The Georgian, Stephenville, Nfld., Tuesday, May 26, 1998

Author: Edward Mishaud

Norman Gabriel: A living legend

Eighty-eight year old Norman Gabriel has many a story to tell. He is the oldest living Micmac Indian on the west coast, and through his life has experienced an encyclopedia of stories –and remembers every one in great detail.
Distinguished in his thoughts and passive in voice,  Mr Gabriel has had a life with more ups and downs than a roller coaster, but he has managed to survive and flourish.
One of 10 children, Mr Gabriel faced a hard and tough childhood. His father died when he was three and in his words, he was "left alone" to take care of himself. However, one man, Henry White showed Mr Gabriel the ways of the world and taught him many things that would prove to be essential later in life.
"When I was growing up in Stephenville I was isolated from the rest of the world because I was an indian. Nobody wanted anything to do with me," says Mr Gabriel.
Mr Gabriel was fortunate to get an education up to Grade 6 giving him the knowledge of reading and writing which would prove later in life to be a great asset.
At age 16, Mr Gabriel had his first job; smashing rocks in Aguathuna. He was given a mallett and had to smash the huge boulders into a smaller size to be loaded on a truck. Looking back it is not what you call an ideal job, but it was work and it started what would become a long list of future endeavors.
After working at that job for two months, he would go on to spend the next 16 years working as a logger for Bowater’s, cutting wood at the Humber Camps. When he was 32 he finished that job and went to work at the American Base as an oiler and gas attendant. While working on the base, Mr Gabriel learned how to drive and quickly became very good at it, even to the point of becoming a driving instructor.
After that Mr Gabriel went on to be a crane operator on the base and eventually went on to work with another company.
Mr Gabriel’s list of jobs would go on as he worked on the TCH, and also planted trees in Ireland and Scotland during the Second World War.
As Mr Gabriel tells of his many experiences, a history of hard and vigorous work is evident in his eyes. He often referred to the treatment (or lack thereof) he received as being indian.
"I had no friends, all enemies. I go back in time and it sometimes brings tears to my eyes," says Mr Gabriel.
One of the most enjoyable jobs Mr Gabriel had was working as a tree cutter. He enjoyed being with nature and even though he was cutting down the trees, he still felt at peace with being what he calls "my mother wild."
While working in Wabush during the early development of Churchill Falls Mr Gabriel gained such a reputation for being a hard worker a river and road was named in his honour. Gabriel’s Brook and Gabriel’s Road is a standing legacy to his contribution.
He told one story about working in Churchill, when a bus driver that shuttled the workers to and from the site did not like Mr Gabriel and treated him unfairly because he was indian. Then in 1963, Lieutenant Governor Fabian O’Day traveled to Labrador and distinctively wanted to meet with MR Gabriel. He said after that day, everyone – including the bus driver – would wave to him and make a point of acknowledging his presence.

After working at Churchill for many years, Mr Gabriel returned to Newfoundland and worked in the woods and later became a guide. Years passed and he started painting for the Victorian Order of Nurses and writing stories about the Micmac way of life.
Even today, at age 88, Mr Gabriel is still living an active and peaceful existence. He enjoys hunting, fishing, and just being in the presence of nature.
Probably one of the most important characteristics about Mr Gabriel is his perspective on issues of race and ethnic backgrounds. Like a scholar in his thoughts, he believes people should not be condemned because of their race.
"I don’t care, everybody is human, a person is a person." Says Mr Gabriel. And that is probably the most important message that anyone could say. Mr Gabriel, after being tormented and discriminated against for a large part of his life, does not carry any hard feelings. He tells the truth through his heart.

Mr Gabriel is definitely a living legend as his experiences in life not only shaped a part of Newfoundland and Labrador history, but his thoughts and lessons are timeless.