MRS. JOYCE ALBANY, SONGHEES ELDER

FIRST NATIONS EDUCATION FROFILE – BY C. PAUL THOMAS

MARCH, 1991

Mrs. Joyce Albany (nee Warren) was born in a Victoria hospital and raised on the Esquimalt Band reservation near Admirals Road. She presently resides with her family on the Songhees Band reservation on Craigflower Road.

Her grandfather was James Warren, a English Captain of a sealing and whaling fleet. He married her grandmother Tossamitsa of the Esquimalt Band, whose english name was Mary Williams. Joyce’s father was Captain Frederick James Warren. Mary Gwyther was her mother of Welsh and English decent. Joyce was blessed with nine siblings: five brothers and four sisters.

In 1940 she married a Songhees Band gentleman, Mr. Richard Albany. This year they will be celebrating their fifty-second wedding anniversary. Mr. And Mrs. Richard Albany adopted three "wonderful children" – Don, Mark, and Janice.

Her experience in raising children with handicaps led her to the belief, "Learn all you can about the handcapping condition and act on that with love, and you will receive as much as you give."

Mrs. Albany has five "beautiful grandchildren"; Faith (belief in the positive and supreme being), Scott (after his Scottish background), Natahna (First Nations name meaning Little Corn Flower), Felicity (Ultimate bliss and happiness) and Clayton.

She attended the four room Craigflower (Elementary) School from grades one to eight and was always at the head (academically) of the classes. Regarding the original Craigflower School she indicated "Some of my brothers and sisters attended the original school, which is the oldest standing grade school west of the Great Lakes".

While in school her vision of her future was "To get educated, get a job, marry a 'Prince Charming,' have a family and live happily ever after. This I have achieved."

Mrs. Albany's transition from Craigflower to Victoria High School was like culture shock. "At the age of 13 the Victoria High vice principal, Mr. Claude Campbell, made me do the I.Q. test twice because the results 'weren't believable.' When I started I knew no one, and was the only Native student in an enrollment of 1200 plus students! After settling in, it was a happy experience. I took the commercial course first and graduated in 1935. After graduating in the commercial course at the age of 16, I couldn't write the civil service exams because you had to be 18 years old. Passing these exams likely would have led to a government job. With the thoughts of going to University, I went back and took the academic course - a four year course - in two years. Being in a class of 47 boys, I was the envy of many girls! I graduated with honours in 1937."

By the time of her second graduation in 1937 her vision of her future had changed. "I realized I couldn't afford to go to University and thought that I'd be lucky to find a job. Jobs were hard to come by during the depression. Cars, houses and pensions seemed like dreams." But still Mrs. Albany persevered and strived to make her dreams a reality.

Mrs. Albany has had a wide range of work experience. She worked for the Songhees Band as Secretary-Treasurer for three different chiefs; the late Mr. Percy Ross, her late brother in-law Art Albany, and her brother in-law John Albany. She also worked as a secretary for the Victoria School Board office and was sent out to different schools as needed. Most of her time was spent at Victoria high and doing the payroll for the School Board itself. Prior to the School Board she worked as a Legal Secretary. She and her husband are now retired and run their own mobile home park.

Presently, Mrs. Albany volunteers as a Trustee of the Arbutus Society For Children. Her past community volunteer work has been extensive including such organizations as; the All Saints Anglican Church (Parish Council member), B.C. Council of Women (branch representative), Victoria Community welfare Council (Executive), and Council of Churches Group Homes Society (Chairman).

For her community involvement Mrs. Joyce Albany has been recognized and received many rewards. Twice she was named the Victoria Woman of the Year, in 1972 and 1973 by the local chapters of Beta Sigma Phi Society. She was the recipient of the B.C. Centennial Award in 1958 for outstanding community service. The 1967 Canada Centennial Award was given to her for valuable service to the nation. She was given a Life Membership in the Craigflower Branch of the Women's Institute (part of a world organization of over 9 million women, the Associated Countrywomen of the World and associated with United Nations).

Mrs. Albany has observed education from her own schooling from the 1920's, to her children's, and now her grandchildren's during the 1990's. The significant changes that come to mind for her are "In the 20's and 30's people were considered educated when finishing grade eight. We've progressed so fast, from radio, to television, to computers. Schooling has to keep up. We've gone from horse and buggy to flying to the moon."

When asked about her grandchildren's graduation and future she stated "I hope that they will find a place in society where they will feel they are contributing and be happy and that they are real caring human beings."

Recently her keynote speaker presentation for the Victoria High Coast Salish Carved Door Ceremony was enthusiastically received by students, staff, and guests alike. Her observations of the Carved Door Ceremony were "This was a happy and contemporary Native Ceremony. The overall atmosphere was warm and friendly. And this was the first time I had been in the school since 1976, Victoria High's 100th Anniversary." During the Carved Door Ceremony social Joyce was inducted into the Victoria High Alumni Association. "It was a pleasant surprise. I didn't know that there was an Alumni Association." Overall these events were a gratifying "home coming" experience for her.

For the future of our First Nations students Mrs. Albany would like to see "That our students take their place in the world on en equal footing, feeling proud of their heritage and knowing that nice people come in all colours".

Her advice for First Nations students is "Show respect and listen to your elders. Take advantage of the educational opportunities that are offered, or you run the risk of being left behind. Believe that you can achieve your goals and you are half-way there."

Parental advice she offers is "Visit you child's school, take part where you can and listen, really listen to your children."

Her final comments she shared were "We are living in a technological age. Learn what you can about computers but remember you are the boss and the computer is the servant. I have this horror of the future when we all can stay at home, working with our computers, and connecting with others via modems and never having to leave the house to be at work. Will we become just another impersonal machine without feeling? God forbid! We were put on this earth to know and to love out fellow human beings and be filled with an inner peace and a knowledge that we, each and everyone of us, do matter and have a role to fulfill."

In conclusion she made this very clear statement "None of these things I have achieved would have been possible without the support of my great husband!"

FIRST NATIONS EDUCATION IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT MRS. ALBANY HAS GRACIOUSLY ACCEPTED TO BE THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR THE F.N.E. RECOGNITION CEREMONY ON JUNE 3, 1992.

THANK YOU JOYCE FOR TAKING TIME FROM YOUR VERY BUSY SCHEDULE TO SHARE SOME OF YOUR THOUGHTS WITH FIRST NATIONS EDUCATION. THANK YOU ALSO TO MR. RICHARD ALBANY WHO MADE THIS ALL POSSIBLE.