A Tepee put up in front of the Esplanade on Tuesday was part of a ceremonial blessing by Elder Charlie Fox on Wednesday morning. Ross Lavigne/CHAT News

By Jesse Gill

British documentary being produced on indigenous artefact at Esplanade

Aug 14, 2024 | 7:33 PM

The tepee erected in front of the Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre Tuesday was part of a ceremonial blessing of an Indigenous artefact by Elder Charlie Fox Wednesday morning.

The Mike Mountain Horse Story Robe, the artefact currently housed at the Esplanade, will be part of a upcoming series on Britain’s BBC Two.

In Indigenous culture, story robes were traditionally made of buffalo hides using pigment to detail hunts, encounters, and other important events.

The Mike Mountain Horse Story Robe uses pictogram-style drawings to depict twelve battles with the Germans.

Xanthe Isbister, director and curator of the Esplanade Galleries and Collections, said the robe has become a popular item in their collections.

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“The unique materials tell the story of one soldiers’ experience during the war,” Isbister said.

“I think the piece serves as a great reminder that Indigenous Canadians were also on the front lines fighting for freedom,” he added.

“The Esplanade is pleased to have this important piece of history in our collection, and we look forward to hosting the BBC documentarians.”

Three of Mike Mountain Horse’s decendants accompanied Elder Charlie Fox during the ceremonial blessing of the Mike Mountain Horse Story Robe on Wednesday.

Footage captured from the ceremony will be used in an episode of a four-part program, led by British Historian David Olusoga.

The series offers a broad look at the history of the British Empire, with an episode focussed on the British Empire during World War I.

It will feature stories of non-Caucasian soldiers like Mike Mountain Horse and his war time depictions through the Indigenous story robe.

Mike Mountain House was a member of the Kainai Blood Tribe who enlisted in the war in 1916.

He was wounded three times in battle before returning to Alberta in 1919.

Mountain Horse passed away in 1964 at the age of 76.