Gordon Tootoosis

Dead, Gordon Tootoosis on July 5, 2011 at the age of 69 after being hospitalized for pneumonia at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon, he was a First Nations actor.

Born on October 25, 1941, he served as a founding member of the board of directors of the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company.

Tootoosis offered encouragement, support and training to aspiring Aboriginal actors.

He served as a leading Cree activist both as a social worker and as a band chief.

He portrayed Albert Golo in 52 episodes of North of 60 in the 1990s.

He is best known to British audiences for playing the Native American Joe Saugus, who negotiates the purchase of the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet series 3 (2002).

Gordon appeared in the CBC Television mini-series By Way of the Stars with Eric Schweig as Black Thunder and Tantoo Cardinal as Franoise.

He appeared in award winning movie ‘Legends of the fall’ (1994), Tootoosis starred with Russell Means in Disney’s Pocahontas (1995) and Song of Hiawatha (1997).

In 1999, he and Tantoo Cardinal became founding members of the board of directors of the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company.

His father, John Tootoosis, was an activist for aboriginal rights, which got the younger Tootoosis into trouble at school.

After his traumatic school years, Tootoosis went into social work, specializing in work with children and young offenders.

His interest in his own cultural traditions led him to become an accomplished native dancer and rodeo roper, and he toured with the Plains InterTribal Dance Troupe in the 1960s and 1970s throughout Canada, Europe, and South America, becoming one of North America’s most popular powwow announcers.

His father was one of the founders of the National Indian Brotherhood and former head of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN).

Gordon himself served as the chief of his band and as a vice-president of FSIN.

Tootoosis was married to Irene Seseequasis since 1965. They have three daughters, Glynis, Alanna and Disa, three sons, Lee, Winston Bear, and Clint, his adopted daughters Rebecca Brady, Bertrille Fox, Irene Oaks, Patrice Kautzman, Danielle Thunderchild, René Daoust-Thompson, Melanie Favel, and adopted son Derek Thompson.

His experiences as a child molded him into an inspirational role model for aboriginal youth.

He entered into social work and worked with children and young offenders.

In 2004, the highly respected Cree activist earned a membership in the Order of Canada for his accomplishments and leadership to the Aboriginal people.

Most recently, he played the lead role in Gordon Winter, a Saskatoon playwright by Kenneth T. Williams that is a fictionalized account of a controversial aboriginal leader inspired by the life and times of David Ahenakew.

Most recently, he played the lead role in Gordon Winter, a Saskatoon playwright by Kenneth T. Williams that is a fictionalized account of a controversial aboriginal leader inspired by the life and times of David Ahenakew.

A good man that will always be remembered by many, he will always be in the hearts of persons he’d known.