Peigan elder recalls legends of Lonefighters

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Elder Eddie Bad Eagle Sr. is now in his twilight years but his memory of the Lonefighters Society hasn't diminished in the least.

Through interpreter Peter Stikes With A Gun he talked about decades old memories of the Lonefighters Society as if it was only yesterday.

Sitting on the original site of the Lonefighters' clan on the Peigan reserve, Bad Eagle recalled that the clan took ownership of the area many years ago.

He said they were led at that time by Brings Down The Sun and that the clan had quite a number of members.

Brings Fown The Sun and another leader called Three Eagles were able to carry out Lonefighters' tasks through visions, Bad Eagle said.

He said the Lonefighters carried strength by leadership because they had courage when protecting the Peigan Nation in war.

Bad Eagle told a story to prove the strength of the Lonefighters.

"One time the Lonefighters were surrounded by another tribe. The enemy had built fires around them to prevent the Lonefighters from escaping. So they approached the spiritual leader of the society to find out what they should do.

"The spiritual leader held a sundance so he would transfer into a buffalo. He transferred into a buffalo and by doing this, he was able to show the Lonefighters an escape rout. They escaped," Bad Eagle said.

Bad Eagle told another story of Lonefighter strength.

"In the 1920s some members of the clan were victims of a massive flood, which covered this whole area we're in," he said.

"These Lonefighters were caught on an island for many months but they survived by chewing the bark off trees.

"'Then another Lonefighter wandering by saw his people waving from the island and they were saved without any loss of life."

"It indicated the type of strength the Lonefighters Society had to survive during times of difficulty," Bad Eagle explained.

In order for the Lonefighers Society to maintain their strength, they held many sacred ceremonies.

Bad Eagle was a teenager that time. And Mrs. Charles Crow Eagle was there," he said.

Bad Eagle said the Lonefighters played a very distinguished role with the Brave Dog Society of the Blood Indians.

"Tomescape was a Brave Dog leader and Pat Bad Eagle was a carrier of the Eagle staff for the Lonefighers.

"Tomescape was the owner of a race horse called Tom Tom and Pat had a horse called Blue Spotted Paint."

"These two were leaders and demonstrated their leadership role many times at sundances and other ceremonies that took place across the river," Bad Eagle said, pointing towards the Oldman River.

"Then in their leadership role Tomescape's race horse was transferred to a Lonefighter named Goodrider and Bad Eagle's horse was given to First Charger from the Blood Nation.

"So the Lonefighters society had a very distinguished role with other societies as well," said Bad Eagle.