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Murdena Marshall

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Murdena Marie Marshall (née Stevens; September 17, 1942 – October 22, 2018) was a Mi'kmaw elder, language speaker, knowledge keeper, Traditional Knowledge expert, spiritual leader, author, and associate professor of Mi’kmaw Studies at Cape Breton University (CBU). Along with her husband Albert Marshall and biologist Cheryl Bartlett, Marshall is recognized as the co-creator of the influential two-eyed seeing research methodology, a methodology now used extensively within Canada, particularly within science and health. Marshall received numerous awards and honors, including an honorary Doctors of Letters, honoris causa, from Cape Breton University in 2009 in recognition of her role in promoting and supporting Mi’kmaw culture and education. A strong advocate for education, several scholarships and awards have been created in her name, including the Murdena Marshall Science Award, and the Murdena and Albert Marshall Bursary at Dalhousie University.

Early life and education

Marshall was born in Whycocomagh to parents Roddie and Elizabeth (Sylliboy) Stevens. Her mother passed away giving birth when Marshall was eight year old. According to Mi'kmaw tradition, she went to live with her maternal family and was raised by her grandfather, aunts and uncles. Her grandfather was Gabriel Sylliboy, the first elected chief of the Mi’kmaw Grand Council. He ensured she was both educated in English and understood Mi'kmaw culture and language.

Marshall attended Indian Day School in Eskasoni until grade 8, then Catholic Middle School in Arichat, Cape Breton, for two years. She attended St. Joseph’s Residential Convent School for Girls in Mabou for two years but did not complete her final year.

After returning to school in 1978 in order to become a teacher, Marshall graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a Bachelor of Education degree in 1984. She completed a certificate in Mi’kmaw Immersion at St. Thomas University. After teaching in the community, she completed her Master of Education degree at Harvard University.

Personal life

Murdena married Albert Marshall and lived in Eskasoni with her husband. She was a mother of six children. Her son Tommy passed away in 1978 and she stated it was his passing that influenced her decision to become a teacher and return to school.

Marshall passed away in Eskasoni on October 22, 2018. The Honourable Jane Cordy, gave notice of Marshall's death in a sitting of the Senate of Canada on October 25, 2018, noting her contributions to the people of Canada.

Career

Marshall worked as a teacher in the Mi'kmaw community before becoming part of the faculty at the University College of Cape Breton (now CBU). At Cape Breton University she helped develop and then teach the university’s Mi’kmaw Studies program along with fellow Mi'kmaw educator Sister Dorothy Moore, Dr. Stephanie Inglis, and Dr. Charles Mac Donald. Marshall helped found the Mi'kmaq College Institute, now known as Unama’ki College.

Together with husband Albert Marshall, and professor Cheryl Bartlett, Marshall co-created Integrative Science, an undergraduate degree program at CBU that brought together Western science and Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge. Integrative Science was created to address the lack of Indigenous knowledges in science curricula and to bolster the number of Mi’kmaw students in the university's science programs. The creation of the program was an initiative of Marshall's to support her hope "that one day the educational mainstream will recognize the Indigenous sciences along-side the Western sciences."

Marshall continued to be active after her retirement due to health reasons, participating in projects with the Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources, the National Aboriginal Health Organization, and the Native Women’s Association of Canada. She was also instrumental in the Elders’ Advisory Council for the Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre, a project led by the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq.

Recognition

  • 1989 - Outstanding Leadership Award from Eskasoni First Nation
  • 1996 - National Aboriginal Role Model Award
  • 2006 - Grand Chief Donald Marshall Senior Memorial Elder Award
  • 2009 - Degree Doctor of Letters honoris causa by Cape Breton University
  • 2011 - Recognized in the Senate of Canada in Ottawa by the Honourable Jane Cordy.

References

  1. ^ "Dr. Murdena Marie Marshall Obituary - Sydney, NS". Dignity Memorial.
  2. ^ "Murdena Marshall". Tepi’ketuek Mi’kmaw Archives. Retrieved 2024-10-25.
  3. "'A great knowledge keeper': Mi'kmaw elder Murdena Marshall dies". CBC.
  4. ^ Canada, Senate of. "Debates, Issue 240 (October 25, 2018)". SenCanada. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  5. Donovan, Moira (January 9, 2022). "'A quest for wisdom': How two-eyed seeing mixes Indigenous knowledge and Western science in N.S." CBC News. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  6. Roher, Sophie (July 2021). "How is Etuaptmumk/Two-Eyed Seeing characterized in Indigenous health research? A scoping review". PloS one. 16 (7) – via National Library of Medicine.
  7. "NSERC Promo-Science Two-Eyed Seeing Program". Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  8. "Elder Albert Dennis Marshall". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  9. ^ "Eskasoni's Murdena Marshall 'a leading light'". Saltwire. October 23, 2018.
  10. ^ "Honouring of one of our former colleagues and Mi'kmaw Elder, Murdena Marshall". Cape Breton University. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  11. Government of Canada. "Murdena Marshall Science Award". Government of Canada Indigenous Bursaries Search Tool. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  12. "Coming together: supporting Mi'kmaw students in the design professions". Giving | Dalhousie University. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  13. ^ "Our History". Cape Breton University. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  14. Bartlett, Cheryl; Marshall, Murdena; Marshall, Albert; Iwama, Marilyn (2015-05-01), "10 Integrative Science and Two-Eyed Seeing: Enriching the Discussion Framework for Healthy Communities", 10 Integrative Science and Two-Eyed Seeing: Enriching the Discussion Framework for Healthy Communities, McGill-Queen's University Press, pp. 280–326, doi:10.1515/9780773583122-012/html, ISBN 978-0-7735-8312-2, retrieved 2024-10-28
  15. "Elder Murdena Marshall - Honoured" (PDF). Integrative Science. February 2012.
  16. "People (Elders and Educators) | Integrative Science". integrativescience.ca. Retrieved 2024-10-25.


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