Jean MacLean, Leadership Inspired by Traditional Way of Life
NOTE: Following is a feature in honor of Women's History Month written by Catherine Martin for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women.
Skilled in traditional Mi'kmaw hunting and fishing as a girl, Jean MacLean now teaches families a different set of survival skills for today's society.
As a child, Ms. MacLean shot moose, skinned the animals her father trapped and learned how to spear eels. She learned a way of life that provided everything needed to survive. Today, she is the program manager for Mi'kmaw Family Treatment Program.
Inspired by her upbringing, she has worked tirelessly to address family violence, managing two family healing centers. Her family taught her to respect the role of men and women in the family, instilling a sense of pride that has stayed with her throughout her life.
She left her home community at a young age to attend a Catholic school where she lived in residence. The move away from the security of home opened her eyes to the world of discrimination.
"I had to fight almost every day with non-native children who made fun of us because we were Mi'kmaq. We could not escape it," she says. Tired of fighting for her education, she left school at Grade 10.
She began working as the band receptionist at age 17 and eventually as a welfare officer. In 1977, Jean's son Dean was born and she soon found herself raising her son as a single mother while pursuing a career. She completed her high school diploma through the local GED program, enrolled in the Mi'kmaw Bachelor of Social Work program at Dalhousie University and received her degree in 1989. One of the first graduates from this program, she began her career as a social worker for Mi'kmaw Family and Children Services.
Although she had to spend a lot of time away from her son and family to pursue her education, her relationship with her son remained strong over the years and she taught him the values of respect she learned from her parents.
"I was raised understanding that it is wrong for men to hurt women," says Ms. MacLean. "I raised my son the same way, teaching him that he must respect women and never hurt them. I am so proud of him today and how he has become such a wonderful father and partner to his wife."
Ms. MacLean plans to retire in the near future and take the time to enjoy life.
"I recently brought my mother to Cape Clear on the Cabot Trail. My mother is 73 years-old and had never been to what we agreed was one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen. It made me feel good to be there with her and share this beauty together."
In her retirement, she hopes to make up for lost time and pursue an education that she can only find in her own home.
"I don't want to retire with one foot in the grave. I have worked all my life," she says. "Now I want to enjoy time with my grandchildren and family. I want to learn to be a good grandmother, mother and daughter for the rest of my life. Those are the kind of teachings I am looking for now," she says.