He was a poet, a musician, an actor, an activist, an environmentalist and a Tsleil-Waututh chief. Now he’s the subject of an exhibit that explores his life and legacy.

Chief Dan George: Actor and Activist will open on National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21) at the Sidney Museum on Vancouver Island. It runs to Sept. 30.

The exhibition was developed by the North Vancouver Museum in close collaboration with the George family and has spent the last year at U’mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay.

Dan George (born Geswanouth Slahoot) is remembered for many things. He was raised on the Burrard Indian Reserve #3, the son of hereditary chief George Sla-holt.

While Dan George spent much of his life working as a longshoreman and logger, he started an acting career in his 60s. During the 1960s and 70s, he appeared in many television, movie and stage productions in which he worked to promote a better understanding of Indigenous people and challenged their common portrayal on screen.

Although focused on Dan George, this exhibition will also delve into significant events and individuals in the Indigenous rights movement in BC and Canada.

The museum is located at 2423 Beacon Avenue, (corner of 4th Street), in Sidney. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Read more about Chief Dan George here: https://windspeaker.com/news/footprints/chief-dan-george-acclaimed-actor-gentle-soul