Editing Calgary Stampede (section)

==People==
[[File:Patsy Rodgers stage coach 1a.jpg|thumb|right|[[Patsy Rodgers]] was the first Stampede Queen in 1946 and is seen here as the 2008 Stampede Parade marshal.|alt=An elderly woman wearing a cowboy hat and blue shirt waves to unseen spectators.]]
Each year, a queen and two princesses are selected as Stampede royalty. They are chosen via a contest open to any woman between the ages of 19 and 24 who resides in Alberta.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.stampedequeensalumni.com/Default.aspx?cid=17&lang=1 |title=The origins of the Stampede Queen and Princess Contest |publisher=Calgary Stampede Queens' Alumni Association |access-date=2011-07-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716125830/http://www.stampedequeensalumni.com/Default.aspx?cid=17&lang=1 |archive-date=2011-07-16 }}</ref> An emphasis is placed on horsemanship skills and ability to serve as ambassadors for both the Stampede and the city.<ref name="Dixon127">{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=127}}</ref> The first Stampede Queen, Patsy Rodgers, was selected in 1946 while the princesses were first chosen the following year.<ref>{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=126}}</ref> The royal trio serve one-year terms during which they will make hundreds of appearances throughout southern Alberta and across North America. They then become members of the Calgary Stampede Queens' Alumni Association, founded in 1971.<ref name="Dixon127" /> The association organizes fundraisers and events in support of organizations that work with special needs children.<ref>{{citation |last=Ho |first=Clara |url=http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=3c87eaf6-685e-470b-b02e-28b9dd50342e |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118220302/http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=3c87eaf6-685e-470b-b02e-28b9dd50342e |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-01-18 |title=Would-be cowgirls get taste of Stampede |work=Calgary Herald |date=2011-07-11 |access-date=2012-06-06 }}</ref>

===First Nations participation===
During each Stampede, the five nations of the [[Treaty 7]]–the [[Tsuu T'ina Nation|Tsuu T'ina]], [[Northern Peigan|Piikani]], [[Nakoda (Stoney)|Stoney]], [[Kainai Nation|Kainai]] and [[Siksika Nation|Siksika]]–create a camp on the bank of the [[Elbow River]] in the southern section of Stampede Park, originally known as the Indian Village, but renamed Elbow River Camp in 2018.<ref name=":6" /> They erect [[tipi]]s, organize [[pow wow]]s, offer arts and crafts, and re-enact elements of their traditional lifestyle.<ref name="CSIndianvillage">{{citation |url=http://www.indianvillage.ca/Default.aspx?cid=5&lang=1 |title=About Indian Village |publisher=Calgary Stampede |access-date=2011-06-18 |archive-date=2012-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325210203/http://www.indianvillage.ca/Default.aspx?cid=5&lang=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> Each year, an Indian Princess is selected from one of the five nations to represent the Treaty 7 as part of the Stampede's royalty.<ref>{{citation |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/stampede-queen-and-princesses-chosen-1.559248 |title=Stampede Queen and Princesses chosen |publisher=CTV News |date=2010-10-03 |access-date=2011-06-18 |archive-date=2014-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810231006/http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/stampede-queen-and-princesses-chosen-1.559248 |url-status=live }}</ref> The village is among the Stampede's most popular attractions.<ref name="CHIndianVillageMoving">{{citation |last=Toneguzzi |first=Mario |title=Indian Village headed for bigger home |work=Calgary Herald |date=2011-07-13 }}</ref>

[[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]] people had been frequent participants in the city's exhibitions since they were first held in 1886, taking part in parades and sporting events and entertaining spectators with traditional dances. By 1912 however, pressure from agents of the [[Indian and Northern Affairs Canada|Department of Indian Affairs]] to suppress their historic traditions and to keep them on their farms nearly ended native participation.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|pp=48–52}}</ref> Weadick hoped to include native people as a feature of his Stampede, but Indian Affairs opposed his efforts and asked the [[Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn|Duke of Connaught]], Canada's [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]], to support their position. The Duke refused, and after Weadick gained the support of political contacts in Ottawa, including future [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] [[R. B. Bennett]], the path was cleared.<ref name="Foran55">{{harvnb|Foran|2008|pp=54–55}}</ref>

[[File:Indian Village.png|thumb|[[Tipi]]s at the Elbow River Camp|alt=A row of several conical canvas dwellings, each decorated in traditional native themes, including animals and bright colours.]]
Hundreds of Indigenous peoples, representing six tribes, participated at the 1912 Stampede. They camped in tipis and wore their finest traditional regalia, making them among the most popular participants in the parade.<ref name="Foran55" /> Tom Three Persons, of the Blood (Kainai) tribe, emerged as one of the Stampede's first heroes, amazing spectators with a winning performance in the saddle bronc competition.<ref name="GuysDream" /> He was the only Canadian champion of the first Stampede and became the first person to successfully ride Cyclone, a notorious horse that had thrown over 100 riders during its career.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=305}}</ref>

