Regina Leader Post
April 23, 1938. p.4
What might be called "the Grey Owl mystery" has been making for news material
of rare interest. Was the famous naturalist and author of Prince Albert
national park who died recently and who so exemplified the appearance and
role of an Indian actually of Indian or mixed origin or was he an Englishman
with not a drop of Indian blood in his veins?
If the latter, "Grey Owl" did some superb acting. But it might be a little
harsh to put it down as masquerading. Assuming that he was of English birth,
it is evident that this mystery man from his childhood was beguiled by Indian
ways and lore and was absorbed with love for the wild and its animal kingdom.
He may have wanted to fit into that picture with all the ingenuity and
imagination at his command.
The boy in him may have lived on into manhood. If he were the English
adventurer, loving the primitive, aboriginal background of Canada, clearly
he made an almost perfect job of losing himself in that
picture.
A British paper well says of "Grey Owl" that, whatever his racial origin,
his services to wild life must never fail of appreciation. There can be
no doubt that this picturesque figure of the wild, whether semi-Indian or
English, has left him pleasant memories of a life given over to caring for
the animals of the forest and in making known their rightful claim for humane
treatment.
It is to be borne in mind, too, that "Grey Owl" stepped forward heroically and played his part in the World War. If he were a young Englishman this was what many another young Englishman did.
