A Canadian Indigenous leader says he felt “filled with rage” before meeting former U.S. President Donald Trump at the Group of Seven (G7) summit, but chose to stay and speak with him about important issues instead.
Steven Crowchild, a member of the Tsuut’ina First Nation near Calgary, greeted world leaders arriving for the summit in nearby Kananaskis. He said he didn’t expect to meet Trump on Father’s Day and almost left before Trump’s arrival because of the pain and suffering he believes Trump has caused around the world.
“I was going to leave. I didn’t want to bring negative feelings to my people,” Crowchild said. “But I prayed, spoke with my advisers, and decided to stay. I knew it was important to be seen and to try to create peace.”
Crowchild wore traditional feathered headgear and spoke to Trump in his people’s language. He also showed Trump treaty medals that he said were older than Canada itself. Trump wore a white “Make America Great Again” hat and appeared to listen, although neither side shared the exact details of the conversation.
“It was really intense,” Crowchild said. “I tried to remind all the leaders to protect our water and to lead with kindness and respect for future generations.”
Crowchild said he chose peace over anger and stood proudly as a representative of his Nation. “I stood taller than him as a proud Tsuut’ina Isgiya,” he said. “In the end, he’s just another person. Whether or not he listened—time will tell.”
