A Galileo Educational Network Site
Stoney Nakoda First Nation is a Nation of approximately 5,000 people. Follow the links and find out what these elders and cultural advisors have to say; for the children, for the future…
Dandy Amos
Dandy also shared his grandfather’s caution to him. He was told not to go to school every day, in fear of losing his own Stoney language and culture.
David Bearspaw Sr.
David Bearspaw Sr. is a Calgary Stampede tipi holder and a traditional dancer. He visited Chief Jacob Bearspaw School to visit with students and recalled wild horse expeditions over the years. He impressed upon students the importance of respecting horses.
David Bearspaw speaks about the early days, when Stoneys first got involved in capturing wild horses. It wasn’t easy to locate where they roamed so they had expeditions, where David was one of the lucky ones to capture these wild horses.
Georgie Chiniquay
Sam and Annie Ear
Sam Ear talks about the difficult time he had in school, which led him to missing a lot of it and still needing an interpreter today.
Sam and Annie met when he was fifteen years old and had kids soon after that. Sam worked for the next seventeen years to support his family.
Sam tells a story about going hunting with his brother and father, where they saw a lot of wild horses. Their father told the boys that when people go camping, they lose their horses and those horses must still be out there.
Gilbert Francis
Henry Holloway
Henry and Sykes talk about growing up as horsemen and share their experiences with wild horses.
When they were young, they were called blackbirds. They took care of the horses and in turn, the horses took care of them.
Henry tells a story about when he traveled around many countries and was sponsored to promote world peace around the world.
Dale House
Dale House is seen here holding a photo of his father which you will see hanging on the wall at Nakoda Lodge.
In 1948, Dale was born and raised in the northern country. He went to school since he was seven years old up until he was sixteen years old. While he was growing up, his parents and grandparents taught him how important horses were. They used them for hunting, to transport items, and to chase wild ponies.
Elijah Jeffrey Hunter
Roy Hunter
Cassie Lefthand
Cassie Lefthand Biography (English)
Cassie recalls her grandfather’s story, where he came across a herd of wild horses. Before that, within the Stoney territory, there were hardly any horses around and everything was done by foot. Over time, they noticed herds of horses up in the mountains and from then on, wild horses became a big part of the Stoney culture.
Cassie Lefthand Biography and Story – Part 1 (in Stoney)
Back in her earlier days, one of her brothers was very good at catching horses and in turn, she became very good at it, too. The majority of them were very wild but there were always one or two horses that could be captured.
Cassie Lefthand Biography and Story – Part 2 (in Stoney)
John Mark
Arthur Wildman, Henry Holloway, William Arthur Two Young Men, John Mark, and Sykes Powderface
John Mark is a Calgary Stampede tipi holder. He talks about his family and Stoney Nakoda traditional relationship with the land and with horses.
John Mark said, “Make sure you have the mountains in the picture because they are our home.” Then commented with a grin, “yes I guess I am the tallest”…
John Mark speaks about his life in stoney, while Sykes Powderface translates his story.
Bill McLean
A student asks, “Where did the first horses come from?” Bill McLean talks about the coming of the first horses and how they replaced dogs to carry loads.
Van Poucette
Corleigh Powderface
Sykes Powderface
In the following videos, Sykes and Henry Holloway talk about their experiences with Wild Horses.
When they were young, they were called blackbirds. They took care of the horses and in turn, the horses took care of them.
Charlie Rabbit
Irvine Rabbit
May Rollinmud
Michael Simeon
Hank Snow
Hank Snow introduces Wild and Free for the official website launch.
Wallace Snow
Just when he was going to learn his culture and language well, Wallace was put into residential school and was there for about 10 years. Then he was kicked out and wasn’t able to get an education.
He worked with a friend, named John Laurie, who taught him how to speak and write in English. After that, John taught Wallace to be a politician. He became one of the founders of the Indian Association of Alberta, writing resolutions and going to meetings.
Wallace was a counselor for two terms and even after being nominated the third time, he declined so an older candidate could be counselor. In 1956, he was central vice president of an Indian association. His dad and brother were chiefs so he belonged to a political family.
Wallace Snow speaks about chasing broken-leg, wild horses. He says we want them in the forest and in the hills because they’re used to living out there . If you buy a horse from the rancher, you won’t be able to take it there. If you take a broken-leg horse, you can ride him in a national park or in the rough.
