Benjamin Kji Saqamaw Sylliboy (March 2, 1941 – November 30, 2017) was a
Grand Chief
Grand may refer to:
People with the name
* Grand (surname)
* Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor
* Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist
* Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper
Places
* Grand, Oklahoma
* Grand, Vosges, village and com ...
of the
Miꞌkmaq
The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Miꞌkmaw'' or ''Miꞌgmaw''; ; ) are a First Nations people of the Northeastern Woodlands, indigenous to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec as well as the no ...
who lived at the
We’koqma’q First Nation in
Cape Breton
Cape Breton Island (french: link=no, île du Cap-Breton, formerly '; gd, Ceap Breatainn or '; mic, Unamaꞌki) is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada.
The island accounts for 18 ...
,
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native En ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
. He served as Grand Chief for 25 years from 1992 until his death in 2017.
Life
Sylliboy was born at the
Whycocomagh reserve on Cape Breton, Canada, on 2 March 1941. At the age of 6, Sylliboy's mother sent him to residential schools where he remained for 4 years. After returning to his community, he contracted tuberculosis and was near death for 18 months. After this bout of illness, he attended the Indian Day School and took on a variety of jobs while furthering his education through the Department of Indian affairs. In 1968, he was elected as an ambassador (Keptin) from his community and in 1970 an Indian Act Band Councillor. He served nine terms in this position until being asked by previous Grand Chief
Donald Marshall Sr.
Donald Joseph Marshall Sr. (May 28, 1925August 25, 1991) was a Grand Chief of the Mi'kmaq who lived at Membertou First Nation near Sydney, Nova Scotia. He served as Grand Chief for 27 years, from 1964 until his death in 1991. His son, Donald Mars ...
to take over the role of Grand Chief in 1992 due to his declining health.
Death
Sylliboy died on November 30, 2017, in Sydney, Cape Breton at age 76.
In 1993,
Nova Scotia Premier John Savage and Mi’kmaw Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy declared October as the official month to recognize and celebrate Miꞌkmaq culture and heritage in Nova Scotia. He was also a key figure in the renewal of the Miꞌkmaq Grand Council role as a governing body within the Miꞌkmaq community that focuses on the recognition and implementation of Aboriginal and Treaty rights.
See also
*
List of grand chiefs (Mi'kmaq)
The following is a list of Grand Chiefs (Mi'kmaq) who have presided over the Grand Council (Mi'kmaq)
The Grand Council (Santé Mawiómi or Mi'kmawey Mawio'mi) is the normal senior level of government for the Mi'kmaq, based in present-day Canada, ...
*
Grand Council (Mi'kmaq)
The Grand Council (Santé Mawiómi or Mi'kmawey Mawio'mi) is the normal senior level of government for the Mi'kmaq, based in present-day Canada, until passage of the Indian Act in 1876, requiring elected governments. After the Indian Act, the Grand ...
References
External links
* http://halifax.mediacoop.ca/fr/story/residential-school-survivors-share-their-stories/8706
* https://www.apcfnc.ca/images/uploads/HonouringTraditionalKnowledgeEldersBiographies.pdf
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sylliboy, Benjamin
1941 births
2017 deaths
20th-century First Nations people
21st-century First Nations people
Indigenous leaders in Atlantic Canada
Canadian Mi'kmaq people