Friday, May 7, 2021
//s3.amazonaws.com/skins.funeraltechweb.com/tribute-gestures/v2/camera.png
Lisa and family,
I’ve known Clay for 27 years, we both worked to share stories through the Mi’kmaq Maliseet Nations News. Clayton was a huge supporter of the MMNN and contributed quite regularly, sharing stories from our unsung hero’s, because too Clay, everyone had a story to share and he wanted to provide a voice for those that sometimes felt their story wasn’t important. He had his monthly rituals of packing his bag, loading up with film and hitting the road, mostly by hitchhiking to various Mi’kmaw and Wolustuk Communities and connecting with folks. We couldn’t offer much for compensation, so it wasn’t about the money for him, it was about sharing his gift to tell a story and also gave him the opportunity to capture some raw and at ease photographs of his interviewees and community events.
He often would show up at deadline time, hand off his undeveloped film for processing while he went to create, bringing cherished stories to life....often bringing back hand written stories on loose leaf, sometimes notes on napkins, for us to type up and out into our paper....and then he’d be gone again until the next deadline. He did this for about 6 years, mostly under his pen name Kawliga Clodhopper, to the delight of our readership. Clayton, Wela’lin for everything you’ve done for the Paper and sharing your gift of storytelling, Msit Nokomaq!
Tim Bernard
