The Keystone Legacy: Recollections of a Black Settler

Joseph Leydon teaches geography at the University of Toronto.

In its effort to settle the Prairies at the beginning of the 20th
century, the Canadian government began a campaign to encourage American
farmers to move north of the border. The incentives were attractive. For
a small fee, and conditional on making certain improvements, a
homesteader could obtain title to 160 acres of land. Among those who
migrated were a number of black settlers who hoped to flee the racial
prejudice and segregation rampant in Oklahoma and Kansas. About 50 black
families settled in Keystone (later renamed Breton), Alberta. This book
presents the recollections of a member of one of those families.

The author begins by providing a historical survey of black settlement
in America. Although simplified, the survey provides an adequate
backdrop for the move to Canada. Subsequent chapters furnish insights
into the lives of the settlers in Canada, the hardships of pioneering,
the development of communities, and the generational shift from the land
to the cities. Unfortunately, all of these themes are poorly developed.
In addition, Hooks seems reluctant to deal with the issue of racism and
prejudice in Canada. When prejudice is mentioned, it is usually in the
context of the arrival of white American settlers in Alberta. There is
little information on cooperation between black and white settlers, on
cross-cultural exchanges, or on intermarriage.

Poor organization further limits the book’s effectiveness. The text
is repetitive, with numerous references to the American backgrounds of
individual settlers. As well, the chronology is unclear: parts of the
book read like a genealogy, but without family tree charts it is
difficult to identify the connections. It is also unclear whether the
text was written by the author or by her now-deceased husband. A strong
editorial hand could have corrected these problems.