Local News

‘Advocate, educator, father and friend:’ John Joe Sark, Mi’kmaq rights advocate, dead at 77

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THESE SALTWIRE VIDEOS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Keptin John Joe Sark, one among P.E.I.’s most fierce advocates for Mi’kmaq rights and treaty training, has died at 77.

Sark lived by way of a time of change and reckoning as Prince Edward Islanders and Canadians discovered from individuals like him concerning the reality of residential faculties, day faculties and different harms of colonialism.

As somebody who fought all through his life to convey these details to mild, he was elected a keptin within the Mi’kmaq grand council in 1985.

He used that position to foyer each stage of presidency — together with the very best ranks of the Catholic church — to make amends for colonialism.

On Jan. 10, the Epekwitk Meeting of Councils launched an announcement from L’nuey’s govt director Jenene Wooldridge, Lennox Island Chief Darlene Bernard and Abegweit Chief Junior Gould.

Bernard stated Sark was a unprecedented man who labored tirelessly to coach Mi’kmaq and settlers about their shared historical past.

“He was revered as an advocate, educator, writer, father and pal to many, and we are going to miss him dearly.”

As a religious chief, Sark constructed a bridge of understanding between cultures, stated Gould.

“In his position as guardian of the religious and cultural integrity of the Mi’kmaq individuals, he fought to have offensive stereotypes faraway from faculties and establishments in Prince Edward Island. His legacy will dwell on by way of the numerous impacts he made.”


“In his position as guardian of the religious and cultural integrity of the Mi’kmaq individuals, he fought to have offensive stereotypes faraway from faculties and establishments in Prince Edward Island. His legacy will dwell on by way of the numerous impacts he made.” – Junior Gould, Abegweit First Nation Chief


Lastly, Wooldridge credited Sark’s outspoken work for the assets the Mi’kmaq group now has devoted to Mi’kmaq rights.

“In honour of his ceaseless dedication, we are going to proceed to defend and advance Mi’kmaq rights for our generations to come back.”

Legacy

The assertion additionally famous Sark was concerned in drafting the United Nations’ Declaration of Indigenous Peoples of the World and was co-producer, govt director and inventive director of the movie, “Spirit World – The Story of the Mi’kmaq.”

Together with this, he wrote books on the historical past of the Mi’kmaw individuals and the Peace and Friendship Treaties, together with “Epekwitk: Tales and Histories of the Mi’kmaq Nation,” which was launched in fall of 2022.

Lately, Sark, a religious Catholic, labored to reconcile a number of the strained historical past between the church and Mi’kmaq.

He helped lead Mi’kmaw-Catholic lots within the 2020s and travelled to Rome on a number of events to satisfy Pope John Paul II. Within the final yr of his life, Sark constructed a shrine to Kateri Tekakwitha, the primary North American Indigenous particular person to be acknowledged as a Catholic Saint.

He completed the venture in December of 2022.

When Sark led prayers throughout mass that SaltWire Community reported on in 2021-22, he would usually inform these within the congregation to show to the particular person subsequent to them and inform them “You’re lovely.”

“And the reply is, ‘I do know,’” he would say.

Inspiration

Premier Dennis King additionally launched an announcement in tribute on Jan. 10, saying Sark’s legacy may be discovered within the work he did in direction of reconciliation. As an writer and ambassador, he impressed, educated and advocated in entrance of premiers, prime ministers and pontiffs.

“I used to be honoured and proud to name John Joe a pal for a few years. By his friendship, he helped to form my understanding of our shared historical past and to see our world by way of wider eyes. I’ll miss our time collectively.”


Logan MacLean is a variety reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. He may be reached by e mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @loganmaclean94.



Source link

Related Articles

Back to top button