Mildred Noble facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mildred Noble
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| Born | July 13, 1921 Ontario, Canada |
| Died | January 19, 2008 (aged 86) Mashpee, Massachusetts |
| Alma mater | Boston College |
Mildred "Millie" Noble (born July 13, 1921 – died January 19, 2008) was an American writer. She was also a strong supporter of Native American rights. Millie Noble helped start the Boston Indian Council. This group is now called the North American Indian Center of Boston.
Noble wrote a book called Sweet Grass: Lives of Contemporary Native Women. It was published in 1997.
Contents
Early Life and Challenges
Mildred Noble was born in 1921 in northern Ontario, Canada. Her parents, Edward Paibomasai and Mary Moore, were part of the Ojibwe Nation. Her father was from the Whitefish Bay First Nation. Her mother was from the Hudson Bay region Ojibwe. Millie grew up with her parents in a log cabin. Her family made a living by fishing and hunting.
When she was 18, Noble moved to Boston, Massachusetts. She said she wanted to experience "city life" after growing up in the wilderness. Her early years in Boston were difficult. Her mother died soon after she moved there. Millie got married and had three children, but her marriage ended. Two of her sisters also died from an illness during this time.
More sadness came to Noble's family in the 1970s. Her son, Earnest Maxwell Skeene, died during a war. Her daughter, Donna Walker, also passed away shortly after her son.
Becoming an Activist
In the 1970s, Noble became very interested in Native American causes. She also felt a strong pride in her heritage. In 1972, Noble started working at the Boston Indian Council. This group was new and aimed to help Native Americans living in the Boston area. Many Mi'kmaq people had moved to Boston from Canada. They were looking for work and new chances, just like Noble.
Noble was an important member of the Boston Indian Council. She played a key role in creating Tecumseh House. This place in Jamaica Plain was the first Native American halfway house in the Boston area. It also offered help for people who did not need to stay overnight.
Education and Writing
Mildred Noble was almost 60 years old when she started college. She went to Boston College and took night classes. A teacher there, Rev. James Woods, encouraged her to write down her stories. She graduated from Boston College in 1987. That same year, she began writing her most famous book, Sweet Grass: Lives of Contemporary Native Women. The book was published ten years later, in 1997.
Noble continued her studies and earned a certificate in 1989. This was from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Community Fellowship Program. As part of her studies, she visited the Whitefish River Reserve in Ontario, Canada. There, she met many of her relatives. Around this time, Noble also became close with the Wampanoag community in Mashpee. She started a local television show called Wampanoag Women Speak.
Noble retired in the 1990s. However, she kept writing about her life. In 2003, she published a children's book called Jason's Story.
Later Life and Passing
Mildred Noble passed away in Mashpee, Massachusetts, on January 18, 2008. She was 86 years old and died from an illness. She was survived by her daughter, Carol Mills, four grandsons, three granddaughters, and three great-grandchildren.