We can pack saddles, meat, and tipis on them. Wallace used to pack them and take hunters out with them. He used broken-leg horses, wild horses, the only ones that would do.
Wallace Snow tells a story of when he was young and shares the experiences he has had with taking care of the horses while growing up.
Glen Stephens
He went to residential school in Morley and when he was 17 he took training in operating heavy equipment. For the next 15 years he worked on and off the reserve in construction. Lately, he has moved back to the reserve and works for the band.
My Dad’s Horse
Glen speaks about how reliable the horses are and how proud they are as owners. He tells a story of how helpful the horses are with transporting items and leading visitors around the camp.
Where the Wild Horses Come From
Glen tells us a story about horses. Where do they come from? Nobody knows where the horses come from but he shares a story, from a long time ago, of the Kananaskis area, where there are a ton of wild horses.
Because they are hard to find, we shouldn’t try and catch them. He expresses that these wild horses keep the wilderness going just like wild animals. They should run and be free. Wild horses are part of our life.
Alice Twoyoungmen
Raymond Clifford Twoyoungmen
William Arthur Twoyoungmen
Bill Wesley
Helen Wesley
River Crossing
Helen Wesley tells about how the wild horses know the trails and how to go safely in the wilderness.
Catching Horses
Helen Wesley tells, in Stoney, the complete story of how the wild horses were caught.
Catching Horses (translated)
Translation by Sykes Powderface
Helen tells a story about being taught to catch horses using corrals rather than simply chasing them, since they are intelligent animals. She continues to say that we have wild horses so that they can continue to work with people the way it was intended.
John Wesley
“My name is John Wesley of the Big Horn / Stoney Reserve. I was born here. I was born Aug 13, 1941. When I was a teen I always was on horseback riding the trails. I started with horse wrangling, when I was before the age of 18. Then once I hit 18 I got my guide license. Then I [became a] guide with horses.”
Gift of Horses (translated)
John Wesley tells a story in Stoney of how the horses help people. This is translated into English by Sykes Powderface.
Gift of Horses
John Wesley from the Big Horn / Stoney Reserve tells a story in Stoney that was told to him by his grandmother.
Horses Look After You
John Wesley talks about how the wisdom of the wild horses can help those who respect the horse.
Lee Jackson Wesley
Lenny Wesley
He is a residential school survivor of grade 9 or 10 and has upgraded his education through correspondence. In fact, he is the oldest one there. Lenny had to upgrade his science, writing skills, and math. There was a job opening he applied for and acquired, which was for an environmental consultant position, involving working off reserve sites and looking after traditional lands that were ancestors for thousands of years.
Lenny has been with that company for six years now. Prior to that, he has done various odd jobs, such as a housing coordinator, a school bus driver, and an entrepreneur. It was a learning process. He is now a land consultation officer, which he acquired through his upgrading, and is certified in the Alberta standard region. He has a diploma and knows how to make measurements in the field.
About 7 or 10 years ago, Lenny was a band counselor and his cousin was the chief. He informed the band where they need to be used for their knowledge. He also put in however many hours he could in a helicopter and flew for two years with a pilot, navigating, and GPS reading with coordinates, latitude, longitudes, and heights. He still has difficulties map reading but there’s always GPS for that.
Lenny thought he’d become a helicopter pilot. He went one summer and over two months, he was doing two short days throughout the week but quickly canceled that idea.
The Light Sorrel Mare’s Domain
Lenny tells a story of a domain, where there was a stallion and fifteen to twenty-five mares, which the elders named Shawnistawiatpo, The Light Sorrel Mare’s Domain. Even though the mare was elusive, smart, and cunning, his dad and his brothers trapped and cornered it.
After a bit of convincing, Glen’s father agreed to sell the mare for a lot of money. They would visit her from time to time and saw that she had a good home and was being treated well.
Arthur Doyle Wildman
Thank you to Peter Snow, Sykes Powderface, Gloria Snow and Chris Goodstoney for coordinating community members to participate in this wild horse study. If you wish to contact an elder, please contact the Stoney Tribal Administration at www.stoney-nakoda.com or Phone: 403-881-4276.
Many Stoney Nakoda ‘Holders of Traditional Knowledge’ and knowledge of horses have blessed this web resource with providing some of their wisdom through stories. This is only a beginning of sharing some of their knowledge and wisdom for educational purposes, for they know much much more… As one elder said, Traditional Knowledge does not just exist in the past. It also has an important role in the future.
