Daniel N. Paul facts for kids

Daniel Nicholas Paul (December 5, 1938 – June 27, 2023) was a respected Miꞌkmaq elder, writer, and human rights activist. He was well-known for his book, We Were Not the Savages. Paul believed this was the first history book written by a First Nations person. His book helped many people learn about Miꞌkmaq history and culture.

Daniel Paul received many important awards. These included the Order of Canada in 2005 and the Order of Nova Scotia in 2002. He also earned honorary degrees from universities. He often said that the small gifts from students were among his most valued honors. These gifts were thanks for helping them understand the importance of treating everyone with dignity and respect. He visited many schools and universities to share his message. His brother, Lawrence Paul, was a long-time chief of the Millbrook First Nation.

Life

Daniel Paul was born in Indian Brook, Nova Scotia. He was the eleventh of fourteen children. His parents, Sarah Agnes and William Gabriel, had moved there from Saint John, New Brunswick. As a child, Daniel earned money by selling magazines and greeting cards. He also helped paint houses. He later married Victoria (Pat) Oakley, and they had three children.

He went to the Indian Day School on the Shubenacadie Indian Reserve until grade eight. When he was fourteen, he moved to Boston. He found city life very different. He returned to Nova Scotia in 1960. He then attended Success Business College in Truro. Daniel Paul was mostly self-taught. He often joked that he had a "Masters from the University of Life."

From 1971 to 1986, Daniel Paul worked for the Canadian government. He was part of the department that worked with Indigenous peoples. He later became the Nova Scotia District Superintendent for lands and resources.

Daniel Paul was also a strong community leader. He helped start the Confederacy of Mainland Micmacs (CMM) in 1986. This group helped Mi'kmaq communities. While working there, he raised money for a new community center. He also started a newspaper called the Micmac/Maliseet Nations News. He wrote many articles for the paper himself. He also created a special fund to help the Confederacy pay for legal issues. His leadership helped solve old land claims for several Mi'kmaq bands. He also served on the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. He was a justice of the peace and a member of the Nova Scotia Police Review Board. For many years, he wrote opinion articles for the Halifax Chronicle Herald newspaper.

In 2000, the city of Halifax gave him an award for his contributions. He also appeared in documentaries about Indigenous experiences.

Author

Daniel Paul wrote many articles for newspapers and academic journals. He also wrote chapters for several books. These included The Mi'kmaq Anthology and Dawnland Voices. His most famous book is We Were Not the Savages. It has been published three times. In his writings, Paul often challenged old history books. He believed they did not tell the true story of the Mi’kmaq people.

We Were Not the Savages

In his book, Daniel Paul discusses many important topics. One key topic is the Treaty of 1752. He also writes about the role of Chief Jean-Baptiste Cope in the history of the Americas.

Treaty of 1752

Daniel Paul greatly admired Chief Jean-Baptiste Cope. He praised Cope for signing the November 1752 Peace and Friendship Treaty. This treaty was an attempt to protect his people from harm. Some historians say that Cope signed the treaty for ninety Mi’kmaq people. However, they also suggest that other Mi’kmaq leaders did not agree with it. They say Cope himself ended the treaty just six months later. The government did not officially cancel the treaty until 1756.

Even though the 1752 treaty did not last long, some people in Nova Scotia still celebrate it. They have an annual Treaty Day. Daniel Paul pointed out that in 1985, the Supreme Court of Canada finally said the treaty was valid. In that court case, government lawyers tried to say the treaty was no longer valid. They claimed Chief Cope had broken it. But Paul argued that it was the government, not the Mi'kmaq, who broke the treaty. He wrote that the government did not punish people who had committed crimes. This, he said, was a clear violation of the treaty.

See also

• Canadian Who's Who - Paul was included in this book in 2004