| Chief Dan George | |
| Birthdate: | 24 July 1899 |
| Website: | http://www.thegoldweb.com/voices/chiefge |
| Category: | Movies |
B.C is rich in native culture and it wouldn’t be right not to share some of this with you. I am sure you will all remember this son of British Columbia, Chief Dan George
Geswanouth Slahoot was born July 24, 1899 on the Burrard reserve in North Vancouver.
He went by the name Dan Slahoot, the English version of his childhood nickname, Teswahno, until he went to St. Paul’s boarding school at the age of five.
There, where the students weren’t allowed to speak their Native languages, they changed his name to Dan George, taking his new surname from his father’s English name, George.
He became Chief Dan George in 1951 when he took over as chief of the Burrard band from his father.
He continued in that role until 1963, when his acting career began.
Chief Dan George was made honorary chief of two other bands, the Squamish and Shuswap.
He first came to prominence in a supporting role as the Indian who adopts
Dustin Hoffman in Arthur Penn’s Little Big Man (1970); for which he received an Academy Award nomination.
Dan also played the Old Sioux in the TV miniseries epic, “Centennial” (1978).
He did a hilarious turn as Clint Eastwood’s bumbling traveling companion in “The Outlaw Josey Wales” (1976).
In addition to feature films, Chief Dan George has also guest starred on many TV shows, including “The Incredible Hulk”, “Bonanza”, and “The Beachcombers”.
His success, and the celebrity that came with it, made George’s life busier, but there were few outward signs that he had become a Hollywood star.
He continued to live on the reserve in the same little house he had built for his wife and six children.
George’s determination to use his celebrity to benefit Native people was demonstrated on Canada Day, 1967, as the country celebrated its centennial.
On that day, George stood on the stage of the Empire Stadium in Vancouver in front of 35,000 people and, accompanied by his family who drummed and chanted, he performed his soliloquy, Lament for Confederation.
Chief Dan George died on Sept. 23, 1981 at the age of 82
Resume:
In 1971, George was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.
In 1971 he recieved the Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Little Big Man.
His books include:
“My Heart Soars”
“You call Me Chief: Impressions of the Life of Chief Dan George”
“Hilda Mortimer with Chief Dan George”
Chief Dan George warms my heart in reading his bio online and seeing him in The Outlaw Josey Wales. Reading some of his writings and speeches online speak into the depth of my being. I cried as if loosing an old good friend and father that he is gone. (He reminds me so very much of my own father in looks, mannerisms and in his dry humor and history story telling as part of his character in Clint Eastwood’s film). My own father, Herman George M., a white haired old man of 82 with dark bushy eyebrows and michevious eyes, loved the Native Peoples. He was known as Unaka (Whiteman), the name the Cherekee gave to him. I imagine them chuming abit in the hereafter. I hope and pray I will meet “the Thunder that rolls across the Land up from the Water” there one day. When you reflect upon his life, it’s clear that Chief Dan George sure lived up to his name!
By: Nancy on April 22, 2010
at 3:43 am
I appreciate your comments on chief Dan George and I wish I had had the good fortune to have met him. but that was my way of paying my respects. Many thanks Nancy
By: cherylyoung on April 22, 2010
at 4:01 am
I most certainly will and any comments or suggeswtions you may have regarding the blog are greatly appreciated. I am not from here so I rely on the internet for a lot of my resouces.
By: cherylyoung on April 22, 2010
at 4:04 am
i know…….his poems are bEuTiFuL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i love all of his poems !
By: Star-Dancer05 on June 4, 2010
at 3:05 am
I submitted my respects paid to Chief Dan George before checking below to notify me of follow-up comments and new posts. Would ya please? Thanks!
By: Nancy on April 22, 2010
at 3:46 am
When my mom was 9 or 10 years old she met Chief Dan George and he was pretty old then and in my class we are learning about Firist Nations and how they live and so on…..But i love Chief Dan George’s poems…… their AWESOME !
By: Star-Dancer05 on May 7, 2010
at 3:25 am
well….Chief Dan George has lots of poems and i think this is one of them……Did The Eagle Leave Me In Sorrow or something like that……has has great poems……their AWESOME!
By: Star-Dancer05 on May 10, 2010
at 3:53 am
i love that poem that Chief Dan George did, its called, Have I Left The Eagle Soar In Freedom or There Is A Longing…..they are all such beutiful poems…..all of his poems are beutiful!
By: Star-Dancer05 on June 4, 2010
at 3:02 am
My uncle Phillip Keatley, took Chief Dan to the Academy Awards – nominated for Little Big Man. As a result, My uncle was Honorarily ‘adopted’ into the Burrard Band and given a talking stick by the Chief. I always remember seeing the carved stick at my Aunt and Uncles. Very Special Memory.
I also love his poetry!!!!
By: Kathryn Grant on November 20, 2010
at 10:25 pm