SnapThoughts: We Were Not The Savages Book Relaunch
Picture by Krista Collier-Jarvis: The Fourth edition of We Were Not the Savages for sale at the book launch.
by Krista Collier-JarvisI owe a big thank you to the launch of the 4th edition of Daniel N. Paul’s seminal text, We Were Not the Savages, which reminded me how to be proud of my Mi’kmaq culture. The launch conveniently took place on September 30th, the second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Also known as Orange Shirt Day, September 30th is when we wear orange to honour those children who never returned home from Canada’s Residential Schools. With the ongoing confirmations of unmarked graves at the sites of former Schools across Canada, the solidarity embodied by the sea of orange shirts at the book launch was even more important and emotional. The event was organized by Dr. Dorota Glowacka, a member of Thinking through the Museum and a Holocaust scholar and professor in the Contemporary Studies Program at the University of King’s College where the event was held. In keeping with Mi’kmaw tradition, the day opened with drumming led by Mi’kmaw singer, educator, and filmmaker Cathy Martin.
Picture by Krista Collier-Jarvis: Cathy Martin opens the event with drumming and song.
With the first beat of her drum, symbolising the heartbeat of Mother Earth, Martin brought us together. Dr. Pamela Palmater, who penned the Foreword for the new edition, inaugurated the event with a moving keynote. “Everything he [Paul] does is for us,” Palmater elucidated, “and when I say ‘us,’ I mean everyone in Mi’kma’ki.” Both Martin and Palmater focused their discourse on using collective pronouns not merely for Indigenous solidarity, but to invite everyone in the room into the community. King’s President, Dr. William Lahey, acknowledged the role of King’s in the history of colonization and how it, like many institutions on Turtle Island (North America), has benefited from the mistreatment of Indigenous nations. However, he admitted that acknowledgment is not enough, and he promises that King’s will do its part in reconciliation. Only time will tell whether he and King’s turn their words into ReconciliACTIONS. When Paul arose to speak, the room went silent. Paul shared a string of stories where the ending of one tale blended into the beginning of another, marking him as a true master of storytelling. What I found particularly overwhelming was when he shared with us that he just received news that his radiation treatments to combat lung cancer were successful.
Picture by Krista Collier-Jarvis: Daniel N. Paul shares some laughs with the audience.
Hopefully, this means Paul will be around for many more years to remind us why we should be proud to be Mi’kmaq. Because of his ongoing contribution to our community, we can openly proclaim, “we were not the savages.”