Fonds paa-9579 - Alexander (Scotty) Hamilton Murray fonds

Alexander (Scotty) Hamilton Murray was born on December 30, 1921 in Gleichen, Alberta where he attended school at Cunningham's Nursing Home. Murray married Gertrude Murray in Lethbridge on June 30, 1946 and returned to Gleichen in March of 1947 to work in his father's accounting business. During the summer of 1947, he worked at the office of the Indian Agency which launched his 30-year career in First Nations affairs. During this time in Gleichen, Scotty and Gertrude Murray were adopted into the A. Youngman family and were given the names Pretty Young Man (Mut sa wan a copy) and Shining Woman, respectively. The Murrays were also admitted into the Crazy Horse Society. In June of 1955, after 8 years with the Indian Agency, the Murrays moved to High Prairie where Scotty was promoted to Superintendent of the Lesser Slave Lake Agency. In August of 1959, Scotty was again promoted, this time to Head of the Indian Agency and moved back to Gleichen with Gertrude and their five children. After 8 years in Gleichen, the Murrays moved to Edmonton to administer the Hobbema, Enoch, and other reserves that had amalgamated into one agency. Scotty worked in this capacity until his retirement from government service in 1977. In May of 1978, Scotty took a position with the Four Bands in Hobbema. However, Scotty found this position ineffectual and instead took a position as controller with the Louis Bull Band, where he was given the name Chief Many Feathers and awarded a headdress. Scotty remained in this position until his death on January 22, 1986.