Grey Owl is a Canadian outdoor hero whose name still resonates more than 60 years after his death.

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Born entirely in the fertile imagination of an English schoolboy, Archibald Stansfield Belaney, Grey Owl became the most famous aboriginal of his day. It was a role that Belaney developed, embraced and was consumed by until his death.

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In his Grey Owl persona of mixed Apache / Scottish ancestry, Belaney became an internationally famous writer, lecturer, radio broadcaster and film star.

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Belaney was born in Hastings, England in 1888. As a child he became fascinated by North American Indians (Aboriginals) and came to Canada in 1906.

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Perhaps the strongest influence of Belaney in his Grey Owl role was Gertrude Benard, a young Iroquois woman who became famous in Anahareo as Mrs. Grey Owl. She was a driving force behind his writing and his espousal of conservation as a way of life.

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During this time, he was in high demand for speaking engagements around the world. Grey Owl was a smooth and polished performer with a flair for the dramatic gesture.