The Ring: Memories of a Metis Grandmother, is the story of Sam and Jane Livingston, Calgary’s first settlers, as told by Grandmother Jane Howse to her grandson, Dennis Dowler. When Dennis asked Grandmother Jane how she got that mysterious ring she kept twisting around her finger, he discovered that Great-grandfather Joseph Howse was the first fur trader for the Hudson’s Bay company west of the Rockies, and Grandfather Sam was a famous gold prospector, fur trader, buffalo hunter and Fort Calgary’s first farmer. But it was Grandmother Jane’s story Dennis liked best: her life at the Red River Settlement (now near Winnipeg), her adventures crossing the prairie in an ox cart and raising her large family in a sod hut. Dennis became proud to be Metis. All ages can learn from this book.
This is a fascinating tale of love between a Metis woman and a flamboyant Irishman. Their romance was symbolized by the ring given to Jane as a token of his undying love. It remains today as a legacy to the many descendants of this remarkable couple. This ring is now on display at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary.
Just as a ring unites a man and a woman, so did the publication of this story miraculously unite two of Sam and Jane’s grandchildren, a brother Sam Livingston 111 and his sister Myrtle who had been searching for him for 64 years. The Ring continues to galvanize descendants to discover their roots. “This book had a huge impact on our family,” said some. “We discovered we were Metis.”
The Ring includes 200 photographs, maps and illustrations, archival and modern. Follow in the tracks of Sam and Jane as they travel the prairie by horse and wagon, ox cart and raft then follow Lyn a century later as she retraces the same routes by bush plane and car. History comes alive when you visit the places that now bear their names: a school, a hatchery, a government building, a river, a mountain, a pass. Look for Jane’s ring, glasses and elk hide jacket at the Glenbow Museum. Or Sam’s Big Head in bronze greeting visitors at the Calgary airport.
Order signed books from Lyn Hancock, 8270 Sabre Road, Lantzville, BC, V0R 2H0, phone 1-250-390-9075, fax 1-250-390-9074, lynhancock.shaw.ca, or by website www.lynhancock.com or www.grandmotherjanesring.com Price: $24.95 plus $10 shipping and handling. Pay by cheque, money order or through PayPal. Or order through your library or bookstore. ISBN 978-09810933-0-7
