Cape Breton's Magazine

agreeable when her mother came home from work. They shopped and visited and spent as much time together as they could. Annie and John lived in Boston for four or five years in the third floor apart? ment on Minot Street in Dorchester. Fi? nally John was notified that his bid for a house on the reserve in Barra Head was approved and was being built, so they packed up all their worldly possessions and headed north in summer of 1974. Marie had graduated with a master's degree in education from Harvard Graduate School of Education and she had decided to move to California with her life partner James Youngblood Henderson who had received an offer to teach at the University of Cali? fornia, Berkeley, after graduating from Harvard Law School. When they returned to Chapel Island re- I serve, John and Annie found their house i was just a shell, but it did have elec- 1- tricity and plumbing. It served their |, needs as their home while they worked each day on the house. The reserve sent L.I.P. (Labour Initiative Program) workers from the reserve to their house each day, but since they were just carpenter trai? nees, they lacked skill, initiative or at? tention to their work. They arrived late each day, ate meals with Annie and John, sat around having tea and watching each other work, and finally left early or did not show up after payday for several days. Finally after several weeks, John began the work himself, doing all the finishing work in his house, and completed the house with his talents and his own funds. The house was finally finished. John and Annie Battiste finally had returned to their "home" again among their family and friends after spending 25 years in the States. Solidified by their love of each other, hardened by their poverty and hard times, softened by children and grandchil- ;''-i f S & M Trucking Ltd. • General Trucking • Local & Long Distance • Loader & Trailer Rentals • Float, Flatbed, Drop Deck Service D- OFFICE 1 567-2260 FAX 564-1443 • J Operating in: 'NS,NB,NFLD, J PEI, ONT, PQ, fi and the U. S. A. Donald Sives Manager L GARAGE & DISPATCH • i 564-2011 IF BUSY CALL 564-0204 ' SYDPORT INDUSTRIAL PARK • SYDNEY • NOVA SCOTIA dren, Annie and John lived many years after in their com? fortable home in Chapel Island. Our thanks to the Battiste family for sharing their story. Regarding the chil? dren: Eleanor worked in Boston, married, and raised ' three boys, and is now living with her mother Annie in Chapel Island. Tommy graduated with an M.B.A. from | Harvard, served in Vietnam, and is now the executive director of the North Dr. Marie Battiste American Indian Centre in Boston. Geraldine is a banking executive in Portland, Maine. Marie got her M.A. in Education from Harvard, and her Ph.D. at Stanford. She recently finished work as curriculu m co? ordinator with the Eskasoni School Board, and is now on the fa? culty of the University of Saskatchewan. John Battiste was born October 1,1918, at Barra Head. He mar? ried Annie Lewis on November 26,1943, at St. Peters. He died April 18,1990. Need a Radiator? Muffler? Shocks? Brakes? RAD-PRO Specializing in Radiator Repair & Recores Heaters Water Pumps, Etc. TWO LOCATIONS: Sydney i 349 George St. - Downtown j AND Port Hawkesbury Maclnnes Road at 'mWB Specializing in Mufflers Brakes Shocks 'MASTER MUFFLER Springs Sydney: 562-2300 < 42 Port Hawkesbury: 625-3781 Port Hawkesbury Centre Sydney: 539-6691 • Port Hawkesbury: 625-3781