A Canadian actor of Cree and Stoney descent, Gordon Tootoosis made his film debut in the western film Alien Thunder (1974) with Donald Sutherland and Chief Dan George. Tootoosis offered encouragement, support and training to aspiring Aboriginal actors, and also served as a leading Cree activist both as a social worker and as a band chief. He was awarded membership in the Order of Canada on October 29, 2004.
