Reverend John McDougall
Courtesy of the Glenbow Collection
Reverend
McDougall preparing to lead the First Nations contingent of the 1912 Calgary
Stampede Parade.
Courtesy of the Glenbow Collection
John McDougall, born in Owen Sound in 1842, played multiple roles in southern Alberta: missionary, scout, commissioner, and government agent. He came to the West in 1860 when his father, George McDougall, traveled to the Rossville mission at Norway House. Aside from his work at Morley, McDougall served as chairman of the Saskatchewan District of the Methodist Church and superintendent of Indian missions for Manitoba and the North-West Territories. An important presence at the signing of Treaty Seven, McDougall was designated to explain the treaty process to the Blackfoot Confederacy. At Blackfoot Crossing he also served as a translator.
Reverend McDougall battled Government policies that prohibited First Nation cultural act ivies that included their participation in the Calgary Stampede. These policies attempted to assimilate First Nations' people into white culture, pressuring them to become ranchers and farmers. As seen in this photo McDougall continued to champion the First Nations' cause throughout his entire life.
