first nations at the Calgary Stampede

The origins of the amazing relationship that exists between the five tribes of Treaty 7 and the Calgary Stampede dates all the way back to 1912 when Guy Weadick, creator and organizer of the very first Calgary Stampede, requested that First Nations be a part of the celebration.

In 1912, 1,800 First Nations people participated in the Calgary Stampede, leading the parade, competing in the rodeo and camping in the first informal Indian Village. Kainai cowboy Tom Three Persons was the first person to successfully ride outlaw horse Cyclone and was proclaimed “World Champion Cowboy.”

“The 1912 Calgary Stampede played an important role in supporting First Nations to preserve, protect and retain their culture,” says Reg Crowshoe, Piikani Nation Elder and tipi owner. “This culture almost disappeared after the signing of Treaty 7 in 1877. Participation in the 1912 Calgary Stampede represents a significant moment for the Treaty 7 Nations.”

At the time however, the issue was somewhat contentious. For the federal government’s Indian Department, First Nation participation in fairs contrasted attempts to promote farming and for First Nation people to give up their practices of the past. In fact, the Department sent a notice to southern Alberta agents to inform them that First Nations should not take part in the Calgary Stampede.

Weadick however turned to political influences in order to obtain First Nation participation in the celebration. The tactic worked and shortly before the event, the surperintendent-general of Indian Department announced that the government would actively assist in bringing First Nations to the Calgary Stampede.

Today, First Nations participation and representation in all aspects of the Calgary Stampede remains one of its most unique components.

“It’s an opportunity to experience the culture of Treaty 7 First Nations - a culture that has survived for centuries,” says Jayne Nicholson, park development native programming coordinator, Calgary Stampede. “For a lot of folks, it’s a culture they’ve never had a chance to experience or learn about.”

One hundred years later, the Calgary Stampede is honored to have the First Nation of Treaty 7 participate in the Centennial Stampede. In honour of the Centennial relationship between Treaty 7 First Nations and the Calgary Stampede, the Chiefs of Treaty 7 have been named Honorary Parade Marshals.


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