The Honourable James Bartleman’s life path has taken him from a childhood home in a tent all the way to Toronto’s Queen’s Park and the private suite reserved for Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor. Despite the racist attitudes he encountered as an Aboriginal student at the University of Western Ontario (UWO), he credits education for his achievement.

“In 1960 I was Western’s only Aboriginal student,” he recalled whilerevisiting the UWO campus to accept a Doctor of Laws honorary degree this fall. “I soon became aware that mainstream Canadians were uncomfortablewith Indians.”

Diplomatically, the former Canadian ambassador named no names but told hisconvocation audience: “I heard a professor tell our history class that allFrench-speaking Quebecers had some Indian blood as a result of theirancestors mixing with Aboriginal peoples during centuries of fur trading.To my shock, he went on to explain that this was the reason why Quebecerswere so backward — neatly hitting two cultures with one racist stone.”

Bartleman, 63, was appointed as the Queen’s official representative in Ontarioby Prime Minister Jean Chrétien last March. He is a member of theMnjikaning community, born of mixed parentage in Orillia on Christmas Eve,1939. His mother, Marie Simcoe, lost her Chippewa status when she marriedhis father, Percy Bartleman, a non-Native of Scottish descent. The familylater moved to Port Carling where the young James grew up in the heart of Muskoka’s cottage country.

“We were extremely poor,” he recalls. “When we arrived in Port Carling inthe summer of1946, we lived in a tent on the road leading to the village dump.” Hisopportunity for higher education came in 1958 when a wealthy Americancottager, who employed young Jim for summer jobs, provided the supportneeded for him to go to London for his Grade 13, then on to UWO where hegraduated in 1963 with an Honours BA in History.

After a year of teaching, Bartleman set off to travel Europe. In London,he was inspired by an address by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in St. Paul’sCathedral. Awestruck by King’s “I have a dream,” he sensed he wanted toshare such a message of peace and cooperation in his own life’s work. Backin Canada, he entered the foreign service.

Over three decades, Bartleman represented Canada in Bangladesh and Israel,at the European Union, in Cuba, Cyprus, Australia and South Africa. InBrussels, he met Marie-Jeanne Rosillon; they married in 1975 and have threechildren: Anne-Pascale, Laurent and Alain.

Though his travels have taken him far, he brings sweetgrass to remind him of home. “I love sweetgrass,” hetold a Native group in London. “I never go anywhere without it in mysuitcase. I’ve carried it all over the world.”

Besides his ceremonial duties, such as reading the government’s Speech fromthe Throne at each new session of the Legislature, he sees his job in termsof moral persuasion. “The Lieutenant governor’s job is to encourage the good elements of society and to speak out against the evil elementsof society,” says Bartleman.

Advocating for Native rights is one of the three causes he has chosen topromote during his term. Already he has made a point of travelling toremote Northern Ontario reserves. His other two personal commitments are tospeak out against racism and against the stigma attached to mental illness.

A senior official in Bartleman’s office explained the non-political — butstill influential — nature of the post. “The role of the LieutenantGovernor does not permit him to be involved in direct policy questions,”said Richard Berthelsen. But, he added: “His role permits him totravel and to meet people from various communities as well as to speak andto bring to public attention the issues that arise…In addition, he canpass along concerns that are expressed to him to the appropriate Minister inthe government for them to address.”

Bartleman has recently written a book, Out of Muskoka, the story of hislife to date. He is donating all proceeds to the National AboriginalAchievement Foundation, which in 1997 presented him with a NationalAboriginal Achievement Award, recognizing his outstanding career.