Chief Dan George (born Geswanouth Slahoot; July 24, 1899 – September 23, 1981) was a chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, a

Coast Salish The Coast Salish is a group of ethnically and linguistically related Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, living in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. They speak one of the Coa ...

band whose

Indian reserve In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." Ind ...

is located on

Burrard Inlet french: Baie Burrard , image = Burrard Inlet 201807.jpg , image_size = 250px , alt = , caption = Aerial view of Burrard Inlet , image_bathymetry = Burrard-Inlet-map-en.svg , alt_bathymetry ...

in the southeast area of the District of North Vancouver,

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, Canada. He also was an actor, musician, poet and an author. The Chief's best-known written work is "My Heart Soars". As an actor, he is best remembered for portraying Old Lodge Skins opposite

Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is ...

in ''

Little Big Man Little Big Man ( Lakota: Wičháša Tȟáŋkala), or Charging Bear, was an Oglala Lakota, or Oglala Sioux, who was a fearless and respected warrior who fought under, and was distant cousin to, Crazy Horse ("His-Horse-Is-Crazy"). He opposed the 186 ...

'' (1970), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and for his role in ''

The Outlaw Josey Wales ''The Outlaw Josey Wales'' is a 1976 American Revisionist Western film set during and after the American Civil War. It was directed by and starred Clint Eastwood (as Josey Wales), with Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, Sam Bottoms, and Geraldi ...

'' (1976), as Lone Watie, opposite Clint Eastwood.

Early years

Born as Geswanouth Slahoot in North Vancouver,Christine Armstrong,
Hidden in plain sight: contributions of Aboriginal peoples to Canadian Identity and Culture
', 2005: Univ. of Toronto Press, p. 14. . Accessed October 13, 2015. his English name was originally Dan Slaholt. The surname was changed to George when he entered a residential school at age 5. He worked at a number of different jobs, including as a

longshoreman A stevedore (), also called a longshoreman, a docker or a dockworker, is a waterfront manual laborer who is involved in loading and unloading ships, trucks, trains or airplanes. After the shipping container revolution of the 1960s, the number o ...

, construction worker, and school bus driver, and was band chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation from 1951 to 1963 (then called the Burrard Indian Band).

Acting career

1960–1970: Early roles and breakthrough

In 1960, when he was already 60 years old, he landed his first acting job in a

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...

series, ''

Cariboo Country The Cariboo is an intermontane region of British Columbia, Canada, centered on a plateau stretching from Fraser Canyon to the Cariboo Mountains. The name is a reference to the caribou that were once abundant in the region. The Cariboo was th ...

'', as the character Ol' Antoine (pron. "Antwine"). He performed the same role in a Walt Disney Studios film''

Smith! ''Smith!'' is a 1969 American Western film made by Walt Disney Productions, directed by Michael O'Herlihy, and starring Glenn Ford. Plot Native American Jimmyboy flees to a ranch owned by Smith, a white man raised by a Native American. Jimmyb ...

'' (1969), adapted from an episode in the series ''

The High Chaparral ''The High Chaparral'' television series, which was broadcast on NBC from 1967 to 1971, is an American Western action adventure drama set in the 1870s. It stars Leif Erickson and Cameron Mitchell. The series was made by Xanadu Productions ...

'' (the episode in turn being based on ''Breaking Smith's Quarter Horse'', a novella by

Paul St. Pierre Paul St. Pierre (October 14, 1923 – July 27, 2014) was a journalist and author in British Columbia, Canada. He was the Member of Parliament for the riding of Coast Chilcotin from 1968-1972. He was defeated in the 1972 election by New Demo ...

). At age 71, he received several honors for his role in the film ''

'' (1970), including a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

1971–1981: Subsequent success

He played the role of Rita Joe's father in

George Ryga George Ryga (27 July 1932 – 18 November 1987) was a Canadian playwright, actor and novelist. His writings explored the experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada, among other themes. His most famous work is ''The Ecstasy of Rita Joe''. E ...

's stage play, ''

The Ecstasy of Rita Joe ''The Ecstasy of Rita Joe'' is a drama by George Ryga. The play, in two acts, premiered at the Vancouver Playhouse, November 23, 1967. It was directed by George Bloomfield. The play has an important place in the history of modern Canadian theat ...

