Elsie Charles Basque

Elsie Josephine Charles Basque (1916-2016) was a Mi’kmaq known as the first member of her tribe to earn a teaching certificate. She became a noted educator and was a recipient of the Order of Canada in 2009.

Biography Basque was born on May 12, 1916, to Joe Charles and Margaret Labrador in Hectanooga, Digby County. She was three years old when her mother, Margaret, left the family and his father contracted tuberculosis. His father became a tour guide to wealthy Americans when he got better. He taught his daughter how to fish and hunt. In 1951, Basque relocated to Boston, Massachusetts and lived there with her family for almost 30 years. Her husband was employed at Algonquin Gas Transmission Company while she did public relations work. When her children were old enough, Basque returned to teaching and worked for the Boston Indian Council. A paper that she wrote detailing the problems of the native American elderly was sent to the U.S. Senate as a position paper. She was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2005 by the Universite Sainte-Anne.

Basque died on April 11, 2016, at her home in Hectanooga.