Chief Dan George OC
Born	Geswanouth Slahoot (1899-07-24)July 24, 1899 Tsleil-Waututh,North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Died	September 23, 1981(1981-09-23) (aged 82) North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Occupations	Author poet actor
Years active	1951–1981
Relatives	Lee Maracle (granddaughter) Charlene Aleck (granddaughter) Joan Phillip (granddaughter) Columpa Bobb (great-granddaughter)

Chief Dan GeorgeOC (bornGeswanouth Slahoot; July 24, 1899 – September 23, 1981) was achief of theTsleil-Waututh Nation, aCoast Salish band whoseIndian reserve is located onBurrard Inlet in the southeast area of theDistrict of North Vancouver,British Columbia, Canada. He also was an actor, musician, poet and author. The Chief's best-known written work isMy Heart Soars.^[1] As an actor, he is best remembered for portraying Old Lodge Skins oppositeDustin Hoffman inLittle Big Man (1970), for which he was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and for his role inThe Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), as Lone Watie, oppositeClint Eastwood.

Born asGeswanouth Slahoot in North Vancouver,^[2] his English name was originallyDan Slaholt. The surname was changed to George when he entered aresidential school at age 5.^[2] He worked at a number of different jobs, including as alongshoreman, construction worker, and school bus driver,^[3] and was band chief of theTsleil-Waututh Nation from 1951 to 1963 (then called the Burrard Indian Band).^[4]

In 1960, when he was already 60 years old, he landed his first acting job in aCBC Television series,Cariboo Country, as the character Ol' Antoine (pron. "Antwine"). He performed the same role in aWalt Disney Studios filmSmith! (1969),^[5] adapted from an episode in the seriesThe High Chaparral (the episode in turn being based onBreaking Smith's Quarter Horse, a novella byPaul St. Pierre).

In 1970, at age 71, he received several honours for his role inArthur Penn's filmLittle Big Man, including a nomination for theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor.^[3][6][7]

In 1971, he played Chief Red Cloud in "Warbonnet", the 14th episode of Season 13 of the Western seriesBonanza.He played the role of Rita Joe's father inGeorge Ryga's stage play,The Ecstasy of Rita Joe, in performances atVancouver, theNational Arts Centre inOttawa, andWashington, D.C.

In 1972, he was among the guests inDavid Winters'stelevision specialThe Special London Bridge Special.^[8] That same year he acted in the filmPaul Bogart'sCancel My Reservation,^[9] and got the recurring role of Chief Moses Charlie in thecomedy-dramatelevision seriesThe Beachcombers, a role he would revisit until his death in 1981.

In 1973, he played the role of "Ancient Warrior" in an episode of the TV showKung Fu. That same year George recorded "My Blue Heaven" with the band Fireweed,^[10] with "Indian Prayer" on the reverse. His album,Chief Dan George & Fireweed – In Circle, was released in 1974 comprising these songs and seven others.^[11]

The following year he had roles inAlien Thunder (1974),^[12]The Bears and I (1974),^[13] andHarry and Tonto (1974).^[14]

In 1975, he portrayed the character Chief Stillwater in the "Showdown at Times Square" episode inSeason 6 ofMcCloud.

In 1976 he acted inClint Eastwood'sThe Outlaw Josey Wales,^[15] andGeorge McCowan'sShadow of the Hawk.^[16]

On television the following year he had a role in the 1978 miniseriesCentennial, based on the book byJames A. Michener.

In 1979, he acted inAmericathon,^[17] andSpirit of the Wind.^[18]

In 1980 he had his final film role inNothing Personal.^[19]

George was well known for his poetic writing style and in 1974, George wroteMy Heart Soars followed byMy Spirit Soars in 1983, both published by Hancock House Publishers. The two books were later combined to formThe Best of Chief Dan George which went on to become a best seller and continues to sell well today. One of his better known pieces of poetryA Lament for Confederation has become one of his most widely known works.

The Chief died at Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver in 1981 at the age of 82.^[20] He wasinterred at Burrard Cemetery.

Dan George's granddaughterLee Maracle was a poet, author, activist, and professor.^[21] His granddaughterCharlene Aleck is an actress who performed for 18 years onThe Beachcombers on CBC. His granddaughterJoan Phillip is theBC NDP MLA forVancouver-Mount Pleasant. His great-granddaughterColumpa Bobb is an actress and poet. His grandsonRueben George is a writer and activist who published the bookIt Stops Here: Standing Up for Our Lands, Our Waters, and Our People in 2023.^[22]

Chief Dan George's grand-nephew, Chief Jesse "Nighthawk" George, currently resides in Chesapeake, Virginia, and is the Inter-Tribal Peace Chief for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

During his acting career, he worked to promote better understanding by non-aboriginals of theFirst Nations people. His soliloquy,Lament for Confederation,^[23] an indictment of the appropriation of native territory by Europeancolonialism, was performed at the City of Vancouver's celebration of theCanadian Centennial in 1967.^[24] This speech is credited with escalating native political activism in Canada and touching off widespread pro-native sentiment among non-natives.^[24]

Chief Dan George received the following accolades forLittle Big Man.

In 1971, George was made an Officer of theOrder of Canada.^[25]

He was included on the Golden Rule Poster under "Native Spirituality" with the quote: "We are as much alive as we keep the earth alive".^[26]

Canadian actorDonald Sutherland narrated the following quote from his poem "My Heart Soars" in the opening ceremonies of the2010 Winter Olympics inVancouver.^[27]

The beauty of the trees,

the softness of the air,

the fragrance of the grass,

speaks to me.

And my heart soars.

• Chief Dan George Middle School inAbbotsford, British Columbia
• Chief Dan George Public School inToronto,Ontario^[28]
• Chief Dan George Theatre, Phoenix Theatre,University of Victoria, British Columbia

In 2008Canada Post issued a postage stamp in its "Canadians in Hollywood" series featuring Chief Dan George.^[29]

• George, Dan, and Helmut Hirnschall.My Heart Soars. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin, 1974.ISBN 0-919654-15-0
• George, Dan, and Helmut Hirnschall.My Spirit Soars. Surrey, B.C., Canada: Hancock House, 1982.ISBN 0-88839-154-4
• Mortimer, Hilda, and Dan George.You Call Me Chief: Impressions of the Life of Chief Dan George. Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 1981.ISBN 0-385-04806-8
• George, Dan, and Helmut Hirnschall.The Best of Chief Dan George. Surrey, B.C.:Hancock House, 2003.ISBN 0-88839-544-2

• Dark Cloud
• Chief Thundercloud
• Iron Eyes Cody
• History of Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh longshoremen, 1863–1963
• Indigenous Canadian personalities
• Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast

• Chief Dan George atIMDb
• Chief Dan George onCBC TV'sTelescope, 1971
• Chief Dan George atFind a Grave

• 1899 births
• 1981 deaths
• 20th-century Canadian male actors
• 20th-century Canadian poets
• 20th-century First Nations writers
• Canadian male film actors
• Canadian male poets
• Canadian male television actors
• First Nations male actors
• First Nations poets
• Indigenous leaders in British Columbia
• Industrial Workers of the World members
• Male Western (genre) film actors
• Male actors from Vancouver
• Officers of the Order of Canada
• People from North Vancouver
• Tsleil-Waututh First Nation

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