Milton Born With A Tooth
Encyclopedia
Milton Born With A Tooth is a Canadian political activist for First Nations
rights.
He first came to widespread notoriety in 1990, when the Alberta
government sought to dam
the Oldman River
, which would have flooded Peigan
burial grounds. Born With A Tooth led the Blackfoot
warrior society in diverting the river away from the dam.
On August 2 of that year, a heavily-armed Royal Canadian Mounted Police
contingent arrived, and shots were fired. Born With A Tooth was arrested and charged with endangering lives and assaulting eighty officers. He was convicted and spent four and a half years in prison.
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
rights.
He first came to widespread notoriety in 1990, when the Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
government sought to dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
the Oldman River
Oldman River
The Oldman River is a river in southern Alberta, Canada. It flows roughly west to east from the Rocky Mountains, through the communities of Fort Macleod, Lethbridge, Taber, and on to Grassy Lake, where it joins with the Bow River to form the South Saskatchewan River, which eventually drains into...
, which would have flooded Peigan
Northern Peigan
The Northern Peigans or Aapátohsipikáni are a First Nation, part of the Niitsítapi . Known as Piikáni, "Pekuni" or Aapátohsipikáni , they are very closely related to the other members of the Blackfoot Confederacy: Aamsskáápipikani , Káínaa or...
burial grounds. Born With A Tooth led the Blackfoot
Blackfoot
The Blackfoot Confederacy or Niitsítapi is the collective name of three First Nations in Alberta and one Native American tribe in Montana....
warrior society in diverting the river away from the dam.
On August 2 of that year, a heavily-armed Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
contingent arrived, and shots were fired. Born With A Tooth was arrested and charged with endangering lives and assaulting eighty officers. He was convicted and spent four and a half years in prison.