Campbell Papequash. Photo courtesy Facebook.
A man who wrote a book chronicling his time at Indian Residential School who made peace with his culture and traditions after living a life on the streets, has died.
Campbell Papequash, former chief of the Key First Nation, passed away Thursday morning following complications after undergoing open-heart surgery.
Papequash’s book The Yearning Journey: Escape from Alcoholism talks about the experience he had learning his First Nations culture.
Clarence Papequash says his older brother made a big change in his life when he quit drinking about 35 years ago.
“I guess he just got sick and tired of being sick, waking up sick and hung over. He had a spiritual awakening on the streets he talked about,” he said. “He worked in penitentiaries as a liaison and Elder. He helped the inmates in there, teaching them the ways.”
Campbell Papequash was 80 years old and would have celebrated his 81st birthday on January 25.