'', in performances at

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, the

National Arts Centre The National Arts Centre (NAC) (french: Centre national des Arts) is a performing arts organisation in Ottawa, Ontario, along the Rideau Canal. It is based in the eponymous National Arts Centre building. History The NAC was one of a number of ...

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, and

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

In 1972, he was among the guests in the

television special A television special (often TV special, or rarely television spectacular) is a standalone television show which may also temporarily interrupt episodic programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Some specials provide a full range of ent ...

'' The Special London Bridge Special''. That same year he acted in the film ''

Cancel My Reservation ''Cancel My Reservation'' is a 1972 American comedy film starring Bob Hope and Eva Marie Saint, and directed by Paul Bogart. The movie was Bob Hope's last of over 50 theatrical features as leading man, a screen run begun in 1938. It was also Eva ...

,'' and got the recurring role of Chief Moses Charlie in the

comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

series ''

The Beachcombers ''The Beachcombers'' is a Canadian comedy-drama television series that ran on CBC Television from October 1, 1972, to December 12, 1990. With over 350 episodes, it is one of the longest-running dramatic series ever made for English-language Canad ...

'', a role he would revisit until his death in 1981. In 1973, he played the role of "Ancient Warrior" in an episode of the TV show ''

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to commo ...

.'' That same year George recorded "My Blue Heaven" with the band Fireweed, with "Indian Prayer" on the reverse. His album, ''Chief Dan George & Fireweed – In Circle'', was released in 1974 comprising these songs and seven others. The following year he had roles in ''

Alien Thunder ''Alien Thunder'' (also known as ''Dan Candy's Law'') is a 1974 Canadian Northern film directed by Claude Fournier and starring Donald Sutherland. Its original screenplay was written by W.O. Mitchell but Mitchell removed his name from the fi ...

'' (1974), ''

The Bears and I ''The Bears and I'' is a 1974 American drama film directed by Bernard McEveety and written by John Whedon. The film stars Patrick Wayne, Chief Dan George, Andrew Duggan, Michael Ansara and Robert Pine. The film was released on July 31, 1974, by ...

'' (1974), and ''

Harry and Tonto ''Harry and Tonto'' is a 1974 road movie written by Paul Mazursky and Josh Greenfeld and directed by Mazursky. It features Art Carney as Harry in an Oscar-winning performance. Tonto is his pet cat. Plot Harry Coombes (Art Carney) is an elderly ...

'' (1974). In 1975, he portrayed the character Chief Stillwater in the "Showdown at Times Square" episode in

Season 6 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...

of '' McCloud''. Josey Wales publicity

In 1976 he was hired to act in ''

,'' and ''

Shadow of the Hawk ''Shadow of the Hawk'' is a 1976 American-Canadian horror film directed by George McCowan and written by Norman Thaddeus Vane and Herbert Wright. The film stars Jan-Michael Vincent, Marilyn Hassett, Chief Dan George, Pia Shandel, Marianne Jo ...

.'' On television the following year he had role in the 1978 miniseries ''

Centennial {{other uses, Centennial (disambiguation), Centenary (disambiguation) A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years. Notable events Notable centennial events at ...

'', based on the book by James A. Michener. In 1979, he acted in '' Americathon'' and '' Spirit of the Wind''. In 1980 he had his final film role in '' Nothing Personal.''

1984: Posthumous written work

George was well known for his poetic writing style and in 1974, George wrote ''My Heart Soars'' followed by ''My Spirit Soars'' in 1983, both published by Hancock House Publishers. The two books were later combined to form ''The Best of Chief Dan George'' which went on to become a best seller and continues to sell well today. One of his better known pieces of poetry ''A Lament for Confederation'' has become one of his most widely known works.

Death

The Chief died at the Lion's Gate Hospital in North Vancouver in 1981 at the age of 82. He was

interred Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

at Burrard Cemetery.

