signed lower right
Provenance: This work was acquired directly from Nicholas de Grandmaison by Mr. Lowe (Calgary AB / Vancouver BC); by descent to William (Bill) Lowe (Toronto ON); by descent in 1999 to Angus Cameron Stubbert (Toronto ON / St. Catharines ON); by descent to the current collection of William Burt (St. Catharines ON).
Literature: History in Their Blood: The Indian Portraits of Nicholas de Grandmaison (Hugh A. Dempsey; Douglas & McIntryre Ltd.; 1982); “Drawn from the Past: Nicholas de Grandmaison” (Gordon Snyder; Snyder Fine Arts; 2007)
Sitting Eagle (1874-1970), also known as John Hunter, was a noted patriarch of the Chiniki Band of the Stoney Nakoda Nation in Morley, Alberta. He spent most of his life on the Stoney Reserve, located between Calgary and Banff. He was respected for his business and ranching acumen, yet also for his great dedication to the traditional ways of his people. He was an advocate for his people’s interests and a diplomat for his tribe, once receiving the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Rt. Hon. Stanley Baldwin, in 1927. Chief Sitting Eagle was an artist and craftsman, admired for his tipi design and painting. He was involved with the Calgary Stampede for many years, and was commemorated by the Calgary Stampede Board in 1951 for his many contributions. He was also a long-term participant in “Banff Indian Days”, an event which ran from 1889-1974; over this time the Stoney people showcased their dancing and traditional ways during the event. In 1988, a monumental bronze honouring Chief Sitting Eagle, created by artist Don Begg, was erected in downtown Calgary (at 7 Ave. and 6 St. SW) in front of Encor Place.
