Roy Little Chief
Roy Little Chief (August 26, 1938 – June 11, 2020) was a Canadian
Biography
Roy Little Chief was born in the Blackfoot Hospital on the Siksika Nation of southern Alberta on August 26, 1938.[1][2] His maternal grandfather, Eagle Rib, another former Siksika Nation Chief, had signed Treaty 7 in 1877.[1][2] Little Chief attended residential schools at Crowfoot-Blackfoot and Erminskin-Hobbema, as well as St. Thomas College in North Battleford, Saskatchewan.[1]
He began working with the
Little Chief served on several boards and committees during his career, including the first Calgary Aboriginal Urban Affairs Committee, the National Anti Poverty Organization, and the Calgary Urban Treaty Alliance, which he also co-founded.[2] Notably, he was a member of the National Residential School Survivors Society, which successfully lobbied for reparations for the survivors of the Canadian Indian residential school system and the creation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.[1][2]
Little Chief was also involved in Siksika Nation politics. He was first elected to the Siksika Nation Council in a special by-election.[1] He was then elected Chief of the Siksika Nation from 1981 to 1983.[1] He later served as the chair of the Siksika police commission.[1]
Additionally, Little Chief was a founding member of the Blackfoot A1 Drum Group, which performed at powwows and other cultural events throughout Canada and the United States.[1]
In 2002, Roy Little Chief was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal for his activism on behalf of Canadian First Nations.[1]
Roy Little Chief died at Peter Lougheed Centre hospital in Calgary, Alberta, on June 11, 2020, at the age of 81, following months of declining health.[1][2] He was survived by his wife, Linda Little Chief (Cheechoo), their six children, several grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.[1] His memorial service was held at the Gordon Yellow Fly Memorial Arbour on the Siksika Nation.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Babych, Stephanie (2020-06-15). "Siksika elder and well-known activist for Indigenous communities dies". Calgary Herald. Archived from the original on 2020-06-23. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Roy Little Chief, Siksika politician and advocate for Indigenous rights, dead at 81". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2020-06-14. Archived from the original on 2020-06-17. Retrieved 2020-06-23.