Mi’kmaw Elder, Dr. Daniel N. Paul, C.M., O.N.S., awarded Honourary Diploma

On June 13, 2011, at the Convocation of the Nova Scotia Community College’s Institute of Technology, held at Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Mi’kmaw Elder, Dr. Daniel N. Paul, C.M., O.N.S., the founding Executive Director of the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, and the founder of the Mi’kmaq/Maliseet Nations News, was honoured with an Honourary Diploma from the Institute’s School of Business.

Quote from a March 1, 2011 letter from the NSCC Board of Governors to Dr. Paul: “Each year the Board of Governors of the College recognizes a select number of individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the social and economic progress of our Province. The distinction of being awarded a Honourary Diploma is our means of celebrating your achievements in both business and community service throughout the Province.”

The following is the Convocation Address Paul delivered

Convocation Address, Nova Scotia Community College - Leeds Street Campus

Good morning my friends. Graduates, it gives me great pleasure to be here at your graduation ceremony today to wish you much success in your future efforts to carve out for yourselves a happy and prosperous future in this country, and, also to be the recipient of an Honourary Diploma from your fine school, an honour that I will greatly appreciate for the rest of my days. However, I want to mention something else that adds to the pleasure of being here; this is not the first time I’ve received something of value from the Leeds Street Campus. In early 1970, recognizing that I needed a high school Diploma to make career progress, I studied for and wrote my GED exams at the school and consequently acquired a High School Diploma; an acquisition that was of tremendous help in achieving the career and life goals that I had set for myself.

Another important reason why I appreciate becoming part of the alumni of Nova Scotia Community Colleges is the fact that I truly believe, this opinion is derived from long years of experience, that these education entities are one of the most, if not the most, vital elements of our society. The reason is obvious; they produce the fine workers that make society work. Without the bookkeepers, clerks, mechanics, plumbers, chefs, barbers, and so on that they produce modern society would be hard pressed to function. Doctors, lawyers, and other such professionals, without having the essential help of people with skills such as yours, would not be able to carry on their duties and businesses and prosper. I arrived at such a conclusion because I’ve been there myself. Up until 1961 I worked at many trades and support positions, carpenter, laborer, harvester, factory worker, and many others that are too numerous to mention here. When I got into management in 1961, I remembered well the vital importance of support people, and treated them with fairness and respect. Such fair treatment is a must to have a successful existence, treat other humans with the utmost tolerance and respect, and give them human dignity, and most will respond in kind.

I’ve gathered a lot of the before-mentioned knowledge about people relationships from the experience of being degraded by racism. When I was born in 1938 on Shubenacadie Indian Reserve, as a Registered Indian, I was not considered a Canadian British Subject, I was a Ward of the Crown. As Wards Indians had no civil and human rights in this country; for example, we were not permitted to vote in elections, we could be barred from public places such as pool rooms without cause, it was illegal for us to buy a case of beer, and so on, and most tellingly, we had very little recourse to law. In contractual arrangements, we had the same legal status as drunks and insane persons.

Federal Indian Agents had God like powers over us, they controlled our lives from the cradle to the grave. And, most of them thought themselves to be our betters. This brings to mind an amusing story. I was a rebel since I was very young and as such not intimidated by Indian Agent authority. Thus, during a discussion with an Indian Agent in the late 1950s, I dared to disagree with him. He commented: “you’re not very respectful of your betters!” I think I left him flabbergasted with this response. “The reason that you perceive such is that you assume that I’ve met my betters, which I haven’t, and I won’t until the day I die and meet my Maker, then I will concede that I’ve met my betters!” He was not a happy camper.

It took a long time for Registered Indians to make some progress in acquiring a measure of civil and human rights in this country, and we still have a long way to go.

We, and our ancestors, have been victimized by intolerance for centuries. Racism towards us, although not as blatant as it used to be, is still displayed openly in Nova Scotia. To get an appreciation of how openly it is displayed go to the Westin Hotel and visit Cornwallis Park across the street from it. There you will find a statue of British Colonial Governor Edward Cornwallis, a man who decided in 1749 that it would be wise to exterminate the Mi’kmaq on Peninsula Nova Scotia. To this end he issued a proclamation offering a monetary reward for the scalps of Mi’kmaq men, women and children. In view of him being the author of such a repulsive inhuman official document, why is the statue still there? Racism is the only possible answer. And, the only way that such racism, which was derived from demonizing dehumanizing colonial propaganda that depicted our people as bloodthirsty savages, can be reduced and eventually eliminated is through Education - replace the propaganda with the truth. Unfortunately, the Nova Scotia education system has yet to forcefully address the challenge.

However, happily, intolerance has been publically and forcefully addressed to some degree over the last few decades by some very notable people. For instance, in 2003, the President of a Muslim Country made the following comment about Pope John Paul II, who was visiting his country and preaching the rewards of tolerance, quote: "probably one of the first leaders of the Roman Catholic Church who preaches conciliation between civilizations and between religious confessions." Also, when discussing intolerance, it would be very remiss not to mention Nelson Mandela, a man who was severely persecuted under South Africa’s apartheid system. He, despite the decades of racial abuses he suffered, counseled his South African Black Brothers and Sisters to be tolerant and not revengeful towards the Whites who had racially humiliated them for decades, and to reconcile with them. For showing such wisdom he is much acclaimed, and is today the most respected and admired person on Mother Earth.

In conclusion, I would encourage you to also be tolerant and forgiving towards your human brothers and sisters. When you view your co-workers and others do not let race, colour, religion, sexual orientation, etc., demean him/her in your eyes, but see him/her as an equal, and always treat all fellow humans with dignity and respect, your reward will be a happy and prosperous lifetime.

When you commence your career journey with your new skills, if you fall don’t despair, get up and dust yourself off and try again, eventually, with determination, you will persevere. All the best and much success!