Bahá’í World/Volume 20/Dorothy Francis
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DOROTHY FRANCIS '
1913—1990
Dorothy Maquabeak Francis Was one of Canada’s great Native teachers, meshing her love of Baha’u’llah With her promotion of Indian culture and identity.
A Saulteax Indian, Dorothy was born in 1913 and raised on the Waywayseecappo Indian Reserve near the town of Russell, in
THE BAHA’l WORLD
Manitoba. She spent her early married life with her husband, Joseph, on a Reserve just outside of Broadview, Saskatchewan. In 1953, one of her nine children died because there were not adequate hospital facilities for Native Canadians, so the family moved to Regina, Saskatchewan. But no one would rent a house to Indians with a large family, so they ended up pitching a tent on the outskirts of town.
At that time there were fewer than 50 Native Americans in the area Dorothy became involved in the Regina Native Society and then founded the first Indian Friendship Center1 spending most of her evenings counselling there.
The family then moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where Dorothy went to work for the Indian Center, first as arts and crafts manager, then as family counsellor. She became an economic development officer and Indian culture worker, then was elected chairman of the National Arts and Crafts Advisory Committee. She also served on the Ontario Indian Arts and Crafts Advisory Board. Dorothy was an artist, and some of her work can be found in the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.
Dorothy hosted a weekly Native cultural program for Canada’s national radio network, published a book on Native legends, and recorded Native lullabies.
Dorothy became a Bahá’í in 1960, taught by Arthur and Lily Ann Irwin, and invited to join the Faith by the Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts. Confused by the conflict between the Native and Christian cultures, and searching for her place and the place of her people in Canadian society, she found that the Faith not only let her keep her identity, it encouraged it.
She was a very active Bahá’í, serving on several Local Spiritual Assemblies. She was also elected a delegate to Canada’s National Convention several times. She travelled to many parts of the country by small plane With Bahá’í pilot Fletcher Bennet, and in the early 19703 travelled by plane into many
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IN MEMORIAM 991
Dorothy F rancis
remote communities in Alaska during a onemonth campaign for the Alaskan National Assembly.
Travelling to teach 0n the Canadian prairies was not always easy; she recalled pushing a friend’s car through deep snow, and shovelling the snow to reach Native Reserves for teaching activities. Of her teaching trips Dorothy once said: “I had wonderful opportunities at all these places to speak of the Faith, and it just seemed that Baha’u’llah made all our plans.”
Over the years, she promoted Indian culture and identity in a variety of ways. For that work, she was honoured in 1978 by being appointed a member of the Order of Canada. In her later years, despite the effects of a severe stroke, she created and organized a Native spirituality project that is still active in the British Columbia corrections institutes.
Dorothy died of a heart attack in New Westminster, British Colombia, on 16 October 1990. In response to the news, the Universal House of Justice sent the following message:
...saddened news passing Dorothy Francis. Kindly convey condolences family fiiends. Assure prayers Holy Shrines progress her soul.
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHA’I’S OF CANADA