Personal life

Dan George's granddaughter

Lee Maracle Bobbi Lee Maracle (born Marguerite Aline Carter; July 2, 1950November 11, 2021) was an Indigenous Canadian writer and academic of the Stó꞉lō nation. Born in North Vancouver, British Columbia, she left formal education after grade 8 to tr ...

was a poet, author, activist, and professor.Lee Maracle
The Canadian Encyclopedia, Retrieved April 14, 2016 His granddaughter

Charlene Aleck Charlene Aleck (born August 10, 1969) is a Canadian actress and former First Nations councillor in British Columbia. Aleck was born in Vancouver, British Columbia to Joe Aleck and Irene Hilary George and grew up in Mission, British Columbia. A ...

is an actress who performed for 18 years on ''

'' on CBC. His great-granddaughter

Columpa Bobb Columpa C. Bobb (born 1971) is a Canadian photographer, actress, playwright, poet and teacher of Coastal Salish descent. She has been performing, writing plays, and teaching for 20 years. Career Bobb, who is originally from Vancouver, has writ ...

is an actress and poet. Chief Dan George's grand-nephew, Chief Jesse "Nighthawk" George, currently resides in Chesapeake, Virginia, and is the Inter-Tribal Peace Chief for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Activism

During his acting career, he worked to promote better understanding by non-aboriginals of the

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

people. His soliloquy, ''Lament for Confederation'', an indictment of the appropriation of native territory by European

colonialism Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...

, was performed at the City of Vancouver's celebration of the

Canadian centennial The Canadian Centennial was a yearlong celebration held in 1967 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation. Celebrations in Canada occurred throughout the year but culminated on Dominion Day, July 1, 1967. Commemorative coins ...

in 1967. This speech is credited with escalating native political activism in Canada and touching off widespread pro-native sentiment among non-natives.

Accolades

Chief Dan George received the following accolades for

Little Big Man (film) ''Little Big Man'' is a 1970 American Western film directed by Arthur Penn and based on the 1964 novel '' Little Big Man'' by Thomas Berger. While broadly categorized as a western, or an epic, the film encompasses several literary/film gen ...

Honors and legacy

Chief Dan George's star on Granville Avenue, Vancouver, BC

In 1971, George was made an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

. He was included on the Golden Rule Poster under "Native Spirituality" with the quote: "We are as much alive as we keep the earth alive". Canadian actor

Donald Sutherland Donald McNichol Sutherland (born 17 July 1935) is a Canadian actor whose film career spans over six decades. He has been nominated for nine Golden Globe Awards, winning two for his performances in the television films '' Citizen X'' (1995) a ...

narrated the following quote from his poem "My Heart Soars" in the opening ceremonies of the

2010 Winter Olympics )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...

. :''The beauty of the trees,'' :''the softness of the air,'' :''the fragrance of the grass,'' :''speaks to me.'' :''And my heart soars.''

Legacy

* Chief Dan George Middle School in

Abbotsford, British Columbia Abbotsford is a city located in British Columbia, adjacent to the Canada–United States border, Greater Vancouver and the Fraser River. With an estimated population of 153,524 people it is the largest municipality in the province outside metrop ...

* Chief Dan George Public School in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

* Chief Dan George Theatre, Phoenix Theatre,

University of Victoria The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The university traces its roots to Victoria College, the first post-secondary insti ...

, British Columbia In 2008

Canada Post Canada Post Corporation (french: Société canadienne des postes), trading as Canada Post (french: Postes Canada), is a Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the opera ...

issued a postage stamp in its "Canadians in Hollywood" series featuring Chief Dan George.

Filmography

Written works

* George, Dan, and Helmut Hirnschall. ''My Heart Soars''. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin, 1974. * George, Dan, and Helmut Hirnschall. ''My Spirit Soars''. Surrey, B.C., Canada: Hancock House, 1982. * Mortimer, Hilda, and Dan George. ''You Call Me Chief: Impressions of the Life of Chief Dan George''. Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 1981. * George, Dan, and Helmut Hirnschall.
The Best of Chief Dan George
'. Surrey, B.C.
Hancock House
2003.

References

External links

*
Chief Dan George
on CBC TV's ''Telescope'', 1971 * {{DEFAULTSORT:George, Chief Dan 1899 births 1981 deaths 20th-century Canadian male actors 20th-century Canadian poets 20th-century First Nations writers Articles containing video clips Canadian male film actors Canadian male poets Canadian male television actors First Nations male actors First Nations poets Indigenous leaders in British Columbia Industrial Workers of the World members Male Western (genre) film actors Male actors from Vancouver Officers of the Order of Canada People from North Vancouver Tsleil-Waututh First Nation