Dan George
Chief
Dan George (
July 24,
1899–
September 23,
1981) was a chief of the
Tsleil-Waututh, a
Salish First Nations people located in
Burrard Inlet,
British Columbia. Chief George was also a notable
actor.
He was born
Geswanouth Slahoot on a
First Nations reserve in
North Vancouver in 1899. His English name was
Dan Slaholt. His last name was changed to George when he entered a
residential school at the age of 5. He worked at a number of different jobs including
longshoreman, construction worker and school bus driver. He was chief of the Tsleil-Waututh from
1951 to
1963.
When he was over 60, he got his first job acting in a
CBC television series,
Cariboo Country, in 1960, an the character "Ol' Antoine" (pron. An-twine). He performed the same role in a
Walt Disney Studios movie,
Smith!, adapted from an episode in this series (based on
Breaking Smith's Quarter Horse, a novella by
Paul St. Pierre. At the age of 71, he won several awards for his role in the film
Little Big Man, including a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He continued to act in other movies, such as
The Outlaw Josey Wales and
Harry and Tonto, and on television, including the miniseries
Centennial, based on the book by
James A. Michener.
He performed the role of Rita Joe's father in
George Ryga's stage play,
The Ecstasy of Rita Joe, in performances held in Vancouver, the
National Arts Centre in
Ottawa and
Washington.
During his acting career, Chief Dan George also worked to promote better understanding by non-aboriginals of First Nations people. His soliloquy,
Lament for Confederation, a riveting indictment of the appropriation of native territory by white colonialism, was performed at the city of Vancouver's celebration of the Canadian centennial in
1967; this speech is credited with escalating native political activism in Canada as well as touching off widespread pro-native sentiment among non-natives. In
1971, he was made an Officer of the
Order of Canada.
He died in
Vancouver in 1981.
My Heart Soars (ISBN 0-88839-231-1)
My Spirit Soars (ISBN 0-88839-233-8)
You Call Me Chief: Impressions of the Life of Chief Dan George (with Hilda Mortimer) (ISBN 0-38504-806-8)
Lee Maracle (Grand-daughter) - poet/author/activist/professor
Columpa Bobb (Great-grand-daughter) - actor/poet
Chief Dan George Middle School in Abbotsford, BC. Known as "The Wolves".
*
Lament for Confederation*
Chief Dan George at
Find A Grave
