Thursday April 24th., 2008

Our Speaker

Ruth Clarke

will be speaking on
"Breathing Life in History"

Ruth has written everything from grocery lists to film scripts.
She is the author of four published books: one in its second edition,
another in its second major printing.

On April 24^th, Ruth will be speaking to the Etobicoke Historical Society
about the people of Alderville First Nation, briefly summarizing highlights of their ancestors' existence prior to contact with settlers, which is when her research began in earnest: contact to present-day.

Ruth's background is in book publishing and journalism,
her heritage strong with storytellers. History was never a love of hers
when she went to high school; in fact, she failed miserably.
But her love of a good story has grown to love history
as she became interested in her own heritage.

Ruth was invited to write Alderville's history, and as she researched, she realized that there was a story to tell that was dramatic and emotional.
She decided to create fictional characters, so they could tell their own stories,
to see their changing world from their point of view.
Everything else, all the details, are factual.  

BEFORE THE SILENCE: 50 Years in the History of Alderville First Nation: 1825-1875 chronicles the Methodist period in the lives of these people. Once converted to Christianity, they were gathered together by William Case,
the Father of Methodist Missions, on an island in the Bay of Quinte,
to become "the Nursery of Indian Missions," where the most zealous and articulate converts were groomed to become itinerant Methodist missionaries. When they outgrew the island, they migrated to Alderville, in Northumberland County. Here the prototype for residential schools began.

WHAT WE HOLD DEAR: Treasured Memories of Alderville First Nation, covers the period from the late 19^th century, to present day
with a heart-warming story, recipes, lore and wonderful photographs.

*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *

Ruth Clarke as mentioned, is a writer and photographer
who has published five books
that combine both of those crafts as well as her great interest in history
and her talent as a storyteller.

She chose to write her first full-length book,
BEFORE THE SILENCE: 50 Years in the History of Alderville First Nation 1825-1875, from the point of view of a fictional character, the niece of a very real and famous character in Upper Canada during the Methodist Movement,
Indian missions and residential schools.
 Her second book, Buffers, Boundaries & Barricades: COUNTY FENCES, published in 2002, is a collection of black and white photographs and Ruth's colourful musings on these disappearing cultural icons.
             Her third book, TO KNOW THIS PLACE: The Black Oak Savanna/Tallgrass Prairie of Alderville First Nation was published in 2003 as a guide to this very rare remnant of savanna with photographs of plants and insects that grow there. The second edition was published in January 2006. This edition contains 25 new pages including butterflies, birds and new plant species
In 2006, Sweetgrass Studios published Ruth's fifth book, WHAT WE HOLD DEAR, the second volume of Alderville's history, which is told from the point of view of two fictional characters—descendents of the character in the BEFORE THE SILENCE: an aged woman and her great-granddaughter. Together they weave historical and more recent events, photographs and other memorabilia into a heartwarming story.

Ruth has enjoyed a career in the communications industry, promoting Canadian arts and culture, working as a journalist, and teaching English as a Second Language. She was born in Bobcaygeon, has lived in both Toronto and Vancouver for great portions of her life, as well as long stretches in Costa Rica and Mexico. She now calls the rolling hills of Northumberland County her home where she lives with her husband, artist Rick Beaver, at Sweetgrass Studios on the Alderville First Nation.