91裸聊视频淢y name is Vant Hayes and I91裸聊视频檓 the only Black one left out here.91裸聊视频�

Hayes, who says he91裸聊视频檚 88 years old or 91裸聊视频渟omewhere around there,91裸聊视频� represents the end of an era in the village of Breton, 110 kilometres southwest of Edmonton.

His grandparents William and Mollie Hayes and their children moved to the area from Oklahoma in the early 1900s as part of the Great Migration of Black settlers from the United States, lured by the promise of free land and a better life.

An increase in discrimination in the southern U.S. in the early 1900s led to an exodus of African Americans to four tiny communities in Alberta. Breton, originally known as Keystone, was one.

Most of the descendants of the original 54 families have moved on, but Hayes remains.

91裸聊视频淵ou would get a quarter (section), but you had to clear 10 acres on it before you could get the title. I guess that was one reason they migrated here. Another one was in the States. It was bad down there,91裸聊视频� he said.

The migration hit its peak between 1909 to 1911. A federal order-in-council in 1911 barred Black people from Canada because they were 91裸聊视频渄eemed unsuitable to the climate and requirements91裸聊视频� of the country, but it was repealed later that year.

Hayes91裸聊视频� parents, Floyd and Elizabeth, moved their 10 children briefly to Kelowna, B.C., to find work, but returned to the homestead after the father died.

91裸聊视频淚t was tough. You try and look after 10 kids. You gotta figure out how you91裸聊视频檙e going to feed them today and the next day and we made it through,91裸聊视频� Hayes said.

91裸聊视频淲e ate a lot of eggs 91裸聊视频� a lot of chicken too,91裸聊视频� he added with a laugh.

But Hayes said despite the new surroundings, his mother never got over the treatment she received in Oklahoma.

91裸聊视频淎 lot of people had moved up from the States and they figured this was the same as the States. My mother always carried a .43 Mauser rifle in the wagon with her. It was just for protection,91裸聊视频� said Hayes.

91裸聊视频淥ne guy came riding up on this big horse and he started yelling at her and calling her names. She came back with this big .43 Mauser and said: 91裸聊视频業f you don91裸聊视频檛 get out of my yard right now, I91裸聊视频檓 going to shoot the horse and when you91裸聊视频檙e running I91裸聊视频檓 going to shoot you, too.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淎fter that, he was real nice,91裸聊视频� he added with a chuckle.

Hayes spent years working on oil rigs but always came back to the farm. He hopes one of his granddaughters will carry on the family legacy.

He91裸聊视频檚 worried about the local history disappearing when he dies.

91裸聊视频淵ou91裸聊视频檙e not going to have this Black history,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not going to go on forever.91裸聊视频�

Brandy Fredrickson91裸聊视频檚 great, great grandparents Sam and Neoma Hooks moved with their four children from Sharpes, Okla., in 1911.

She said remembering the area91裸聊视频檚 past is important because 91裸聊视频測ou lose those shreds of history91裸聊视频� as older people pass away.

91裸聊视频淚 know we91裸聊视频檙e fifth and my kids are sixth generation,91裸聊视频� she said, wiping away tears. 91裸聊视频淭o me, it91裸聊视频檚 to know where they came from.91裸聊视频�

Allan Goddard, the curator of the Breton and District Historical Museum, grew up nearby but wasn91裸聊视频檛 aware of the area91裸聊视频檚 Black history.

He said some early homestead records had Black landowners91裸聊视频� race specified as their nationality in the corner of the page, which was not the case for white ones.

91裸聊视频淭hey were Americans. That was quite eye-opening to me,91裸聊视频� said Goddard. 91裸聊视频淲ere they being identified to send them to a certain area or were they being identified just based on colour?91裸聊视频�

The community has Black History Month gatherings each year. The original cemetery was mostly forgotten but now a giant rock with a brass plaque pays tribute to the 27 people identified as being buried there.

Three tombstones were visible under a deep blanket of snow on a cold and foggy January day.

91裸聊视频淥ur apologies for those we have missed91裸聊视频�, reads the plaque.

Goddard said when the snow is gone, a few indentations where people may be buried are visible.

91裸聊视频淚 was asked quite a few years ago, about the residential schools and this ground penetrating radar stuff,91裸聊视频� Goddard said, referring to searches for possible unmarked graves being undertaken at many former residential school sites across Canada.

91裸聊视频淭hat was probably pretty high-tech at that time and I said, 91裸聊视频榳ell they91裸聊视频檙e there, they91裸聊视频檙e at peace,91裸聊视频� he said.

91裸聊视频淢aybe we leave it at that.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频擝ill Graveland, The Canadian Press