Silas Tertius Rand facts for kids

Silas Tertius Rand (born May 18, 1810 – died October 4, 1889) was a Canadian Baptist minister, missionary, and linguist. He was also an ethnologist, meaning he studied different cultures. His main work focused on the Mi'kmaq people in Eastern Canada. He was the first person to write down the famous stories of Glooscap.

Who Was Silas Rand?

Silas Rand was born in a small community called Brooklyn Street, near Kentville, Nova Scotia. His father, Silas Rand, was a bricklayer who taught him to read. Silas went to school until he was 11 years old. After that, he worked with his father as a bricklayer.

When he was 19, Silas started learning English grammar. He quickly became interested in languages. By age 21, he was even teaching grammar to others. At 23, he briefly attended Horton Academy (part of Acadia University) to study Latin. However, he left after only a month and continued to learn Latin on his own while working.

His Religious Journey

In 1833, Silas Rand had a strong religious experience. He decided to dedicate his life to God. The next year, in 1834, he became a Baptist minister. He worked in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, where he met Jane Elizabeth McNutt. They got married in 1838 and had twelve children together. Later, he served as a pastor in Windsor, Nova Scotia, and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

Working with the Mi'kmaq People

In 1846, Silas Rand had the chance to travel to Burma as a missionary. But he chose instead to work with the Mi'kmaq people in his home country. He received support from religious groups in Halifax. In 1849, he helped start the Micmac Missionary Society, which was a full-time mission for the Mi'kmaq.

Silas lived in Hantsport, Nova Scotia, from 1853 until he passed away. From there, he traveled widely to Mi'kmaq communities. He shared his faith, learned their language, and wrote down their traditional stories. His work was not always easy, and he often struggled for money. He sometimes had to ask for donations to keep his mission going.

Silas Rand's Language Skills

Silas Rand was amazing at learning languages. He became fluent in many, including Mi'kmaq, Maliseet, Mohawk, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Latin, and modern Greek.

Translating and Recording Stories

He translated parts of the Bible into Mi'kmaq and Maliseet. For the Maliseet language, he published Bible selections in 1863 and the Gospel of John in 1870. In Mi'kmaq, he translated the entire New Testament and parts of the Old Testament, like Genesis, Exodus, and Psalms.

Silas also created a Mi'kmaq dictionary. He collected many Mi'kmaq legends and shared them with the world through his published books. This was how the stories of Glooscap first became widely known. He also kept a diary, mostly written in Latin, which has not yet been fully translated.

Awards and Recognition

Later in his life, Silas Rand's important work with the Mi'kmaq people was recognized. He received special honorary degrees from several universities:

• Queen's University (L.L.D., 1886)
• Acadia College (D.D, 1886)
• King's College (D.C.L.)

Books by Silas Rand

Here are some of the books and writings by Silas Rand:

• The jubilee historical sketch of the Nova Scotia Baptist Association (Charlottetown, 1849)
• Ae Buk ov Samz in Mikmak (The Book of Psalms, translated) (Bath, 1854) Link
• A short account of the Lord’s work among the Micmac Indians . . . with some reasons for . . . seceding from the Baptist denomination (Halifax, 1873)
• A brief statement respecting the Micmac mission (1880)
• The dying Indian’s dream, a poem (Windsor, N.S., 1881)
• The Micmac mission (1882)
• Dictionary of the language of the Micmac Indians (Halifax, 1888). Online version.
• Hymni recentes latini: translationes et originales per Silam Tertium Randium (Halifa, 1888)
• Legends of the Micmacs edited by Helen L. Webster, (New York and London, 1893). Online version: Volume 1 Volume 2.