OLD JOE PAUL, MEDICINE MAN

As told to me by my father who passed away on October 2, 2003 at age 73, I tell you the story of old Joe Paul, a Mi'kmaq Medicine man from Marche's Point. No one seems to remember if his last name was Paul or was it a nick name that showed that he was Joe, son of Paul- as was the tradition in many areas. He may have been the son of old Peter Paul Benoit, son of one of the 3 Mi'kmaq Benoit brothers who came from Nova Scotia. He was a well liked character who was known for his rugged dark complexion and for having one top tooth. He wore a combination of homemade leather and European clothing. There were many stories about how his traditional Mi'kmaq medicines helped people from various ailments.

He operated out of a side room down in old Johnny Benoit's two storey house in Marche's Point out on Payun Aqq Payunji'j (the Port au Port Peninsula) in Newfoundland (Taqamkuk). He would regularly make trips into the woods with his tanned skin back pack and return with roots and other medicines that he would prepare for people when they came calling on him for help. If anyone needed help old Joe-Paul would be the one to see.

Many, many years ago, long before I was born, my dad had been suffering from boils on his back and knee. He decides to seek out old Joe Paul. After looking at the boil on dad's knee, he told dad that he could cure him. Old Joe Paul boiled up some yellow root, them burnt them and applied some to the boil, and he then circled the boil with bead of molasses. Over this he stuck an alder leaf. He told dad to take it easy with his knee for a couple days. Dad took it easy and did as he was told. After a few days he removed the leaf to find that the boil was gone.

He had also given dad a bottle of medico to apply on the other boils on his back. He didn't charge anything for his services, but it was tradition to give him a gift, and in this case dad gave him a dollar which Joe Paul was happy to accept. Dad used it - the boils disappeared and never returned.

No one seems to know what ever happened to Old Joe Paul, he seemed to have lived a nomadic life, moving from place to place and was very happy to help someone in need.

The photo shows the old house with the side room attached. Maybe old Joe Paul is inside.

Told by Jasen Sylvester Benwah, December 3, 2005