NAN Elder Josias Fiddler remembered for achievements

Nishnawbe Aski Nation Elder Josias Fiddler was remembered for helping his people in many ways.
“This past school year he has been working with the students here at Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School,” said Norma Kejick, executive director of Northern Nishnawbe Education Council and a long-time friend of Fiddler’s. “For the first time our school has a drum. Those students brought that drum out for the Walk for Life this year.”
Fiddler also started up healing circles at DFC to deal with the student deaths in the rivers around Thunder Bay over the past 12 years.
“Things are changing here (at DFC), and he was a big part of that,” Kejick said. “I’m really going to miss him.”
Fiddler passed away on May 30 in Thunder Bay. A viewing was held on May 31 at Dennis Franklin Cromarty First Nations High School in Thunder Bay. On June 1, Fiddler’s body was transported to his home community of Sandy Lake for a June 2 funeral at the Thomas Fiddler Memorial High School.
Teri Fiddler, Josias’s wife, said he was in a better place during the May 31 viewing.
“He passed with great dignity,” Teri said. “He would smile and be really happy when he mentioned people who had passed on ahead of him. He died with great dignity as the great man he was.”
Teri offered thanks to all the people who helped while Josias was ill over the past two months. He was suffering from diabetes complications, including heart problems, pneumonia and water in the lungs.
Kejick met Josias when he and her father Norman O’Connor used to travel and spend time together many years ago, including a trip to London, England.
“Josias was always sitting there whenever I needed someone to talk to,” Kejick said. “He always told me to be patient. He said things would happen when they were meant to happen.”
Kejick remembers when Josias helped her after her nephew committed suicide a few years ago and she decided to do a suicide prevention walk and start talking about suicide.
“I wanted to start putting an end to our youth committing suicide and killing themselves,” Kejick said.
Josias was remembered as a friend, Elder, father and teacher by Grand Chief Stan Beardy.
“He was involved with his community and NAN from the very start and has had a lasting legacy on everything he was involved with,” Beardy said. “There are many that will mourn his passing.”
Josias’s accomplishments include being chair of a founding tribal council, driving force behind the creation of the Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre and advisor at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. He was also a spiritual leader for the NAN Executive
Council and was active on the NAN Elders Council.
“He never let go of that original vision the founders had of Grand Council Treaty 9 and NAN,” Beardy said. “He picked up on what those original leaders envisioned and kept it strong to this very day. This shows how deep his involvement and commitment was to the betterment of our communities.”
Sandy Lake Chief Bart Meekis said many chiefs told him how Josias had helped them over the years during the last NAN Chiefs Assembly in Timmins.
“I don’t think there was a word for giving up in his vocabulary,” said Frank Beardy, a former Muskrat Dam chief. “He just encouraged people to continue working and to continue going forward.”
Frank remembers the time Josias held a fast in Sioux Lookout to raise awareness about the need for a new hospital, which eventually led to the construction of the Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre.
“It was from that time on that we took up that cause,” Frank said. “It was a very difficult journey because there were times in those 30 years that a lot of our chiefs and a lot of our Elders were totally against that concept of amalgamating the non-native hospital with the Native hospital.”
Frank said Josias “just kept at it” until Meno Ya Win was built.
“Now today, you see the proof of his labour,” Frank said. “Because there is a brand-new beautiful hospital in Sioux Lookout, and the board of directors is mostly Native people.”
The grandfather rocks placed in front of Meno Ya Win was just one of Josias’s suggestions.
Frank encouraged people to remember Josias whenever they go into Meno Ya Win.
“We are told by our Elders that in this life we are just travelling through and we go on a spiritual journey after we leave here,” Frank said. “Josias has embarked on that spiritual journey. We’ll see him again after we have completed this path the Creator has given us here on Earth.”