Posted: Jul 15, 2021 7:20 PM AT | Last Updated: July 15
Bert Knockwood (left) with his father Doug in April 2016(Bert Knockwood/Facebook)
"Meskay nitap" are among the words that have been circulating in social media posts made by Bert Knockwood's loved ones since his death earlier this week.
It means "I'm sorry, my friend" in Mi'kmaw.
The 42-year-old man was found dead in a home in Millbrook, N.S., on July 12. Two days later, police ruled his death a homicide.
Knockwood was from Nova Scotia's Sipekne'katik First Nation and did not live an easy life.
He lost his mother and sister at a young age and his father, Doug Knockwood — a respected Mi'kmaw elder — struggled with the scars left from being forced to attend a residential school. His father died in 2018.