Gordon Tootoosis, was a First Nations actor of Cree and Stoney descent. Tootoosis was a descendant of Yellow Mud Blanket, brother of the famous Cree leader Pîhtokahanapiwiyin. He was acclaimed for his commitment to preserving his culture and to telling his people's stories. He once said, "Leadership is about submission to duty, not elevation to power." He served as a founding member of the board of directors of the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company. Tootoosis offered encouragement, support and training to aspiring Aboriginal actors. He served as a leading Cree activist both as a social worker and as a band chief. In Open Season and Boog and Elliot's Midnight Bun Run, Tootoosis was the voice of Sheriff Gordy.
Tootoosis in the 1970s
The Cree are a North American Indigenous people. They live primarily in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations.
A Cree camp, likely in Montana, photographed c. 1893
A group of Cree sun dancers, photographed c. 1893 by Frank La Roche
Nēhiyaw (Plains Cree) camp near the future site of Vermilion, Alberta, in 1871
Chippewa Cree Tribal Chairman Raymond Parker Jr. signs an agreement with the FEMA in Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation, Montana on August 17, 2010.