Knockwood Brian - Doug Knockwood, Mikmaw elder: stories, memories, reflections

DOUG

KNOCKWOOD

MIKMAW ELDER

DOUG

KNOCKWOOD

MIKMAW ELDER

Stories, Memories, Reflections

BY
DOUG KNOCKWOOD
& FRIENDS

FOREWORD BY
BRIAN KNOCKWOOD

Roseway Publishing
an imprint of Fernwood Publishing
Halifax & Winnipeg

Copyright 2018 Doug Knockwood

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

Editing: Brenda Conroy

Cover photo: Lorna Lillo Photography

Cover design: Stephen Brake

eBook: tikaebooks.com

Printed and bound in Canada

Published in Canada by Roseway Publishing

an imprint of Fernwood Publishing

32 Oceanvista Lane, Black Point, Nova Scotia, B0J 1B0

and 748 Broadway Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3G 0X3

www.fernwoodpublishing.ca/roseway

Fernwood Publishing Company Limited gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism and Culture and the Province of Manitoba, through the Book Publishing Tax Credit, for our publishing program.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Knockwood, Doug, 1929-, author

Doug Knockwood, Mikmaw elder: stories, memories, reflections / Doug Knockwood.

Issued in print and electronic formats.

ISBN 978-1-55266-949-5 (softcover).ISBN 978-1-55266-950-1 (EPUB).

ISBN 978-1-55266-951-8 (Kindle)

1. Knockwood, Doug, 1929. 2. Micmac IndiansNova ScotiaBiography. 3. Elders (Native peoples)Nova ScotiaBiography. 4. Autobiographies. I. Title.

E99.M6K63 2018 971.600497343 C2018-900912-8

C2018-900913-6

CONTENTS

To the memory of Lawrence Paul and the many people who worked with me over the many years

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am truly grateful for all the work and effort that went into the production of my book for it was truly a work of love. My heartfelt gratitude goes to all those who took the time out of their busy lives to participate and produce the book you now have in your hands. To Michelle my partner, support, friend, wife, my deepest and most heartfelt thank you for agreeing to be my travelling companion on this road we call life. Love you.

My love and thanks to all my children and friends who agreed to be interviewed for the Remembers sections of the book. Your many kind and thoughtful words lift my spirit and warm my heart. To my long-time friend Errol Sharpe, my deepest and most sincere thank-you. Errol and I talked of this book for many years; if it wasnt for his persistence and determination it would not have been started let alone completed. Many thanks also to Miles Howe and Annie Clair, whose many hours of interviewing resulted in the Remembers section.

On my lifes journey I have met many, many people who through their loving companionship and camaraderie have helped me to become the person I am and able to do the work that I have done. It is because of you and your love and caring support that I celebrated fifty-four years of sobriety in February 2018. My most humble and appreciative thank-you.

I thank Robert Clarke, whose contribution helped shape the final book, and Brenda Conroy, whose encouragement and expertise in editing the manuscript has made it easier to read. Finally, thanks to Beverley Rach for putting the book together, and to all the people at Fernwood Publishing many thanks. And to those of you who read this book, thank-you.

Doug Knockwood

FOREWORD

I have always looked up to Doug. He has been my neighbour here on the Indian Brook First Nation for nearly thirty years. Doug is one of the most respected Elders that I know.

One beautiful day in December, Doug invited me over to his house for some tea. He explained to me that he wanted to talk to me about something important. He also explained that he was busy that week and would not be home until that Saturday. He asked if I could come over to his place and that 10:30 a.m. would be a good time. I had plans that day, but when an Elder such as Doug invites you over for tea, you make sure that you clear your day.

Is he ok? Am I in trouble? are some things that were going through my mind. That week ended up being pretty long. Just getting an invite from Doug and being able to spend some precious moments with him is an honour in itself. Doug has always had a mysterious way of doing things, but they always had a purpose.

A few months earlier, in October, Doug had me over to his home and was telling me about a book that hes been working on and that he planned on releasing it in the spring. At that time, he mentioned that he wanted to have a launch in the community and wondered if I would be there to speak at the opening of the launch.

That Saturday morning when I went over to Dougs, his wife Michelle had made a nice light breakfast for us all. Doug introduced me to his friend Errol Sharpe and told me that Errol was the one who was helping him with his book, which hes been working on for the past few years. During breakfast, while Errol was talking about the book and how far along it was, it was in those moments that I realized that when Doug had asked me to write the opening for the launch of his new book, he was actually asking me to write the foreword! My heart went up into my throat and my eyes filled with humble tears. With Doug being such a great man, whom so many look up to, being asked to write the foreword for his book is undoubtfully the highest honour I have ever been given.

My life is very busy. But not nearly as busy as Dougs. Doug used to be an avid golfer. He loved golf. When he wasnt travelling for work or being asked to be in another community, he could be found on the golf course with his close friends. He used to be gone bright and early, at the crack of dawn. One evening, we happened to get home at the same time and I said, Doug, a little late getting out on the course today? Doug replied with that beautiful ear-to-ear smile of his and said, Oh no, it was such a beautiful day, I decided to do another round of eighteen in the afternoon. Here was a man double my age, with double the energy! I later told my mother about how Doug made me laugh and she replied, Oh yeah, he loves his golf, and I think he may only have one lung.

I remember travelling to Ottawa one time to sing with our drum group. While we were there, I got talking with someone at the Odawa Native Friendship Centre. I introduced myself and right away they asked, Are you related to Doug Knockwood? I replied, I sure am. Hes my neighbour, and my grandfather grew up with him. Im pretty sure that we are cousins. They replied, Oh Doug is such a great man. He is one of our Elders here and has helped so many people. We all love Doug.

Doug has always been such a humble man. He is very soft-spoken, but his words have so much meaning. Over the years I became quite amazed by how many people knew him from coast to coast. I was more amazed when I would hear stories from others about how many lives he has touched and how many people he has helped.

This past November, it was such an honour to watch Doug on TV . He was invited to take part in the national Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa. When they invited the veterans to lay down their wreaths on the cenotaph, Doug was honoured by leading the veterans and being the very first one to lay his wreath.

Doug never talks or brags about the things that he does, where he goes or what he has coming up. He just seems to do it. It is who he is. He just seems to pop up everywhere, doing what he does in helping others.