Title: The Bosom of Abraham
Author: Beatrice Blue Pipe
Publisher: iUniverse
Pages: 90
Genre: Historical Biography
Format: Kindle/Paperback
As a child, Beatrice Blue Pipe was confused and hurt by what her teachers told her.
As a student, her teachers at Canada’s Christian-administered residential school system taught that God hated Canada’s First Peoples and First Nations. From Blue Pipe’s perspective, she was condemned. As she grew, the hateful lessons of her youth slowly consumed her, and like too many others, she attempted to silence those demons with alcohol and thoughts of suicide.
But as an adult, she is now a powerful advocate for her culture and dignity. By exploring the devastating impact of the Canadian government’s educational system on the minds and spirits of First Nation children, Beatrice aims to expose the negative impact these multifaceted, inhuman legislative polices have had on her community. Tragically, these practices continue to have a grave, detrimental impact on the well-being of First Nations people.
In The Bosom of Abraham, she celebrates the incredibly resilient First People. Canada’s systematic and multigenerational attempt to eradicate their cultural ceremonies and languages failed. The ancient cultural knowledge and strength of First Nations people survives today, which ensures the survival of future generations. The Bosom of Abraham is the story of Beatrice’s journey as a child, a daughter and a student—who resists the efforts of the system to crush her—into that of a woman, a warrior and a leader, in the effort to celebrate, protect and preserve her cultural and personal heritage.
About the Author
Beatrice Blue Pipe is a Nakoda-Cree woman from the Whitebear First Nation Community in southeastern Saskatchewan. A certified life-skills coach, she advocates for cultural programming, as well as the preservation and restoration of the Nakoda language and culture. Beatrice graduated with honours from the University of Brandon in Manitoba.