Albert Marshall

Early life

Elder Albert Marshall was born in 1938 in Eskasoni First Nation (see also First Nations in Nova Scotia). Eskasoni First Nation is in the Unama’ki (Cape Breton Island) district within Mi’kma’ki. Mi’kma’ki is the Mi’kmaw name for their territory and includes seven districts. He attended the Shubenacadie Indian Residential School (see also Residential Schools in Canada). Marshall and his late wife, Elder Murdena Marshall, have six children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He continues to live in Eskasoni.

The current education system has been designed to completely eradicate who I am and to kill that Indian Mi’kmaq spirit that’s in me. But I do know I need knowledge and I need education. But the kind of education I need has to be reflective of who I am as a Mi’kmaq. And that knowledge that I get, that I will receive, I have a responsibility with that knowledge to pass it down so others will benefit from it.... The kind of legacy that I want to leave my children in the future generations is one of which they will be able to excel, they will be able to compete without having to worry about is the education system going to further eradicate their selves.

-Elder Albert Marshall, Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future

Activism and Community Work

Elder Albert Marshall is a highly regarded Elder. He is a committed advocate for the resilience and resurgence of Mi’kmaw language and culture. He promotes the valuing and integration of traditional Mi’kmaw cultural knowledge in all aspects of Mi’kmaw life. Marshall is a designated Mi’kmaw leader and speaker on environmental issues. He has been an advisor on the use and integration of traditional knowledge to multiple organizations. Among these organizations, he has worked with the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs and the Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources. Marshall has worked in Unama’ki communities to promote ecosystem stewardship. He provided support for the selection of Bras d’Or Lake and watershed as a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 2011. People across the country and around the world are inspired by Marshall’s commitment to mitigating ecological harm and living in balance with nature.

Marshall has served as a valued member of many local and national committees. In these positions, he guides collaborative work between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups on natural resources and matters of Indigenous governance. He also promotes healing and understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples (see also Reconciliation in Canada). Additionally, he advocates for human responsibilities in caring for the ecosystem and using resources in a sustainable way. Marshall emphasizes that humans must sustain themselves without destroying the ecological integrity of an area.

Marshall coined the phrase Etuaptmumk/Two-Eyed Seeing. According to Cape Breton University’s Institute for Integrative Science and Health, Etuaptmumk/Two-Eyed Seeing means “learning to see from one eye with the strengths of Indigenous knowledges and ways of knowing, and from the other eye with the strengths of Western knowledges and ways of knowing … and learning to use both these eyes together, for the benefit of all.” Marshall maintains that Etuaptmumk/Two-Eyed Seeing is a guiding principle, rather than a concept or theory. He states that it fosters the understanding that humanity cannot live within one perspective or one consciousness of the world.

Marshall teaches about the importance of seeking the perspectives of other people and other world views. He argues humans will have a better opportunity to meet the challenges of the future through this approach. He maintains that this way of being in the world is important as it will benefit not only all humanity but also all life forms. He argues interaction with nature reminds people of their responsibilities to the land and their connection to all creation.

Marshall has collaborated with, and advised on, developing programs based on the concept of Etuaptmumk/Two-Eyed Seeing. He co-created the innovative Integrative Science program at Cape Breton University. This was the first of its kind program in Canada. It was a full undergraduate program bringing natural and Indigenous sciences together that existed from 1999-2007. He has also advised on the BEAHR (Building Environmental Aboriginal Human Resources) program at Nova Scotia Community College. Additionally, he provided advice on the creation of a course for the Early Childhood Education Program at Humber College in Toronto, Ontario. This course is based on the guiding principles of Etuaptmumk/Two-Eyed Seeing. Marshall contributed to the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association’s Code of Ethics. He was consulted by the Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research about the inclusion of Etuaptmumk/Two-Eyed Seeing in their five year strategic plan.

Legacy

Elder Albert Marshall’s advice, guidance and encouragement is sought by many people. As a mentor and teacher, he emphasizes that people are interdependent and interconnected to other people and all other elements of the environment. Marshall inspires people to live in balance with the environment and to share world views for the benefit of all life. He is a highly engaging speaker whose presentations are often digitally recorded and available online. These recordings ensure that his teachings reach a wider audience.

Publications

In addition to co-authoring several scholarly publications, Elder Albert Marshall has also co-authored a children’s book Walking Together.

Honours and Awards

• Honorary Doctorate, Cape Breton University (2009)
• Honorary Doctor of Humanities, Acadia University (2018)
• Professional Champion Award, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (2021)
• Thomas Dignan Indigenous Health Award, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (2022)
• Honorary Degree, Humber College (2023)
• Lifetime Achievement Award, Indspire (2023)
• Officer, Order of Canada (2023)