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Grey Owl (or Wa-sha-quon-asin, from the Ojibwe wenjiganooshiinh, meaning "great horned owl" or "great grey owl") was the name Archibald Belaney (September 18, 1888 – April 13, 1938) chose for himself when he took on a First Nations identity as an adult. Born in England as Archibald Stansfeld Belaney, and migrating to Canada in the first decade of the 20th century, he rose to prominence as a notable author, lecturer, and one of the "most effective apostles of the wilderness".〔(John Sugden, review of Donald B. Smith, ''From the Land of Shadows: The Making of Grey Owl'' ), ''American Indian Quarterly'', Summer 1991, accessed 4 Feb 2010〕 In his studies of the Ojibwe, Belaney learned some native harvesting techniques and trapping skills. The pivotal moment of departure for Grey Owl's early conservation work was when he began his relationship with a young Iroquois girl named Gertrude Bernard, who assisted in his transition from trapper to conservationist.〔Grey Owl, ''Pilgrims of the Wild,'' (Toronto: Dundurn Press, 2010), 15.〕 In working with the National Parks Branch, Grey Owl gained recognition and fame in his early career as a conservationist, becoming the subject of many films, and being established as the “‘caretaker of park animals’ at Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba” in 1931.〔Donald B. Smith, ''From the Land of Shadows: the Making of Grey Owl'', (Saskatoon: Western Prairie Books, 1990), 92〕 Together with his numerous articles, books, films and lectures, his views on conservation reached audiences beyond the borders of Canada, challenging people to re-evaluate their relationship with nature. His conservation views largely focused on humans' negative impact on nature through their commodification of nature's resources for profits, and a need for humans to develop a respect for the natural world.〔Tina Loo, ''States of Nature: Conserving Canada's Wildlife in the Twentieth Century,'' (Vancouver: UBC Press ,2006), 113.〕 Revelation of his British origins after his death adversely affected Grey Owl's reputation. Since the 1970s and, with the centennial of his birth, there has been renewed public appreciation for his conservation efforts. Recognition has included biographies, a historic plaque at his birthplace, and a 1999 biopic about his life by the director Richard Attenborough. == Early life == Archibald Stansfeld Belaney was born in September 1888, near Hastings, England.〔J. Hayman, "Grey Owl's Wild Goose Chase", ''History Today'' 44.1 (1994): 43〕 Born to George Belaney and his wife Katherine (Kittie) Cox, Archie was mostly of English descent on both sides; his paternal grandfather had come from Scotland and married in England.〔Jane Billinghurst. ''The Many Faces of Archie Belaney, Grey Owl'', Vancouver: Grey Stone Books Douglas and McIntyre Publishing Group, 1999, p. 5〕〔Donald B. Smith. ''From the Land of Shadows: the Making of Grey Owl'', Saskatchewan: Western Producer Prairie Books, 1990, p. 8〕 Kittie was his father's second wife. Years before Archie's birth, George Belaney had emigrated to the United States with his then-wife Elizabeth Cox and her younger sister Katherine (Kittie). After Elizabeth's early death, George persuaded Kittie, not yet 20, to marry him. Within the year they returned to England in time for the birth of their son Archie. The family lived together near Hastings until Kittie became pregnant for a second time. The father and Kittie left to return to the United States, where he abandoned her.〔Billinghurst, Ibid. 5, 6〕 Kittie had left Archie in the care of his father's mother Juliana Belaney and his two younger sisters, Julia Caroline Belaney and Janet Adelaide Belaney,〔1861, 1891, 1901, 1911 census〕 whom the boy would know as Aunt Carry and Aunt Ada. Kittie visited him a few times. Belaney later told his publisher his father was Scottish. The Belaney name does have roots in Scotland. One of his biographers documented that Archie's paternal grandfather had moved from Scotland to England, where he became a successful merchant.〔Donald B. Smith. ''From the Land of Shadows the Making of Grey Owl'', Saskatchewan: Western Producer Prairie Books, 1990, p. 8〕 The Belaney boy attended Hastings Grammar School, where he excelled in subjects such as English, French and chemistry.〔Donald B Smith. ''From the Land of the Shadows''. p. 19〕 While outside school, he spent much time reading, or exploring St Helen's Wood near his home.〔Lovat Dickson, ''Half- Breed: The Story of Grey Owl'', London: Peter Davis, 1939, p.47〕 As a boy, Belaney was known for pranks, such as using his grammar school chemistry to make small bombs.〔Donald B Smith. ''From the Land of the Shadows.'', p. 21〕 He called them "Belaney Bombs".〔Smith, Ibid.〕 Fascinated by Native Americans, Belaney read about them and drew them in the margins of his books. Belaney left Hastings Grammar School and started work as a clerk with a timber company located behind St Helen's Wood.〔Smith, Ibid, p. 23〕 There Belaney and his friend George McCormick perfected the arts of knife throwing and marksmanship. Belaney turned his creativity to pursuits other than work. His last event there was lowering fireworks down the chimney of the timber company's office. The fireworks exploded and nearly destroyed the building. After the timber yard fired him, Belaney's aunts let him move to Canada, where he sought adventure. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Grey Owl」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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