Community bids farewell to a Peigan Elder

Page 3 In a combination of Blackfoot and English, of Christian and Indian tradition, the two communities that Joseph Crowshoe, Sr. spent his life sharing his wisdom with joined to bid the Peigan Elder goodbye. The Peigan Nation flag flew at half-mast as about 600 people packed the Brocket Community Hall on Nov. 2. Inside, Crowshoe's tipi hung as a backdrop and his headdress was laid in front. Crowshoe passed away at his home on Oct. 29, surrounded by his family. He was 93 years old. Joe was a man of charity. He never boasted of his accomplishments, said Rev. Sidney Black, who presided over the service with Margaret Water Chief. "Joe had every right to boast, but in humility, he didn't do that. His goodness was exemplified in this way." Crowshoe's accomplishments were felt in both the Native and non-Native worlds. In his eulogy to Joseph Crowshoe, Leonard Bastien, one of Crowshoe's adopted children, told of the traditions Crowshoe helped keep and revive. In a time when the government and church made the Peigan people feel ashamed of their heritage and language, said Bastien, Joseph Crowshoe was farmer by day, but leader of the Blackfoot ways by night. "Joseph Crowshoe stays firm in my mind. He said, 'We will never be white,' and he kept the Medicine Pipe Bundle ceremony alive," said Bastien. Crowshoe, who held one of two pipe bundles necessary to perform the Sun Dance ceremony, was successful in petitioning the Provincial Museum in Alberta to return the second bundle. In 1977, the Sun Dance ceremony was reinstated after a 25-year absence in the province. Joseph and his wife Josephine led the ceremony. "He brought knowledge from our past and today it's still with us," said Bastien. "Joseph Crowshoe went above and beyond the call of duty." Crowshoe's "call" took him beyond the boundaries of the Peigan Nation. He worked to help bridge the gap that existed between the Native and non-Native cultures. It was in this work that Christine Silverberg, Calgary City police chief, was befriended by Crowshoe and his family four years ago. Indeed, the awareness and respect grew to such a point that last year Crowshoe bestowed the name of Bluebird Lady on Silverberg. He also designed a tipi for the Calgary Police Force, which was transferred in Silverberg's name. Crowshoe was also a part of annual cultural awareness camps that were held on the reserve and offered to such organizations as the Calgary City Police. "I learned from Joe one must never give up what one has, one must always stay true to oneself," said Silverberg. "He was a person who believed resilience and strength come from within. You fail only because you set up your own barriers in your mind," she said in her presentation during the service." The recognition of Crowshoe's strengths - and resilience - have been many. In 1991 he was presented with the Order of Canada. He was also a recipient of the Canadian Citation for Citizenship (1989), the Alberta Achievement Award (1989), and, along with his wife, a National Aboriginal Achievement Award (1998). He was also presented with two honorary doctorates. Crowshoe, who had been instrumental in the creation of the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre near Fort McLeod was honored by the centre. It closed its doors to the public on the day of his funeral.