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From Nova Scotia to Sierra Leone: a history lesson from Mama Noah
In 1999, Speaker Gilbert Parent and five MPs participated in a parliamentary exchange mission to Africa. I was fortunate to be one of the MPs on the exchange. We visited legislatures in several countries, including Ghana and Sierra Leone. I found an amazing connection between those two countries and Nova Scotia.
In Ghana, after our parliamentary meetings were over, we visited a "slave castle" on the coast. This "castle" was built by European traders, and it was really a "slave dungeon." The dungeon was mostly a huge brick room, as big as a gymnasium. One door. No windows. No light. There were several such "slave castles" on the African coast. These dungeons were designed to keep captured slaves until they could be shipped to America. They were cold, dark, and damp. I took some photos of the slave dungeons while I was there.
Later, the photos that I took at the slave dungeon will gain extra meaning.
It was scary to imagine what it would be like to be a captured African in one of these dungeons, not knowing where you are being taken. Not knowing where your family is. Not knowing if you will survive.
Then we left Ghana and we visited Nigeria and then on to Sierra Leone. We landed at the Freetown Airport in Sierra Leone. From this airport, we had to take a helicopter across the harbour to the capital city of Freetown. The helicopter was an old and tired Russian helicopter, which vibrated and shook and gave every indication that it was about to fall into the harbour. However, we made it.
We were then taken by van up the Main Street in Freetown to the legislature. Everyone in the van was talking and not paying much attention to the local lady at the front acting as our guide. At one point, I thought I heard her say "Nova Scotia House." I thought I must have been mistaken. However, a short distance later, she said it again: "Nova Scotia house."
I asked, "What are you talking about?"
She said, "These are houses that are built exactly the same as the houses built by the people who came here from Nova Scotia in 1792."
"What people?" I said.
When we got to the Sierra Leone Parliament, all I wanted to do was find out about this Nova Scotia 1792 connection. One of the Members of Parliament told me that the best way to find out about the Nova Scotia connection is to talk to "Mama Noah."
"Who is Mama Noah? Where is Mama Noah?" I asked.
"She's at the top of the mountain," came the answer.
Two of the Sierra Leone Members of Parliament offered to take me to the top of the mountain to find Mama Noah. Mama Noah turned out to be 99 years old but very bright and talkative. She was blind and not very mobile, but retained all her faculties. She had a great memory. We hit it off right away.
She then told me that a dozen ships had sailed from Halifax in January 1792 with former slaves from the U.S. and Canada. Many were former African American slaves who had gained freedom by fighting for the British during the American Revolutionary War. They had been promised free land in Africa if they would help create a new country called Sierra Leone. I knew nothing about this.
Mama Noah proceeded to rhyme off the names of Nova Scotia towns where slaves lived: Birchtown, Shelburne, Dartmouth, etc. All from memory. She described the people who came from Halifax and the ships they sailed on. She told me how the promises of "free land" in Africa that were made… but not honoured. In the end, she said, they were not much better off than they were in Nova Scotia.
She told me that they named the capital city Freetown because it was supposed to be freedom for people who came in those boats from Nova Scotia. She told me how the "Nova Scotia houses" that we saw in the city were made from rough-cut planks “the same way as they were in Nova Scotia” in 1792. All of her knowledge had been passed down from her ancestors. I knew nothing about any of this and wanted to know more.
In Ghana, after our parliamentary meetings were over, we visited a "slave castle" on the coast. This "castle" was built by European traders, and it was really a "slave dungeon." The dungeon was mostly a huge brick room, as big as a gymnasium. One door. No windows. No light. There were several such "slave castles" on the African coast. These dungeons were designed to keep captured slaves until they could be shipped to America. They were cold, dark, and damp. I took some photos of the slave dungeons while I was there.
Later, the photos that I took at the slave dungeon will gain extra meaning.
It was scary to imagine what it would be like to be a captured African in one of these dungeons, not knowing where you are being taken. Not knowing where your family is. Not knowing if you will survive.
Then we left Ghana and we visited Nigeria and then on to Sierra Leone. We landed at the Freetown Airport in Sierra Leone. From this airport, we had to take a helicopter across the harbour to the capital city of Freetown. The helicopter was an old and tired Russian helicopter, which vibrated and shook and gave every indication that it was about to fall into the harbour. However, we made it.
We were then taken by van up the Main Street in Freetown to the legislature. Everyone in the van was talking and not paying much attention to the local lady at the front acting as our guide. At one point, I thought I heard her say "Nova Scotia House." I thought I must have been mistaken. However, a short distance later, she said it again: "Nova Scotia house."
I asked, "What are you talking about?"
She said, "These are houses that are built exactly the same as the houses built by the people who came here from Nova Scotia in 1792."
"What people?" I said.
When we got to the Sierra Leone Parliament, all I wanted to do was find out about this Nova Scotia 1792 connection. One of the Members of Parliament told me that the best way to find out about the Nova Scotia connection is to talk to "Mama Noah."
"Who is Mama Noah? Where is Mama Noah?" I asked.
"She's at the top of the mountain," came the answer.
