais; Camille died when Richard was 3; then lived with grandparents; spoke Cree and French; grandparents' surname was Richard, his given name. He and siblings were forcibly removed by the Canadian government from the Métis community and Richard was adopted by the Pools, learned English, lost his French and Cree. He maintains his Indigenous identity in his own mind and would not change anything if he could go back now. His actual birth parents were James and Kathleen Ambrose, prosperous farmers.
The man raised as Eddy Ambrose turns out to be Métis, not Ukrainian. He had a happy, carefree childhood in the Ukrainian community and Ukrainian Catholic church of his upbringing where he was raised by well-off farming parents who also had a general store and post office, was cherished and protected by his parents and three older sisters. His birth parents were actually a couple named Beauvais: Camille (French Canadian) and Laurette (Cree and French Canadian, Métis). Now that he has uncovered his biological identity, he wants to be officially recognized as a Métis and is engaged in an intense search for his roots, starting beadwork, a traditional Métis craft, and bonding with a biological sister.