Carter, Roger C. (1922-2009)

Born on March 23, 1922, Roger Colenso Carter of Moose Jaw, an innovator in legal Education for Aboriginals, completed his law degree at the University of Saskatchewan and his master’s degree at the University of Michigan. Having practiced law in Saskatoon for sixteen years, Carter joined the College of Law at the University of Saskatchewan. He served as dean of the college from 1968 to 1974 and opened the Native Law Centre a year later. The Centre has developed Aboriginal law in Canada and administers the summer Program of Legal Studies for Native People, an initiative created by Carter to prepare Aboriginal people for the study of law. He received an honorary doctorate of laws from Queen’s University and became the first non-Aboriginal person to be named a Companion of the Order of Gabriel Dumont. In 1998, Carter received the Saskatchewan Order of Merit and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2001. Roger Carter passed away on February 10, 2009.

Canadian Plains Research Center