A Huu-ay-aht grandmother missing her long lost classmate turned to social media in the hopes of finding her name and, hopefully, tracking her down.
Marie Nookemus attended Alberni Indian Residential School in the 1950’s. Back then she was Marie McCarthy and she quickly formed a bond with a girl from Ahousaht, but couldn’t remember her name.
So she turned Facebook and posted a photograph of her best friend asking if anybody recognized her. “I think she was a Campbell,” she wrote in her Facebook post.
It wasn’t long before Ahousaht elder Julia Eaton said that it looked like her sister, Norah. The identification was later confirmed when Norah recognized herself in the photograph.
Norah Campbell, now Norah Simpson, and Marie attended AIRS together from about 1952 – 1957.
Marie was from Ucluelet First Nation and Norah, from Ahousaht.
“We were best friends, we hung around together. It’s been so long and I can’t remember all the details but it seems like we protected each other from whatever,” said Marie, adding that it was such an awful place and they didn’t want to be alone.
“We were kind of mischief together,” Marie giggled. She said she was glad that she used to take lots of pictures back then and was able to scan a few for sharing on the internet.
Looking back on their time at AIRS, Marie said she simply lost touch with Norah. “One year I went back and she just wasn’t there anymore.”
According to Marie, back then, sometimes girls disappeared from the school never to be seen again. “I don’t know what happened to them; there were stories but I don’t know if they were true or not,” she shared.
Even with the photograph identified, Marie and Norah didn’t connect with each other. Marie lives in Anacla while Norah lives in Pacheedaht, only 80 coastal kilometers from one another.
Then, on June 19, there was a celebration held in Port Alberni for the West Coast Trail Guardian Program which Norah attended. By chance, Marie happened to be in town that day and made a beeline for the celebration after a quick phone call from her daughter, telling her that Norah was there.
“When I saw her, my heart was just pumping; I was so excited I thought I was going to have a heart attack,” Marie laughed. “And when I saw her I said to her, you still look mischief!”
Marie and Norah had a big hug at the Alberni Athletic Hall on June 19. It was the first time the two best friends had seen each other in nearly 60 years. They sat together for the rest of the afternoon, laughing and reminiscing.
“She still has that sparkle in her eye,” said Marie.
