Historical Background:
The "Vision of Grey Owl," an article in Canadian Geographic magazine
describes the life of Archie Belany, better known as Grey Owl.
The most famous Indian in the world in the 1930s may
have bee a fraud, but his life is the true story of an early Canadian conservationist.
Grey Owl was born Archie Belany
in 1888 in Hastings England. Two maiden aunts raised him. At the age of 17 he departed on a ship from Liverpool, England for
Canada. While in Canada he lived among the Indians and became known as Grey Owl.
Grey Owl spent his life learning
about the wild life and studying the Indian way of life in Canada. He wrote four books and became famous giving lectures about
beavers and his concern for forests and wildlife.
In 1938, Grey Owl died. He was 49 years old. After his death, it
became known that he in fact was English and not Indian. Some were greatly disappointed at the deception, however many felt
that because of what he did, he started people thinking about their environment.
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