Two of the Sierra Leone Members of Parliament offered to take me to the top of the mountain to find Mama Noah. Mama Noah turned out to be 99 years old but very bright and talkative. She was blind and not very mobile, but retained all her faculties. She had a great memory. We hit it off right away.
She then told me that a dozen ships had sailed from Halifax in January 1792 with former slaves from the U.S. and Canada. Many were former African American slaves who had gained freedom by fighting for the British during the American Revolutionary War. They had been promised free land in Africa if they would help create a new country called Sierra Leone. I knew nothing about this.
Mama Noah proceeded to rhyme off the names of Nova Scotia towns where slaves lived: Birchtown, Shelburne, Dartmouth, etc. All from memory. She described the people who came from Halifax and the ships they sailed on. She told me how the promises of "free land" in Africa that were made… but not honoured. In the end, she said, they were not much better off than they were in Nova Scotia.
She told me that they named the capital city Freetown because it was supposed to be freedom for people who came in those boats from Nova Scotia. She told me how the "Nova Scotia houses" that we saw in the city were made from rough-cut planks “the same way as they were in Nova Scotia” in 1792. All of her knowledge had been passed down from her ancestors. I knew nothing about any of this and wanted to know more.
My meeting with Mama Noah.
It was hard for me to believe all of these stories, but when I got home, a quick search proved everything that Mama Noah said was accurate. Fifteen ships had sailed from Halifax filled with former slaves on January 15, 1792, to establish a new country in Africa called Sierra Leone.
I just could not understand how I missed knowing about this, having gone through high school and university. I had never heard a word about this incredible piece of Nova Scotia history. I had to go learn this Nova Scotia history from Mama Noah on a mountain in Sierra Leone.
Later, when I was looking at my photographs, I had one photo of our guide standing at the door of that dark and dingy dungeon in Ghana where they kept slaves waiting to be transported to North America. Over the door of the dungeon was a sign marking the year “1792.” It struck me like a thunderbolt that this was the same year that slaves were getting on boats in Halifax and sailing back to Africa.
I just could not understand how I missed knowing about this, having gone through high school and university. I had never heard a word about this incredible piece of Nova Scotia history. I had to go learn this Nova Scotia history from Mama Noah on a mountain in Sierra Leone.
Later, when I was looking at my photographs, I had one photo of our guide standing at the door of that dark and dingy dungeon in Ghana where they kept slaves waiting to be transported to North America. Over the door of the dungeon was a sign marking the year “1792.” It struck me like a thunderbolt that this was the same year that slaves were getting on boats in Halifax and sailing back to Africa.
Our guide in front of a male slave dungeon in Ghana; the sign above the entrance reads “MALE SLAVE DUNGEON ( CIRCA 1792 )”
What an incredible failure of humanity. Capturing slaves and sending them to North America while boatloads of former slaves were on their way back to Africa, all at the same time. They may even have passed each other on the ocean.
When I got back to Nova Scotia, I was the guest speaker at a Nova Scotia business meeting with 45 attendees. I told the story of Mama Noah and then asked how many in the room knew about the 15 ships leaving Halifax for Sierra Leone in 1792.
Coincidentally, the Minister of Education was in the room. Only two people put their hands up, indicating that they knew anything about this story. The Minister of Education was not one of them. I don't know how this incredible event in our Nova Scotia history could not be known and taught.
Whenever I am looking out over Halifax Harbour, I try to imagine the 1,200 people boarding 15 little boats heading to Africa. Some would be very scared of being on a boat for the first time. They would also be very cold, it being January 15 when they set sail. But they were probably all full of hope and great expectations. Incredibly, all of the boats made it. Unfortunately, the promises of free land did not.
Moving forward to today, Sierra Leone is often listed as the second or third poorest country in the world. It has suffered from a civil war and terrible disease outbreaks. But people still talk about their Nova Scotia heritage like it was yesterday.
Thanks for reading. Thanks so much to Mama Noah. Even after all these years, talking about her still puts a lump in my throat. I'll never forget her.
Bill
When I got back to Nova Scotia, I was the guest speaker at a Nova Scotia business meeting with 45 attendees. I told the story of Mama Noah and then asked how many in the room knew about the 15 ships leaving Halifax for Sierra Leone in 1792.
Coincidentally, the Minister of Education was in the room. Only two people put their hands up, indicating that they knew anything about this story. The Minister of Education was not one of them. I don't know how this incredible event in our Nova Scotia history could not be known and taught.
Whenever I am looking out over Halifax Harbour, I try to imagine the 1,200 people boarding 15 little boats heading to Africa. Some would be very scared of being on a boat for the first time. They would also be very cold, it being January 15 when they set sail. But they were probably all full of hope and great expectations. Incredibly, all of the boats made it. Unfortunately, the promises of free land did not.
Moving forward to today, Sierra Leone is often listed as the second or third poorest country in the world. It has suffered from a civil war and terrible disease outbreaks. But people still talk about their Nova Scotia heritage like it was yesterday.
Thanks for reading. Thanks so much to Mama Noah. Even after all these years, talking about her still puts a lump in my throat. I'll never forget her.
Bill