A television crew from the U.K. is seen interviewing Elder Charlie Fox in August 2024 outside the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre for a BBC Two series.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
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The Mike Mountain Horse Story Robe, also known as “The Great War Deeds of Mike Mountain Horse,” which resides at the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre, has been featured in an episode of a BBC Two documentary series titled “Empire.”
In August 2024, historian and host David Olusoga, along with his production crew, flew from the U.K. to Medicine Hat to document the story robe as well as a traditional blessing on the item by Elder Charlie Fox, Dan Fox, JR Fox and Brenda Mercer.
“The object is something I’ve known about for years, but what I haven’t realized until this moment is just what it means to the Kainai People,” Olusoga said at the time. “Because to carry out the ceremony that’s needed for me as an outsider to view it, a teepee has been erected here and elders from the tribe have gathered to carry out that ceremony.”
The Mike Mountain Horse Story Robe uses pictogram-style drawings to depict 12 battles with the Germans, much like many story robes, which were traditionally made of buffalo hides using pigment to detail hunts, encounters and other important events.
“Mike Mountain Horse was a member of the Kainai Blood Tribe, who as a subject of the British Empire, took the warrior traditions of his people into a war his ancestors could not have imagined,” narrates Olusoga.
The Empire doc-series explores the rise and legacy of the British Empire, revealing how the vast global power, which at one point in history ruled a quarter of the world, shaped modern Britain, its identities and the world today through colonialism, trade, migration and conflict.
During the episode Charlie Fox is pictured while giving a blessing. Stories about memories and events are drawn on the story robe, including battle conditions soldiers endured in the Great War.
“It is both part of their spiritual world and as much as any document in any archive, it is a record of history,” said Olusoga.
The Story Robe was gifted to the Esplanade through the Medicine Hat & District Historical Society, which acquired it from Thyrza Burkitt, an acquaintance of Mike Mountain Horse.
“The Esplanade’s Galleries and Collections team is forever grateful to Elder Charlie Fox, Dan Fox, JR Fox and Brenda Mercer, who were deeply committed to this project,” a statement read.
A link to the documentary can be found by visiting the city’s website and clicking under the “Neat to Know” tab. A password ‘Empire03″ can be used to view the documentary.
