They Called Us Savages
Born on the banks of the majestic Harricana River, deep inside Quebec’s James Bay territory, young Dominique Rankin was intended to succeed his father as Algonquin Hereditary Chief and Medicine Man. The Government of Canada had other designs. Its policies of Indigenous assimilation would tear the boy away from his family and his native forest, as well as the traditional education he was meant to receive there, and cause him to be handed over to the Saint-Marc-de-Figuery residential school, one of many such establishments operating under the infamous Indian residential school system. Inside those walls, Dominique would endure a terrible ordeal, a fate he shared with thousands of Indigenous children across North America. Only upon leaving the school years later would the young man finally be free to begin his long journey of healing and self-discovery—a journey that would reunite him with his heritage and his true destiny. Weaving the venerable teachings of the Prophecy of the Seven Fires with his own powerful narrative, from his dramatic birth and childhood training to his days as the leader of a nation and his accession to full-fledged Medicine Man a half century later, Chief Dominique Rankin delivers a vibrant testimony on respect, forgiveness, and healing. They Called Us Savages is more relevant now than ever, and contemplates our changing relationships with the environment, leadership, racism, reconciliation, and spirituality. In this poignant memoir, the residential school Survivor, Elder, Medicine Man, and former Grand Chief of the Algonquin Nation bares all—the dark and the light alike—to unshroud a chapter of our sombre collective past and to illuminate a path to a better, brighter future.
1142972954
They Called Us Savages
Born on the banks of the majestic Harricana River, deep inside Quebec’s James Bay territory, young Dominique Rankin was intended to succeed his father as Algonquin Hereditary Chief and Medicine Man. The Government of Canada had other designs. Its policies of Indigenous assimilation would tear the boy away from his family and his native forest, as well as the traditional education he was meant to receive there, and cause him to be handed over to the Saint-Marc-de-Figuery residential school, one of many such establishments operating under the infamous Indian residential school system. Inside those walls, Dominique would endure a terrible ordeal, a fate he shared with thousands of Indigenous children across North America. Only upon leaving the school years later would the young man finally be free to begin his long journey of healing and self-discovery—a journey that would reunite him with his heritage and his true destiny. Weaving the venerable teachings of the Prophecy of the Seven Fires with his own powerful narrative, from his dramatic birth and childhood training to his days as the leader of a nation and his accession to full-fledged Medicine Man a half century later, Chief Dominique Rankin delivers a vibrant testimony on respect, forgiveness, and healing. They Called Us Savages is more relevant now than ever, and contemplates our changing relationships with the environment, leadership, racism, reconciliation, and spirituality. In this poignant memoir, the residential school Survivor, Elder, Medicine Man, and former Grand Chief of the Algonquin Nation bares all—the dark and the light alike—to unshroud a chapter of our sombre collective past and to illuminate a path to a better, brighter future.
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They Called Us Savages

They Called Us Savages

They Called Us Savages
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They Called Us Savages

They Called Us Savages

Overview

Born on the banks of the majestic Harricana River, deep inside Quebec’s James Bay territory, young Dominique Rankin was intended to succeed his father as Algonquin Hereditary Chief and Medicine Man. The Government of Canada had other designs. Its policies of Indigenous assimilation would tear the boy away from his family and his native forest, as well as the traditional education he was meant to receive there, and cause him to be handed over to the Saint-Marc-de-Figuery residential school, one of many such establishments operating under the infamous Indian residential school system. Inside those walls, Dominique would endure a terrible ordeal, a fate he shared with thousands of Indigenous children across North America. Only upon leaving the school years later would the young man finally be free to begin his long journey of healing and self-discovery—a journey that would reunite him with his heritage and his true destiny. Weaving the venerable teachings of the Prophecy of the Seven Fires with his own powerful narrative, from his dramatic birth and childhood training to his days as the leader of a nation and his accession to full-fledged Medicine Man a half century later, Chief Dominique Rankin delivers a vibrant testimony on respect, forgiveness, and healing. They Called Us Savages is more relevant now than ever, and contemplates our changing relationships with the environment, leadership, racism, reconciliation, and spirituality. In this poignant memoir, the residential school Survivor, Elder, Medicine Man, and former Grand Chief of the Algonquin Nation bares all—the dark and the light alike—to unshroud a chapter of our sombre collective past and to illuminate a path to a better, brighter future.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781989282953
Publisher: Éditions des Plaines
Publication date: 06/01/2021
Sold by: De Marque
Format: eBook
Pages: 161
File size: 2 MB

About the Author

After a successful career in politics and serving as Grand Chief of the Algonquin Nation, Chief DOMINIQUE RANKIN turned his focus to his role as a spiritual leader, devoting his efforts to teaching, healing, and promoting the cultural legacies of Indigenous Peoples. He is the recipient of many prestigious honours, but to many, he is simply Grandfather Dominique, a man known for his boundless energy, his irrepressible sense of humour, and the wide-reaching message of peace he shares around the world.
In 2007, Elders of the Algonquin Nation invited former journalist and news anchor MARIE-JOSÉE TARDIF to become a Sacred Pipe Carrier, an honour that would entail a lifelong commitment to the study of Anishinaabe Traditional Medicine and culture. In addition to sitting on several international committees, Grandmother Marie-Josée is the co-founder of the Dominique Rankin Foundation and Kina8at, two organizations dedicated to the preservation of Indigenous traditions.
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