Anahareo | |
---|---|
Born | Gertrude Bernard June 18, 1906 Mattawa, Ontario, Canada |
Died | June 17, 1986 Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada | (aged 79)
Resting place | Ajawaan Lake, Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan |
Known for | animal rights conservation |
Spouse |
Count Eric Alex Moltke-Huitfeldt
(m. 1939; sep. 1959) |
Partner | Grey Owl (1926-1936) |
Children | 3 |
Awards | Order of Canada |
Gertrude Bernard CM (June 18, 1906 – June 17, 1986), commonly known as Anahareo, was a Canadian writer, animal rights activist and conservationist of Algonquin and Mohawk ancestry. Throughout her life, she challenged cultural stereotypes of First Nations women and proved herself to be "an intrepid, resourceful, and self-reliant woman who could manage on her own in the wilderness and yet was no stranger to the customs and trappings of modern civilization".[1]: 289 At a time when "conservation" stood for increasing the size of animal populations for the sake of hunting and trapping, she, along with Grey Owl, pioneered a new concept – that animals have intrinsic rights and deserve to be treated with respect and compassion. In the later years of her life, she became an outspoken champion of animal rights.