Indian cowboys remembered

Alberta

Guide to Indian Country Page 6

One Tsuu T'ina family thinks it's time for people to take their hats

off to some unsung local cowboys.

On June 29 and 30, the Littlelight family will host the first Tsuu

T'ina Indian Cowboy Memorial Rodeo to honor deceased cowboy and cowgirl

rodeo competitors.

"The initial idea was for a memorial for my father. (That rodeo) was to

be called the Littlelight Rodeo," said Kevin Littlelight, referring to

his father, Bedford Littlelight who died in February, 1995.

"But there were so many other people who were never recognized, so the

Littlelight Rodeo is now a memorial for all these Tsuu T'ina rodeo

cowboys."

One of those special people includes steer wrestler Darcy One Spot, who

was Kevin's traveling partner to Indian rodeos around North America.

"He kind of showed us the ropes about the life of the rodeo," said

25-year-old Kevin about One Spot who died in 1991.

Kevin, who competed in four Indian rodeos in May, plans to travel

across two provinces and two U.S. states to take in about 30 rodeos this

year.

"There is a whole underworld of Indian rodeos. It stretches from Fort

Vermilion (Alberta) to Los Cruces, New Mexico," said Kevin.

In Alberta alone, he expects to compete in at least 20 of the 30-plus

Indian rodeos that will kick up dust across the province this year. (The

Indian Rodeo Cowboy Association (IRCA), based in Standoff, Alta., is the

oldest Indian rodeo association in North America.)

IRCA members from southern Alberta and Hobbema plus cowboys from

Montana will likely make up the main competition at the nine-event Tsuu

T'ina memorial rodeo.

"We are the smallest tribe in Treaty 7, but we seem to be pretty

competitive given the population number we have," said Kevin. Each

year, at least four Tsuu T'ina competitors qualify for the Indian

National Finals Rodeo (INFR).

Kevin, who has come close to qualifying for the INFR, has competed

several times at the annual Window Rock, Arizona rodeo, which is

considered the Calgary Stampede of Indian rodeos.

Kevin's grandfather, Frances--a competitor in the Calgary Stampede in

the 1950s--was a steer decorator. Bedford Littlelight was a steer

wrestler from 1974 to 1984.

"My father loved the rodeo," said Kevin.

On the other side of the family, Littlelight's Blood Tribe mother,

Frances, has three brothers--Eugene, Sonny (Melvin) and Andy

Creighton--who were professional rodeo competitors.

Kevin's older sister, Shelly, was a barrel racer. Leon, Kevin's

younger brother, is a steer wrestler. Kevin's two brothers-in-law are

also rodeo competitors.

"We're pretty well a rodeo family," he said.

"I wasn't good at anything except falling off horses," the Tsuu T'ina

cowboy joked about his first rodeo attempts. Kevin finally shed his

unofficial title as "world's worst calf-roper" when he tried steer

wrestling. "It just came naturally," he said.

The rodeo life, he added, is not all fun and adventure.

"It's tough. You get road weary. You wonder why you do it. You are

broke for so long, but as soon as you hit the pay window, it reminds you

why you are doing it."

Each event's purse at the Tsuu T'ina Indian Cowboy Memorial Rodeo will

be $200 except for the steer-wrestling prize which could go as high as

$1,000. Steer-wrestling has the biggest purse because the event

attracts the most competitors.

Admission to the Tsuu T'ina Indian Cowboy Memorial Rodeo is $6 for

adults, $4 for youth, and no charge for Elders and children age 12 and

under. The rodeo will be held at the Harry Dodginghorse Agriplex or at

the Redwood Rodeo Grounds. Phone Kevin at (403)238-6402 to confirm

location.