Totem Poles and Tea

David R. Hutchinson is an educator on the Peguis Reserve in Manitoba.

This autobiography covers the two-year period Hughina Harold spent as a
teacher/nurse on British Columbia’s northwest coast, in the
Mamalilikulla community of Village Island, from 1935 to 1937. The book
is interesting on two levels: as the story of a unique woman who chose
an equally unique early professional path, and as an example of the kind
of historical educational hermeneutic research that helps shed light on
the impact of nonaboriginal educators in Native communities. On the
first level, there is the story of a strong, young woman who faced
considerable discomfort and adversity while fulfilling her daily
responsibilities as teacher and nurse. On the second level, there is the
story of a nonaboriginal teacher/nurse who, both consciously and
unconsciously, influenced Mamalilikulla community development along
British lines. There is evidence of the author’s growing awareness of
this impact, and much of the reflection tends to centre on a lament for
the passing of Mamalilikulla cultural and spiritual traditions, rather
than on connecting her presence, and the presence of nonaboriginal
missionaries, with the erosion of such traditions. Nonetheless, the fact
that Harold chose to write a comprehensive account of this experience is
a measure of her respect for the people of Village Island and of the
significance of the people and events of that time to her development as
an independent-minded education and health professional.

Generally, Totem Poles and Tea would be a good read for anyone
interested in autobiographical accounts of Euro-Canadian/Native contact,
and it might be of particular interest to educators responsible for the
preparation of teachers who are destined to work in Native communities.