Year: 2023
Location: Lethbridge
Profile: Dallas Young Pine was born and raised on the Blood Indian Reserve in southern Alberta as a member of the Many Children Clan. His childhood was interrupted by his being forced to spend 10 useless years in a residential school. But he started competing in rodeos at an early age, and continued to become a professional rider in the rodeo circuit, firstly as part of the Indian Cowboy Associations, and later in top rodeo competitions across North America, including the annual Calgary Stampede. He expresses a fierce pride in his life as a professional rodeo competitor, and works to pass on his knowledge and wisdom to younger Indigenous riders through clinics and on-the-spot mentoring at competitions. He has managed to earn a living by rodeo riding, but his largest financial returns have come from serving as a stunt rider in the filming of several ‘big name’ movies including ‘The Revenant,’ ‘Dreamkeepers,’ and ‘I Buried my Heart at Wounded Knee.’ He attributes his successes to a strong work ethic, a close attachment to the horses he has ridden, and the camaraderie shared by riders at the rodeos he has attended.
Keywords: Blood Indian Reserve; Bulldogging; Calgary Stampede; Residential school; Rodeo rider; Stunt rider
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See also: Indigenous Labour in Alberta; Systemic Racism in Alberta