Herbert Strongeagle (born 1934 or 1935) is considered "a role model for 'breaking the stereotype, myths and perception of Native people that is constantly reinforced by hockey people and the media" by his community, and in 2006 received the First Nations Lifetime Achievement Award - Saskatchewan. Early in his life he was awarded the Tom Longboat Medal as Best Indian Athlete in Saskatchewan for his contributions to his junior baseball and midget and juvenile hockey teams, along with track and field and basketball, and continued to receive awards from his community for contributions through his lifetime.
Indigenous Peoples History
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission 94 Calls to Action are dependent on identifying and making publicly available the history and legacy of residential schools and the history of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. There is a lack of documentation for their history as it was one of forced assimilation by a dominant culture looking to erase those cultures, which means little may be available. Plus digitization efforts to date have not prioritized items under copyright nor non-mainstream cultures and languages, resulting in claims of digital or electronic colonialism. Thus the lack of references from the mainstream culture for this entry.
Early years
Herb Strongeagle was born in 1934 or 1935 and is from the Pasqua Reserve, Pasqua First Nation, Cowichan Bay, B.C. though Zeman, et al., report him as being from Piapot as does the Cowichan News Leader, commenting he came "from a humble start in Fort Qu’Appelle, Sask."
Education
Strongeagle attended Lebret Industrial School also known as Qu'Appelle Indian Residential School located on the outskirts of Lebret, Saskatchewan for 12 years, starting at the age of 5. The school was run by the Oblates (in charge of the boys) with the assistance of the Grey Nuns (girls). St. Paul's High School later opened at the Indian School in 1948. Sports were a very important method of assimilation at the residential schools and Lebret, for one, "developed outstanding athletic programs" and athletes, and Herb Strongeagle was one of four students from the school who received the Tom Longboat Award established by Indian Affairs and the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada. George Poitras (1957), Gerald Starr (1954) and Arthur Obey (1951 and 1960) were the other three winners from the school. Sports and games were also used by students to endure their institutionalization.
According to the 1955 history of Lebret Indian School and other sources, he: "was a right winger on midget and juvenile teams." As a member of the Juvenile hockey team, played against the Regina Pats in the Saskatchewan finals (see 1952 QVHA Champions below). He played on the team with another Tom Longboat winner, Art Obey. Was in the Lebret IR School Band. Received his Master Cadet Certificate in 1952. Photo available in an article originally published in the Prairie Messenger, reprinted in The Indian Missionary Record in 1953. Graduated St. Paul's Indian High School in 1953. In 1959 he was elected Treasurer (while residing in Fort Qu'Appelle) of the newly established alumni association for St. Paul's Indian High School, to be called Lebret Indian High School Alumni. His fellow Longboat Award winner, Gerald Starr was appointed vice-president at the same meeting.
Strongeagle not only played sports with Art Obey but George Poitras and Gerald Starr were also present at the school and playing sports around the same time.
Strongeagle went on to attend Saskatoon Business College, then the University of Ottawa, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1973. While at university, he produced at least one article for a 4-page supplement (supplement titled Indian Week) for the student newspaper, The Carleton. He later received his Life Insurance License from the Insurance Councils of Saskatchewan.