Walking Buffalo

[jeroen]

In his day, one of the best known Canadian Indians was Walking Buffalo, aka George Maclean. He spent most of his time on the Stoney reserve and lived until 1967, living close to being 100 years old.
Here are some photographs to get this thread started:

[Dietmar]

Jeroen,

thanks for starting this thread. The photos above were taken all later in Walking Buffalo´s life. At least the first four around 1941, when he was a popular figure in the Banff Indian Days.

Walking Buffalo aka George Maclean, the leader of the Bearspaw band of Stoney (Assiniboine), was educated at the Stoney residential school and named for Methodist missionary John Maclean.
Historian Hugh A. Dempsey stated that "he was so conversant with cameras that on one occasion when an amateur photographer was having trouble, he took the camera, made the necessary adjustments, and handed it back. He then resumed his pose as a stoic Indian." (see: Dempsey, "Indians of the Rocky Mountain Parks", page 39)

Here is an earlier portrait of him, dated 1927:


John Hunter (in beaded vest), George Maclean and family prepare a meal on the Stoney Reserve

... and another one when he was of old age:


Some info from the Canadian Encyclopedia:

Walking Buffalo, Tatânga Mânî, or George McLean, Stoney leader, Indian statesman, philosopher (b in Bow R Valley near Morley, Alta 20 Mar 1871; d at Banff, Alta 26 Dec 1967). Walking Buffalo was present at the signing of Treaty No 7 (1877) and became the most famous protégé of the Methodist missionaries John MCDOUGALL and John McLean. He witnessed the disappearance of the BISON, the building of the CPR and the evolution of tribal lands into provinces. Educated at the McDougall Orphanage at Morley and in Red Deer and Winnipeg, he worked briefly as a blacksmith and as a scout for the NWMP, then as an interpreter. He was councillor for the Bearspaw band of the Stoney Indians 1907-12 and chief 1912-16. Active in the Banff Indian Days and the CALGARY STAMPEDE, Walking Buffalo was a leader in the Morley United Church. Attracted to the moral rearmament movement in 1934, he was an ambassador for world peace until his death.
Author IAN A.L. GETTY
The Canadian Encyclopedia © 2009 Historica Foundation of Canada

[jeroen]

His biography, Tatanga Mani, Walking Buffalo of the Stonies, by Grant MacEwan, was published in 1969, but it is still well worth reading.
Here are some more pictures: