Gordon Tootoosis

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Gordon Tootoosis
CM
Tootoosis in the 1970s
Born(1941-10-25)October 25, 1941
Poundmaker Reserve, Saskatchewan, Canada
DiedJuly 5, 2011(2011-07-05) (aged 69)
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Resting placePoundmaker Reserve, Saskatchewan
OccupationActor
Years active1974–2011
Spouse
Irene Seseequasis
​
(m. 1965)​
Children6

Gordon Tootoosis,

Boog and Elliot's Midnight Bun Run
, Tootoosis was the voice of Sheriff Gordy.

He was awarded membership in the Order of Canada on October 29, 2004.[2] The investiture ceremony took place on September 9, 2005. His citation recognizes him as an inspirational role model for Aboriginal youth. It notes that as a veteran actor, he portrayed memorable characters in movie and television productions in Canada and the United States.[2]

Career

His first acting role was in the film

Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet series 3 (2002). Tootoosis appeared in the CBC Television mini-series By Way of the Stars with Eric Schweig as Black Thunder and Tantoo Cardinal as Franoise. He appeared in the award-winning movie Legends of the Fall (1994), and starred with Russell Means in Disney's Pocahontas (1995) and Song of Hiawatha (1997). In 1999, he and Tantoo Cardinal became founding members of the board of directors of the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company. In 2011, he appeared in Gordon Winter at the Persephone Theatre in Saskatoon and Prairie Scene in Ottawa, his first stage role in 15 years.[3]

Tootoosis won a

Wapos Bay: The Series
 and was nominated twice for his work on North of 60.

Personal life and death

Tootoosis was raised with his 13 siblings in the Plains Cree tradition until he was forced from his home; taking indigenous children away from their communities and into residential schools was Canadian government policy at the time. Tootoosis was placed in a Catholic

Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN). Gordon himself served as the chief of his band and as a vice-president of FSIN. Tootoosis married Irene Seseequasis in 1965. They had three daughters, Glynis, Alanna and Disa, three sons, Lee, Winston Bear, and Clint. After their daughter Glynnis died of cancer in 1997, they took the responsibility of raising her four children in Saskatoon.[4]

Tootoosis died on July 5, 2011, aged 69, after being hospitalized for pneumonia at St. Paul's Hospital in Saskatoon.[5][6] His funeral and interment were held on the Poundmaker Cree Nation Reserve in Cut Knife.[7] In 2015, the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company changed its name to the Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre Company in honour of Tootoosis.

Selected filmography

  • Alien Thunder (1974) as Almighty Voice
  • Marie-Anne (1978) as Chief Many Horses
  • The Mad Trapper (1978)
  • Red Serge (1986, TV Series) as Sioux Chief / Chief Mighty Buffalo
  • Stone Fox (1987, TV Movie) as Stone Fox
  • Airwolf (1987, TV Series) as Charlie Rising Moon
  • MacGyver (1988-1991, TV Series) as Phil Crow / Perry
  • Friday the 13th: The Series (1989, TV Series) as Spotted Owl
  • Black Robe (1991) as Old Aenons
  • Leaving Normal (1992) as Hank Amaruk
  • Call of the Wild (1992, TV Movie) as Charlie
  • By Way of the Stars (1992-1993, TV Mini-Series) as The Cree Chief
  • The Spirit Rider (1993) Film “ as Joe Moon
  • North of 60 (1992-1997, TV series) as Albert Golo
  • Northern Exposure (1993, TV Series) as Ed's father, Pete
  • Hawkeye
     (1994, TV Series) as Ravenoak
  • Lonesome Dove: The Series (1994, TV Series) as Indian John
  • Legends of the Fall (1994) as One Stab
  • 500 Nations (1995, TV Mini-Series) (voice)
  • Chief Powhatan
  • Pocahontas (1995) as Kekata (voice)
  • The X-Files (1996, TV Series) as Shaman
  • Lone Star (1996) as Wesley Birdsong
  • Crazy Horse (1996, TV Movie) as Akicita
  • Alaska (1996) as Ben Quincy General Store
  • Coyote Summer (1996) as Mopeah
  • Four Directions: A Canoe for the Making
     (1996, TV Series)
  • Keeping the Promise (1997, TV Movie) as Chief Saknis
  • The Edge (1997) as Jack Hawk
  • Song of Hiawatha (1997) as Iagoo
  • Forgotten Warriors (1997, Short documentary) as Narrator
  • The Gift of the Grandfathers (1997, TV Short documentary) as Narrator
  • The Magnificent Seven (1998, TV Series) as Chief Ko-Je
  • Que la lumière soit
     (1998) as Indian God
  • Due South (1998, TV Series) as Tom Quinn
  • Dead Man's Gun (1998, TV Series) as Charlie Three Claws
  • Big Bear (1998, TV Mini-Series) as Chief Big Bear
  • Lakota Moon (1999, TV Movie) as Rolling Thunder
  • Reindeer Games (2000) as Old Governor
  • Bear with Me (2000) as John Ours
  • Nobody's Baby (2001) as Dog Havasu
  • Zoe (2001) as Red Shirt
  • The Doe Boy (2001) as Marvin
  • Dream Storm: A North of 60 Mystery (2001, TV Movie) as Albert Golo
  • Christmas at Wapos Bay (2002) as Mushom
  • Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (2002, TV Series) as Joe Saugus
  • Black Point (2002) as Standing Bear
  • Now & Forever (2002) as Ghost Fox
  • Smallville (2002-2004, TV Series) as Joseph Willowbrook
  • On the Corner (2003) as Floyd
  • Dreamkeeper (2003, TV Movie) as Kills Enemy
  • Moccasin Flats (2003-2006, TV Series) as Joe Redsky
  • Seven Times Lucky (2004) as Mr. Five Wounds
  • The Making of 'DreamKeeper' (2004, Video documentary short) as Himself
  • Hank Williams First Nation (2005) as Adelard Fox
  • Into the West (2005, TV Mini-Series) as Growling Bear
  • Fugitives Run (2005) as Dan John
  • Shania: A Life in Eight Albums (2005, TV Movie) as Greey Twain
  • Shoebox Zoo (2005, TV Series) as Nathaniel Stonebear
  • The Spirit of Norway House (2005, TV Movie documentary) as Narrator
  • Wapos Bay: The Series
     (2005–2010, TV Series) as Mushom (voice)
  • Dream Makers (2006, Documentary) as Himself
  • That Beautiful Somewhere (2006) as Harold
  • Open Season (2006) as Sheriff Gordy (voice)
  • Boog and Elliot's Midnight Bun Run
     (2006, Video short) as Sheriff Gordy (voice)
  • Mr. Soul (2006) as Clifford
  • Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007, TV Movie) as Red Cloud
  • Out in the Cold (2008, Short) as Soft as Snow
  • Blackstone (2009-2011, TV Series) as Cecil Delaronde
  • For Love of Liberty: The Story of America's Black Patriots (2010, TV Movie documentary) (voice)
  • Doomsday Prophecy (2011, TV Movie) as John
  • Wapos Bay: Long Goodbyes (2011) as Mushom
  • Guns, Girls and Gambling (2012) as The Chief (final film role)

See also

  • John Tootoosis
  • National Indian Brotherhood
  • Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations

References

  1. ^ a b c Wise, Wyndham. "Gordon Tootoosis". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 2018-11-16. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  2. ^ a b c "Gordon Tootoosis, C.M." Order of Canada. Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  3. ^ Fuller, Cam (July 7, 2011). "Tootoosis remembered for arts, spirituality and public service". Vancouver Sun. Postmedia Network. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  4. ISBN 978-1-933316-76-5
    .
  5. The Vancouver Sun. Postmedia Network. Archived from the original
    on July 9, 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  6. ^ "Actor Gordon Tootoosis dies: family". CBC News. July 5, 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  7. ^ "Actor Gordon Tootoosis funeral held on home reserve". CBC.ca. 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2011-07-09.

External links

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