Emmaline "Emma" Garland Pratt was born on November 15, 1884 in Portage la Prairie, MB. She spent her early life in the village, approximately two miles down the river from Portage la Prairie. She received her education and studied music, voice and organ at the Portage Presbyterian Boarding School; while school age, she lived with white missionaries Mr and Mrs. Brown. She was adopted by the Garland family in Portage la Prairie.
Emma came to the then Oak River Reserve in 1904, to be with her mother following a family crisis. The same year, she married Matthew Tunkancekigana, who was later given the surname Pratt. The couple resided in Sioux Valley, where Matthew farmed and did farm work. Matthew died in 1951. Emma dedicated her life to her family and in service to her community, especially through her church St. Luke's Anglican Church at Sioux Valley, where she was church organist for 75 years. In 1961, she received life membership in the Women's Auxiliary of the Docese of Brandon and in 1977, she received a Good Citizenship Award from the Lieutenant-Governor. The Pratts had eleven children, including Allan, Donald, Archie, Ina, Hilda, and Dorothy. Allan was a chief on the Sioux Valley Reserve, Donald was a Reverend with the Anglican Church. Three other children died of tuberculosis. Emma Pratt died in January 1989.
Custodial History
As part of the Westman Oral History Collection, this collection was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. The original tapes from the Westman Oral History project were deposited in the Brandon Public Library. Copies of these originals were made by Margaret Pollex of the Brandon University Language Lab at the request of Eileen McFadden, University Archivist in the early 1990s. These copies compose the collection held in the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
Item is an audiocassette tape containing an interview with Emma Pratt about her childhood and early married years as a Sioux woman. Interviewer is Phyllis Cairns.
Notes
History/bio information taken from the records, and articles in The Brandon Sun reporting on Pratt's 100th birthday celebration (November 22, 1984) and her death (January 16, 1989). Transcript by Brianna Workman (2014). Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
Conservation
Preservation copy created 2021 (R. Hess)
Audio Tracks
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