Veronica Young

Veronica or Flo as she was known, was born to the late Andrew Phillips and Elizabeth Bernard of We’koqma’q First Nation. She was the last of her immediate family.

Our Kiju (Mom) attended both the Eskasoni and the Whycocomagh Indian Day Schools and then later married our father, William Frederick Young of Antigonish/We’koqma’q and is survived by her children: Frances Young , Herman George Young, Barbara Jean Joe, James Edward Young (Kelly), Mary Elizabeth Francis, Vivian Jane Paul (Lindsay), Nelson Owen Peter Young “Inkin” (Sheraine), Frederica Mae Francis (Barry), John Leonard Young, Tuma Thomas William Young (Nicolaas), daughters in law, Theresa Young-Dennis, Rosemary Young, Tena Joe, foster son, Roger Lafford, and sister in law, Mary Ellen Googoo.

Flo is also survived by 44 grandchildren, numerous great grandchildren and numerous great-great grandchildren and a large extended family.

Flo was predeceased by her husband, William Frederick Young, and sons: Thomas Daniel Young, Victor Joseph Young, David Eric Young and Phillip Floyd Young. She was also predeceased by her grandchildren: Jasmine Fleurette Paul, Eleanor Marie Young and Joshua Lindsay Paul, and one great-great grandchild: Chanielle Skye Doucette. Flo was also predeceased by her sons in law: Wayne Hall, Robert Denny Sr., Edgar Valentine Francis, Edward Joseph Joe and daughter in law; Juanita Sylliboy. Mom was also predeceased by her siblings: Annie Phillips, Janet Phillips, Peter Francis Phillips, Rita Christopher, Christie Ann Morrison, Mary Agnes Gould, and Joseph Noel Phillips.

When our mother was born, it was her godparents that took her to the church to be baptized. Her parents told the godparents to make sure that she was given the name “Florence.” Upon reaching the church, the priest asked the godparents what her name was and both godparents had already forgotten so the priest suggested the name “Veronica” so that was the name she was baptized with. When the godparents brought her back home, her parents asked if she was baptized Florence and the godparents said yes.

Mom did not know her real name until she was about to be married to our father and had to find her baptismal certificate. Her godparents then confessed about the name. This is why everyone called her Florence or Flo and not many knew that her real name was Veronica.

Our mother was very accomplished. She raised 14 children with very little. Our family acknowledges that times were tough growing up but that our mom worked very hard to make ends meet and provide for us, along with our dad. It was not easy. They did the best they could with what little they had and in the end, we all turned out well.

Our mother was a traditional craftsperson: making baskets, Christmas wreaths and various other crafts to sell. Mom would go door to door peddling axe handles, clothes poles, baskets, and oars in various communities in Nova Scotia and in Ktaqmtkuk (Nfld). Mom also had one of the last remaining traplines in Unama’ki (Cape Breton) in the 1970’s. This was very rare for a woman to be trapping beaver, mink, muskrat, bobcat, otter, and weasels to sell to the fur buyers.

In addition to trapping, Mom would go hunting deer, rabbits and plawejk (partridge). Her favourite activity was to go ice fishing for smelts in Malagawatch. Our mother would exercise her aboriginal and treaty rights by fishing smelts, trout, salmon, oysters, clams and lobsters and then selling the catch to local buyers.

Mom was also a long time migrant worker in Maine, picking blueberries and potatoes in Washington and Aroostook County in Maine. Mom was one of two women (Francho and her) who were well known as the 100 barrel a day potato pickers in Maine.

Our mother was also very well known as a traditional Mi’kmaq herbalist and was often called up to treat numerous people with a variety of ailments using traditional Mi’kmaw plant medicines. Mom was the source of information that restored the knowledge of using Maskwiomin to treat skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.

Mom was an excellent basket maker and now her family has continued the art of making L’nu baskets. Flo also taught all of her family to pick Kjimsiku (Sweetgrass) or as she called it “SWEATgrass” and supplied many a home with Kjimsiku over the years.

As a result of doing all this, our family are now known as the Young Harvesters and continue the transmission of traditional Mi’kmaw knowledge, language and culture to the next generation.

Mom also was the cook at Mi’kmaw lodge, a residential treatment facility for those who want to recover from alcoholism and/or drug addiction. When she was first interviewed for the position, the interview panel asked her what her qualifications were and her answer was that the facility has 15 beds, that she had 14 children and knew how to cook for that size group.

As a cook, her primary goal was to put on a couple pounds to folks who arrive at the rehab so when they leave they not only feel good but also look good! Mom would start by giving folks sandwiches and tea (knowing that most folks in early recovery could not or were not used to eating healthy meals) and then end up feeding them large heavy meals of meat and potatoes so they would pack on “Flo’s pounds” when they left the rehab.

Mom was also deeply religious and would go each year on the “Roxanne bus” to Ste Anne’s du Beaupre in Quebec. The bus would leave Eskasoni and she would lead the rosary but after they got to the causeway, they would put the rosaries away and break out the bingo cards.

Mom loved to double up and later on would be seen enjoying playing the VLT machines at Eskasoni Gaming.

Mom was also the last of the traditional Mi’kmaw women who chewed tobacco. In the old days, it was usually the men who smoked the pipe and the women would chew the tobacco. Mom was never without her chewing tobacco and when the Trump tariffs came in, making it very difficult to obtain her favourite brand, America’s Best, we all had to scramble to find enough to satisfy her. Mom told us to just go see the Kwe’tej (Mohawks) for they always have chewing tobacco.

Mom’s last years were spent at Kiknu, the new home for long term care in Eskasoni. Mom was the resident elder and was loved by all the residents and the staff. Her care at Kiknu was top notch and she would encourage anyone to move in, saying “they feed you, take care of you, wait on you hand and foot. What more can you ask for?”

The family is deeply thankful and very grateful for the care that our mother received while she was a resident at Kiknu. It was the perfect place for her. For this, the family is very appreciative and want to thank the staff, the CCA’s, the nurses, the doctors, the occupational therapist, the recreation directors, the cooks, the cleaners and the management at Kiknu for the care they provided to our Kiju.

We would also like to send out a special thank you for “Lillian” for looking out for our mother and being a very good neighbour at Kiknu.

Visitation for our mother will begin at 7pm on Thursday, March 26 at the Gabriel Centre, and the Funeral Mass will be on Saturday, March 28 at 10am at Holy Family Church and burial will be in the parish cemetery. A feast and Salitey will immediately follow the service.

The family requests only family flowers and in lieu of flowers, donations will be accepted for Kiknu.

We are not burying our mother. We are burying her faults, her shortcomings and her weakness. We will remember and celebrate her by continuing all of her good deeds, her kindness and her teachings in our lives and encourage everyone to do this in her memory.