Speaking Up: New Voices on War and Peace in Nova Scotia

A compelling anthology of diverse and historically marginalized perspectives on war and peace in Nova Scotia, including El Jones, Sylvia Parris, Catherine Martin, and Juanita Peters. The story of Nova Scotia's history is usually presented through the lens of military history. Lost in that narrative are the less visible stories of war and peace: contemporary stories told from outside the military community; anti-militarist stories; and stories of soldiers who don't fit the white, cisgender male, heterosexual norm. Speaking Up: New Voices on War and Peace in Nova Scotia brings many previously neglected voices to the fore -- voices of current members of the Canadian Armed Forces and military veterans, members of the African Nova Scotian and Mi'kmaw communities, refugees and immigrants displaced by war, historians and other academics who study war and militarization, artists who reflect on war's impact, and peace activists who vigorously protest against the militarization of the region. These fresh perspectives on war and peace in Nova Scotia -- from voices that include Darl Wood, El Jones, Sylvia Parris, Peter Dykhuis, Jessica L. Wiebe, Paige Farah, Catherine Martin, and Juanita Peters -- light the way to a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of war on our province. Through more than thirty unique stories carefully curated by an expert editorial team from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Speaking Up: New Voices on War and Peace in Nova Scotia sets out to challenge the dominant military narrative on war and peace in Nova Scotia. Table of Contents Introduction: Telling Stories of War and Peace in Nova Scotia - Maya Eichler, Reina Green, and Tracy Moniz Chapter 1-- Military Veterans Introduction - Maya Eichler Vagabonds Among You - John Whelan Finding a New Purpose - Ken Hoffer Creating the Veteran Farm Project - Jessica Miller Feminist Military Veteran and LGBT Purge Survivor - Darl Wood, with Carmen Poulin and Lynne Gouliquer Being Gay and Ex-Military in Nova Scotia - Frank Letourneau and Maya Eichler Chapter 2 -- Military Families Introduction - Leigh Spanner I Knew What I Was Getting Into, Right? Reflections from a Military Spouse - Catherine Littler Never in a Straight Line but Always in the Right Direction: The Story of a Military Family Researcher - Deborah Norris Chapter 3 -- Refugee Communities Introduction - Catherine Baillie Abidi Confronting the Past: Remembering Memuna - Amara Bangura Don't Lose Hope: You Never Know What Tomorrow May Bring - Nareen Haj Ali and Catherine Baillie Abidi My Story - Viyan Ali No Red Poppies for Colombia - Marianela Fuertes Chapter 4 -- African Nova Scotian Communities Introduction - Susan M. Brigham Canadian Military History and the Black Atlantic - Claudine Bonner My Voice and My Daddy's Story: His Time in the No. 2 Construction Battalion - Sylvia Parris-Drummond Chapter 5 -- Military Histories Across Communities Introduction - Tracy Moniz Soul of a Nation in the Heart of Halifax - Ken Hynes We Were There: Remembering Nova Scotia's Mi'kmaw War Veterans - Don Julien and Jenna Stewart Baie Sainte-Marie Goes to War: Experiences of Nova Scotia Acadians, 1916?1921 - Gregory Kennedy Chapter 6 -- Halifax Explosion Introduction - Barbara Lounder Resolve and Rebirth: The Narrative Environment of Fort Needham Memorial Park - John deWolf My Explosion - Catherine Martin, Juanita Peters, and Paige Farah, with Barbara Lounder Walking the Debris Field Narratives for Peace - Robert Bean and Angela Henderson Chapter 7 -- Peace Activism Introduction - Maya Eichler Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace: From Cold War Origins to a Hot Planet - kathrin winkler Giff Gifford: From Second World War Bomber to Veteran Against Nuclear Arms - Brian Gifford Yes to Canada! No to War! - Roger Davies We Built This City - El Jones Chapter 8 -- War and Art Introduction - Reina Green and Jessica Lynn Wiebe Hallowed Ground - Wendy Elliott and Andria Hill-Lehr (untitled) - Angela Henderson The Space Between: Endurance, Exhaustion, and Remembrance - Jessica Lynn Wiebe Pure War and Mixed Messages - Peter Dykhuis Conclusion: Weaving Communities Together Through Storytelling - Reina Green, Maya Eichler, and Tracy Moniz