'In heaven smiling down at us': Mi'kmaq Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy remembered

As drummers beat their hand drums and sang on the steps of the church, bells pealed out from above under cloudy skies.

The mourners were there to say "nmu'ltes" — the Mi'kmaq word for "see you again" — to a beloved, longtime leader.

"In our language, you don't have a word for goodbye," explained Jarvis Googoo. "So we say nmu'ltes."

The funeral for Mi'kmaq Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy, of Waycobah First Nation in Cape Breton, took place Saturday afternoon at St. Kateri Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church in We'koqma'q. He was buried in the parish cemetery following the service.

Sylliboy died on Nov. 30 at the age of 76.​

Sylliboy died peacefully of natural causes at Cape Breton Regional Hospital surrounded by friends and family, including his wife, Marie, and two daughters. He had been in hospital shortly before his death to be treated for a buildup of fluid in his lung.

A humble man

Sylliboy served as grand chief of Mi'kmaq people for 25 years.

"It's an important day to remember the life of the grand chief but also celebrate all that he did during his time and his commitment towards the Mi'kmaq people," said Jaime Battiste, the province's treaty education lead.

Sylliboy's legacy includes the constitutional recognition of many Mi'kmaq rights as well as reconciliation for survivors of the residential school system, Battiste said.

​"One of the things that stuck out to me about the grand chief was just his humbleness, his respect, his love and his kindness for everyone," Battiste said. "He wasn't a flashy person. Despite the fact that he was the grand chief, he was our head of state, he never acted like it. He never tried to say he had more power than any other individual."

Battiste called Sylliboy "a man of faith" who enjoyed the community's church and atmosphere.

"Out of all the places where he could have had his funeral — much bigger places — but this is where he would have wanted it because this is the place that he loved."

'Gentle humour'

Eleanor Bernard of Eskasoni said Sylliboy was instrumental in the development of Mawitam'k, a not-for-profit organization that operates homes for Mi'kmaq people with developmental disabilities or mental health concerns.

That's just one example of Sylliboy's consistent desire to help others.

"He always helped anyone in need," Bernard said. "It didn't matter whether you were Mi'kmaq, it didn't matter where you were from, he would help you out."

Sylliboy will also be remembered for his "gentle humour," she said.

"He would laugh at life's situations. He would laugh at himself.… There was times where he'd have difficulty moving around. His mobility was not as good. But he would laugh at that, he would make jokes about that. And he'd make jokes along with you, about you and for you and against you. He had a lot of humour," Bernard said, laughing.

Googoo said despite Sylliboy's ill health in his later years, he always made an effort to attend events, ceremonies, meetings and high school graduations.

Residential school survivor

Born in Waycobah on March 2, 1941, Sylliboy was sent to the Indian Residential School in Shubenacadie, N.S., when he was just six.

He later contracted tuberculosis and spent four years in and out of hospitals.

In 1970, Sylliboy was elected as an Indian Act band councillor in Waycobah and served in that role for nine terms.

When Grand Chief Donald Marshall was ill in 1992, he asked Sylliboy to take on the role of interim grand chief, a position he held until his death.

As mourners filed into the church before the service, Eskasoni's Jacqueline Stevens said she and others will find some comfort in knowing Sylliboy isn't suffering anymore.

"He's in heaven smiling down at us."