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AUDIO: Elder Paul Andrew’s turning point in his life
'So I had asked myself when I ended up in the hospital, why me? Why/ Why? '
The annual Voices for Peace Conference organized by Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Canada brought together four local voices offering differing perspectives on this year’s topic — Healing the Home: Strengthening Cultural Ties.
Held at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife on Sunday afternoon, one of the speakers was Paul Andrew, who was born in the Mackenzie Mountains and grew up in Fort Norman, now called Tulita. The Mountain Dene man is a resident of Yellowknife and is well known for his work in culture, residential school education and healing.
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- Chief Paul Andrew of Fort Norman in an undated photo. (CKLB files)
He was first taken to residential school at the age of eight and spent a total of seven years in residential school. He became chief of Fort Norman at the age of 22 and is now retired from a 30-year career with the CBC.
He has received numerous awards, including Order of the NWT and a National Aboriginal Achievement Award. He has been appointed as the lay member of the Law Society of the Northwest Territories.
Andrew also co-authored, with Patrick Scott, We Are a River, published in 2024 by Native Communications Society of the NWT.
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- We Are a River co-author Paul Andrew appeared via video at the launch at the Yellowknife Visitor’s Centre from his hospital bed. (CKLB files)
However, he couldn’t make it to the book launch in June 2024, as he was fighting for his life in hospital.
While he spoke to the audience, he spoke about his experience in hospital, and how it became a turning point in his life.
Here are some of his remarks:
