Heroes walk among us. We all have our unspoken list of qualifications which makes someone a hero in our mind, a list that adjusts as we age. Mighty Mouse was a hero of mine during his time on television, from 1955 to 1967. I wasn’t watching television until one appeared in our living room circa 1960. Mighty Mouse still qualifies as my hero. He was a very brave mouse, saving the day on a regular basis.
Anyone who breaks trail and leaves markers for others to follow is a hero in my estimation, someone who gives opportunity to those who are marginalized, an opportunity to see themselves in art, be it in a book or on the screen or on the stage. That is why diversity is so essential in the arts and in literature, especially for children and young adults. Graham Greene was just such a hero, though I’m not sure he would have accepted the title. He left us on September 1, far too early as he was only seventy-three.
Graham Greene was born of the Oneida Nation on the Six Nations Reserve in southern Ontario in 1952. He had a successful career as a recording artist, an actor in film and television and theatre for more than fifty years; the list of his accomplishments too long to record here. As a young man, Graham was restless, uncertain what to do with his life. He was certified as a welder and worked within that industry and then as a high steel iron worker, none of which gave him a sense of purpose. He then worked as a sound technician, touring with many country stars including Reba McEntire, learning discipline because of the enormous responsibility the job comes with. A friend in the arts suggested Graham try theatre, which he did. Theatre again taught him the need for discipline. His career expanded to many highlights. In 2007, Graham was at Stratford Festival as the character of Shylock in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice while also performing the role of Lenny in the adaptation of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. He was the only Indigenous actor at Stratford other than Montreal born First Nations actor August Schellenberg in 1967.
Graham was famous, an easily recognized face, a celebrity, but he was unassuming and did not take himself too seriously and he loved to laugh. When the role of Kicking Bird in Dances with Wolves was given to Graham, he buckled down and gave the role his all. He later told friend Jesse Wente, an Indigenous arts journalist, that he had a complex relationship with the film. Wente explained upon Graham’s passing that “the film is not about [Indigenous people]. We are window dressing. It was a movie about Kevin Costner’s character.” Indigenous people had such a history of being misrepresented that Graham knew that getting this role came with an obligation to get it right; getting it right for his community required getting it right in a big way, to be “better than those that existed in those spaces for the whole time,” said Wente. Graham had to outperform others to prove that marginalized people can do these things. What he did for his community, Wente explained was “he showed us it was possible, and he was sure to leave the door open for others to follow”.
Graham was nominated for an academy award for his role in Dances with Wolves, which ultimately made his Hollywood career. He spent eight hours a day for seven weeks with intense determination to learn the Lakota language. Albert White Hat, of the Lakota Nation, translated the words phonetically for Graham to memorize. “What was driving you,” asked CBC Radio’s Tom Power in an interview with Graham Greene earlier this year. “I didn’t want to fail,” said Graham.
He played a role on the Red Green Show that he loved doing. “Native people are given stoic roles,” Graham explained. When directors challenged his insertion of comedy in his work Graham asked if they had ever been on a reservation. They hadn’t but if they had, Graham explained, they would know that laughter is ever present. Many young Indigenous actors have thanked Graham over the years for shining a light for them to follow. Tom Power asked Graham what that meant to him. “I just told them you can do anything,” Graham said. “The only person that says no is you. Stay strong and walk the good path.”
Tom Power asked what Graham’s philosophy was when taking on a role. “I have a mortgage,” Graham said with a laugh. “I’m a working man.” We all know his heart went much deeper. He claims it was just luck that brought him his many achievements. He was loved and admired by many, a role model to those following behind him, and someone who knew how to laugh. Lucky us to have been witness to Graham Greene’s magic.
wendistewart@live.ca
