Brief Biographies of Traditional Games Teachers:

Adults:

Arleen Adams, Salish, has worked for the Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d'Oreille Tribes of the Flathead Nation for many years.  She is currently employed at the Salish language immersion school in Arlee, Montana.  Arleen is daughter of Louis Adams, one of the most highly respected elders of the tribes.  Her knowledge of the language, the old ways, and her love for the culture place her in high regard by all.  She has been part of the research and resurrection of traditional games since 1994 and is an officer of the Int. Traditional Games Society.

Richard Horn, Blackfeet, is a cultural expert of old crafting techniques, deep cultural knowledge of the past, and stories that add depth to the rules of the games.   He has taught people of all ages who always comment on the unusually ancient oral history he shares with the teaching of traditional games.  Mr. Horn is well respected by people of all tribes.

Marvin Bald Eagle Young Man, Turtle Mountain Chippewa, has been an officer in Traditional Games Society.  He now resides at St. John, North Dakota where he often travels to the United Tribes  events and to schools throughout the state to teach games, plants, crafting game equipment and flutes.

Wales Bull Tail, Crow, from Lodge Grass, Montana is an experienced traditional games teacher.  Wales has taught in summer camps, local schools, and Little Big Horn College.  His knowledge of Crow culture is highly respected by young and old.

Videl Stump, Cree from Rocky Boy, is a respected elder of the tribe.  His knowledge of the culture and knowledge of the traditional games makes him one of our best arrow throw teachers.  He and his wife Ruby will be teaching about the culture of the Chippewa-Cree in a tipi learning lodge as well as coaching the arrow throw during the traditional games.

Ken (Tuffy) Helgeson, White Clay, has helped host traditional games at Hays-Lodge Pole High School and in summer camps.  Tuffy has very old time knowledge of his language and traditional ways that help him explain the educational purposes for the traditional games to be included into all school curriculums.

Don Racine, White Clay, has been a traditional games teacher since October, 2005.  He and his family know the values of the traditional games in bringing "community" back to the family and bringing the families together for laughter and play.   Don will be available for presentations during the summer of 2007.  He and his family can travel to other sites to share their knowledge.

Dutch Lunak, Blackfeet expert horsemen of modern and traditional horse events, will be coaching youth and adults in the old-time horse races and competitions.  Twenty different events from Horse and Hide racing to the Slowest horse race and wrestling from horseback can be taught.

Orsino Walker, Kootenai, has hosted the old time horse culture events for the past five years at Standing Arrow Grounds on Flathead Lake.  He is descendant of Kootani horse culture back to pre-reservation days.

Georgianne Fish, Assiniboine/Sioux, is an educator from Great Falls Public Schools.  She and her daughter Rachael, and son, Seth, traveled with the "Tent of Many Voices" to share the traditional games at the Lewis & Clark trail in 2005 and 2006.  She brings modern educational concepts for the use of traditional games in the gym and the class room.

Tricia Tourcott, Assiniboin/Sioux from Fort Peck, was our student representative to I.T.G.S. Board of Directors.  She recently helped teach the crafting of game equipment and the small children's games at Montana Indian Education Conference and has coached doubleball and small children's games at the "Explore! The Big Sky."

The following list is of certified Traditional Games Instructors throughout the United States.  Contact leader@3riversdbs.net if you would like to contact one of our teachers for a presentation.

Certified Youth Teachers:

Jacob Tailfeathers, Blackfeet, goes to school near Santa Fe.  He has been teaching traditional games in summer camps for three years.  The past summers, Jacob taught the games to Japanese exchange students on Carroll College campus, traveled with the "Tent of Many Voices, and taught youth from Montana to Portland, Oregon.   He and his friends make traditional game equipment to sell at the Plains Indian Museum.

Newly certified youth listed below have taught the games in their schools and for national youth conferences.