Missionaries among Miners, Migrants and Blackfoot: The Van Tighem Brothers Diaries, Alberta 1875 – 1917 (review)

Missionaries among Miners provides a unique window into the late-nineteenth-century history of Alberta. Translations of letters and codices written by two Belgian Catholic brothers, the pieces include letters and inserts from other sources rounding out the picture of Lethbridge and the Piegan Reserve during this period. The diaries and codices cover a wide variety of events, from the early settlement and growth of Alberta through the vicissitudes of the mining industry and the impact of the First World War. In addition to world and provincial events, the documents also record the personal tragedies and joys the two brothers endured and enjoyed.

Eggermont-Molenaar and Callens do a fine job of setting up the documents. They wisely separate the two brothers’ works, each in his own context. In both cases, the editors take the time to provide basic family and national histories to help the reader place events within context. Additionally, they added pictures, both from the Van Tighem family archives and from their own collection, to help readers visualize the topics discussed. These additions work well in making the diaries useful.

As with all diaries, though, the subject matter remains personal and narrow. Leonard, the brother who worked in Lethbridge and other places in southern Alberta, worried over his gardens, his parishioners, and other daily issues. Intriguing mentions of other issues arise: miners being laid off, Indians being moved, etc. Victor’s diary focuses on even smaller details of his daily life and tends to be extremely succinct. These two works would not be the best choices for a discussion of life in southern Alberta.

These works succeed, though, in reminding us of all the stories lost by lack of translation. The editors note that neither brother became proficient in English and both continued to write in their native languages. Without the translation provided here, the stories of a non-dominant group, Belgian Catholics, would be lost. It represents a story different from those of English miners and Indians who inhabited the area. When Leonard carefully counts how many Catholics exist in his town and Victor bemoans how lonely he feels on the reserve, it highlights a tale different from the one traditionally told about the frontier.

Additionally, the underlying story of the brothers’ continued connections to their homeland, which roiled with conflict during their lifetime, exemplifies a cross many immigrants bore. Worry about family at home without any means to help or aid them dominated their lives. This work, when paired with other accounts of life in early Alberta, fleshes out the picture of the successes and failures that drove everyday life on the Prairies.