Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

COUNCILLOR JOE CROW SHOE

Date

1965

Materials

WOOD, PAPER

No. Pieces

1

Height

3.1

Length

37.5

Width

34.0

Description

RECTANGULAR FRAME IS OFF-WHITE WITH GOLD TRIM. PAINTING OF A MALE NATIVE IN ROBE AND HEADDRESS. BACKGROUND IS BLUE SKY. AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME IS GOLD PLATE THAT IS ENGRAVED WITH "COUNCILLOR JOE CROW SHOE". ARTIST HAS SIGNED AND DATED PAINTING IN BOTTOM LEFT HAND CORNER, "CHRIS GIBSON 1965". ON THE BACK A WIRE IS ATTACHED TO TWO SILVER HOOKS, FOR HANGING. "371" IS WRITTEN ON THE BACK IN BLACK FELT MARKER.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

HAD A BROWN PLASTIC TAG STUCK TO THE BACK EMBOSSED WITH "1987.281" - REMOVED BY CATALOGUER. SEE P19990035001-GA FOR ADDITIONAL HISTORY. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON THE ARTIST, CHRISTIAN GIBSON, WAS EXCERPTED FROM HIS LETHBRIDGE HERALD OBITUARY: CHRISTIAN GIBSON WAS BORN IN BELFAST, IRELAND IN 1887 AND EDUCATED IN LONDON, ENGLAND BEFORE ARRIVING IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1908. HE WORKED FOR THE CITY AS ZOO KEEPER AT THE EXHIBITION GROUNDS AND FOR THE ALBERTA RAILROAD AND IRRIGATION COMPANY BEFORE BEGINNING HIS 35 YEAR CAREER WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND COMMERCE IN 1913. GIBSON SERVED WITH THE 25TH BATTERY CANADIAN FIELD ARTILLERY FROM 1908 TO 1914 AND FROM 1914 TO 1919 HE SERVED IN ENGLAND IN FRANCE WITH THE 20TH BATTERY CFA. HE WAS ALSO VERY ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY AS A MEMBER OF THE KIWANIS CLUB, ALLIED ARTS COUNCIL, LETHBRIDGE AND DISTRICT HISTORICAL SOCIETY, PLAYGOERS OF LETHBRIDGE, ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION, PEMMICAN CLUB, MASONIC LODGE, AND THE GALT HOSPITAL BOARD. HE AND HIS WIFE LINDA WERE HEAVILY INFLUENTIAL IN THE RED CROSS SOCIETY’S LETHRBIDGE CHAPTER, AND HAD TWO CHILDREN, FRED AND DORIS. CHRISTIAN GIBSON PASSED AWAY ON MARCH 26, 1971. IN 2010 HIS DAUGHTER, DORIS BALCOVSKE, PARTICIPATED IN THE GALT MUSEUM’S FIRST ‘TREASURES & CURIOSITIES’ EXHIBIT BY SELECTING ONE OF HER FATHER’S PAINTINGS TO BE DISPLAYED. SHE SUBMITTED THE FOLLOWING NARRATIVE ABOUT GIBSON’S ASSOCIATION WITH THE GALT AND HIS PAINTING PRACTICE: “MY FATHER… WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE GALT MUSEUM AND HELPED COLLECT MANY OF THE ARTIFACTS. MY FATHER WAS A SELF-TAUGHT ARTIST WITH OILS, WATER COLORS, AND ALSO PEN AND INK… THE FAMILY OWNS MOST OF HIS PAINTINGS.” SEE PERMANENT FILE P19694807000 FOR HARDCOPY OF GIBSON’S OBITUARY. SEE RECORD P19930031001 FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE GIBSON FAMILY. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON THIS PORTRAIT’S SUBJECT, JOE CROWSHOE, WAS DEVELOPED WITH INFORMATION FROM HIS LETHBRIDGE HERALD OBITUARY. JOE CROWSHOE (AAPOHSOY’YIIS – WEASEL TAIL) WAS BORN IN THE EARLY 1900S ON THE PEIGAN NATION AND WAS RAISED WITH TRADITIONAL CULTURE. HE ATTENDED THE OLD VICTORIA HOME ON THE RESERVE UNTIL GRADE 8 WHEN HE BEGAN FARMING. AT THE AGE OF 18 HE OBTAINED ¾ SECTION OF LAND THAT HE CONTINUED TO FARM INTO THE 1980S. CROWSHOE WAS ACTIVE ON THE RODEO CIRCUIT AND AS A CHUCKWAGON DRIVER. IN HIS EARLY 20S, HE DEVELOPED AN INTERESTED IN THE SPIRITUAL AND CULTURAL TRADITIONS OF HIS TRIBE. DURING THIS ERA, IT WAS ILLEGAL FOR ABORIGINAL PEOPLE TO SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE OR PARTICIPATE IN RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES. CROWSHOE, ALONG WITH HIS PARENTS, SECRETLY ARRANGED FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ELDERS TO TEACH AND PRESERVE BLACKFOOT KNOWLEDGE AT NIGHT, WHILE FARMING BY DAY. THIS EARNED HIM MEMBERSHIP INTO THE BRAVE DOG SOCIETY, AND LED TO HIS PARTICIPATION IN THE SUNDANCE CEREMONY. IN THE EARLY 1930S, CROWSHOE WAS ENTRUSTED TO BE THE KEEPER OF HIS FAMILY’S SHORT THUNDER MEDICINE PIPE BUNDLE, WHICH HAD BEEN HANDED DOWN OVER GENERATIONS. THIS PLACED HIM INTO THE ELEVATED POSITION OF A SPIRITUAL LEADER IN THE COMMUNITY. IN 1934 HE MARRIED JOSEPHINE, A HOLY WOMAN AND KEEPER OF THE NATO’AS SUNDANCE BUNDLE. TOGETHER THEY EDUCATED ABORIGINAL AND NON-ABORIGINAL PEOPLE ABOUT NATIVE CULTURE, TRADITION, AND HISTORY, AND OFFICIATED AS THE SPIRITUAL LEADERS OF MANY SUNDANCES. THE SUNDANCE REQUIRES A MAN AND A WOMAN TO HEAD THE PRACTICE BECAUSE OF THE BLACKFOOT BELIEF THAT NEITHER ARE COMPLETE IN LIFE WITHOUT EACH OTHER. IN 1951, CROWSHOW WAS ELECTED TO THE PEIGAN BAND COUNCIL WHERE HE SERVED FOR 28 YEARS. FROM THE EARLY 1950S TO 1969 HE WORKED FOR THE INDIAN AFFAIRS EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND BECAME ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN PUBLIC EDUCATION ON THE RESERVE. STARTING IN 1981, CROWSHOE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HEAD-SMASHED-IN BUFFALO JUMP INTO A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE AND THE FOUNDING OF THE INTERPRETIVE CENTRE THERE. HE ALSO SERVED AS AN ADVISOR TO BOTH THE UNIVERSITIES OF CALGARY AND LETHBRIDGE IN THEIR NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES DEPARTMENTS. CROWSHOE RECEIVED NUMEROUS HONOURS AND AWARDS THROUGHOUT HIS LIFETIME, INCLUDING THE ORDER OF CANADA AND HONOURARY DOCTORATES FROM THE UNIVERSITIES OF MONTANA AND CALGARY. JOE CROWSHOE DIED IN BROCKET ON OCTOBER 25, 1999. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR A HARD COPY OF JOE CROWSHOE’S OBITUARY.

Catalogue Number

P19990035165

Acquisition Date

2000-07

Collection

Museum

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