Shirley Soleil has written a biography of Silas Tertius Rand, a man who contributed to the rich history of Canada and, more specifically, the Maritime Provinces.
Rand was born on May 17th or 18th, 1810 and spent his early years in Cornwallis Township, now part of the beautiful Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. He became well known throughout the Maritime provinces for his dedication to the First Nations people, the Mi’kmaq. Originally Rand set out to evangelize the First Nations people. As his relationships with them developed he became a friend who advocated on their behalf in the social, educational, religious and political arenas. Rand’s contemporaries illogically stated that since the First Nations people could not read why bother to write their language down? How do people learn to read their native tongue? Others opposed Rand because he was sent to convert the First Nations people to Christianity. Although Rand did share the story of Christ, he also shared the Mi’kmaq peoples’ belief system with others through writings and lectures many of which have been preserved. He honoured the First Nations people by diligently transcribing their Legends into two dictionaries, books, and other written and published materials. These offerings add richness to the First Nations culture that would be lost without Rand’s
dedication.
About the author: Shirley, called Sunny by her family and friends, lives in Wolfville. Besides her work as a writer, Shirley is a counselor and tutor with diplomas from the Institute of Children’s Literature. Her interests are varied as revealed in her writing projects to date but all involve advocacy and research, two subjects dear to her heart. Available at Box of Delights in Wolfville, this is Shirley’s first book.
