Play revitalizes interest in priest's history

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The story of Father Albert Lacombe will be brought to life in a new play set to take to the stage in southern Alberta.

"Man of a Good Heart" focuses on the connection Father Lacombe had with the Blackfoot people. It will be presented each Saturday during July and August at the Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village in Pincher Creek. Admission is included with the cost of admission to the museum.

The 45-minute historical play zeroes in on the work done primarily in the later half of the 1800s by Father Lacombe, whose parish at one time was all of Alberta. Father Lacombe's hermitage, which was built in the 1880s, still stands in the pioneer village and will house a special display of memorabilia from the last 30 years of Father Lacombe's life.

Joyce Sasse, a retired minister, wrote the play and will narrate it. Sasse said Father Lacombe was a great friend of the Blackfoot, Chief Crowfoot and prime minister John A. MacDonald.

"I just think it's a tremendously exciting story, and as a person who grew up in southern Alberta I never knew that much about him," said Sasse.

She said her goal in writing about Father Lacombe was to help people "to understand the Native history and the hardships that the Blackfoot people went through.

"We speak a great deal about that. And the setting is a classroom, as if it is a modern classroom of today. And I think now is a great time to retell that story," said Sasse. "I think among Native people and non-Native people, this is a very important and very credible story."

According to Farley Wuth, curator at the pioneer village, the play will also be a good attraction and a good way to bring the area's history to life.

Wuth said the play is a good depiction of Father Lacombe and very balanced because it captures his role in history from both a settler's standpoint and a Native person's standpoint.

"It's interesting because it's been a half-forgotten story out of our history. Father Lacombe is perhaps better known for his work up in north-central Alberta, but he did do a lot of work down here in the Pincher Creek area," said Wuth.

"Most people don't appreciate that or they've forgotten a lot of that history, so that's why this play is so important for us to have here at the museum. It talks about the early settlers and his role and work with the Native peoples and his role with church work. It's a really fascinating chapter out of our history."

Doris Metcalfe has been involved with the theatre at the pioneer village for many years and she said she feels "incredibly lucky" to be directing the production, as well as acting in it.

"It's a really passionate story. It's funny about history, unless you're taught it in school or you hear stories, you're just not aware of it," said Metcalfe. "I bet there's tons of people here who don't know the story and need to hear it."

Sasse agrees that people need to know more about the history behind Father Lacombe and hopes this play will attract people to the rich history in southern Alberta.

"What I keep saying to people, who was (Father Lacombe) and what did he do? He was really an important person, and that's the end of their story. So we're going to give them a story."