The federal government of Prime Minister [[Robert Borden|Borden]] attempted to prevent a repeat occurrence, modifying the ''[[Indian Act]]'' in 1914 to make it illegal for Indigenous peoples to participate in fairs or parades without permission from the local [[Indian Agent (Canada)|Indian Agent]].<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=56}}</ref> The new law ended native participation in the Calgary Exhibition, but when Weadick returned in 1919, he successfully fought for their return to the fairgrounds.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=57}}</ref> The Indian Affairs Department under the government of Prime Minister [[William Lyon Mackenzie King|Mackenzie King]] attempted again to ban native participation in 1925 without success.<ref name="Gray80">{{harvnb|Gray|1985|p=80}}</ref> While conflicts between the Stampede and Indian Affairs continued until 1932, the Indian Village remained, and has remained, a staple on the grounds.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=60}}</ref>

First Nations members and the Stampede board have occasionally met with conflict. The original location of the Indian Village was on low-lying ground that frequently flooded, a problem that was not resolved until 1974 when the village was moved to its current location.<ref name="Foran65">{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=65}}</ref> Complaints about low appearance fees paid to tipi owners, lack of input on committees related to their participation and accusations that natives were being exploited have periodically been made throughout the years.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|pp=65–67}}</ref> The Stoneys famously boycotted the 1950 Stampede following a rule change that cancelled a policy giving any Indigenous person free admittance upon showing their treaty card. The event that year was marred by violent thunderstorms, which led to apocryphal stories that the band had performed a rain dance in an effort to ruin the fair.<ref name="Foran65" />

Despite the conflicts, the native communities around Calgary have been enthusiastic supporters of the Stampede and the Indian Village.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=67}}</ref> The tipi owners have been long-term participants&nbsp;– many are third or fourth generation&nbsp;– and the Stampede has helped preserve and display First Nations cultures to the public.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=68}}</ref> The village again relocated in 2016, doubled in size and featured a new exhibit displaying the partnership between the city, local First Nations and the Stampede.<ref>{{citation |last=Toneguzzi |first=Mario |url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/calgary-stampedes-indian-village-moving-to-new-location-next-year |title=New, larger site awaits Indian Village |work=Calgary Herald |date=2015-07-06 |access-date=2015-07-08 |archive-date=2015-07-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707220702/http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/calgary-stampedes-indian-village-moving-to-new-location-next-year |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the 2018 Stampede, it was announced that the name of the area would be changed to reflect "reconciliation and increased understanding of Indigenous peoples as modern and strong and resilient"; after a voting process among the camps, it was announced on the final day of the Stampede that the Indian Village would be renamed "Elbow River Camp".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4327622/name-change-calgary-stampede-indian-village/|title=Name change coming for Calgary Stampede's Indian Village|last=de Castillo|first=Carolyn Kury|publisher=[[Global News]]|date=July 12, 2018|access-date=July 12, 2018|archive-date=July 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180713052431/https://globalnews.ca/news/4327622/name-change-calgary-stampede-indian-village/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{cite news|last=Junker|first=Anna|date=July 15, 2018|title=Indian Village no more: Stampede mainstay now dubbed Elbow River Camp|url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/indian-village-no-more-stampede-mainstay-now-dubbed-elbow-river-camp|work=Calgary Herald|location=Calgary, Alberta, Canada|access-date=July 15, 2018|archive-date=July 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715210510/https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/indian-village-no-more-stampede-mainstay-now-dubbed-elbow-river-camp|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Employment and volunteerism===
[[File:Calgarystampede.jpg|thumb|right|The Stampede Showband performs on stage|alt=Approximately 50 people in red, black and white uniforms stand on a stage as a team of riders on horseback carry Canadian Flags in the background.]]
Operation of the park throughout the year requires 300 full-time and 1,400 part-time employees. An additional 3,500 seasonal workers are hired for the Stampede itself.<ref name="Dixon127" /> The seasonal positions are often filled by Calgary's youth, and for many, represents their first paying jobs.<ref>{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=128}}</ref>
The organization is maintained by a legion of volunteers, however.<ref>{{harvnb|Gray|1985|p=184}}</ref> Over 2,000 volunteers sit on 50 committees responsible for all aspects of the Stampede's operation.<ref>{{citation |title=2009 Annual Report to the Community |publisher=Calgary Stampede |page=11}}</ref>  Chief among them are the board of directors. The board is made up of 25 individuals; 20 elected from amongst the shareholders, three representing the city, one the province and the most recent president of the Stampede board.<ref>{{citation |last=Gray |first=Mitchell |title=A few minutes with the boss |work=Calgary Herald |date=2002-07-04 |page=SE9}}</ref> Nearly half of all volunteers have served for more than 10 years, and some as long as 60.<ref>{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=123}}</ref>

===Young Canadians of the Calgary Stampede===
When the Calgary Stampede brought in [[The Rockettes]] from New York City in 1964 as part of the grandstand show, they auditioned young local dancers to participate as the "Calgary Kidettes". The group was meant to be a one-time addition to the show, but proved popular with spectators,<ref name="Dixon116">{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=116}}</ref> and returned for three subsequent years.<ref>{{citation |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=f2NkAAAAIBAJ&pg=828,3156127 |title=More top talent signed for big grandstand show |work=Calgary Herald |date=1966-05-10 |access-date=2011-04-17 |page=45 |archive-date=2021-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020231220/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=f2NkAAAAIBAJ&pg=828%2C3156127 |url-status=live }}</ref> By 1968, the Kidettes were renamed the Young Canadians of the Calgary Stampede and remained part of the nightly grandstand show, growing into a headline act by the 1970s.<ref name="Dixon116" /> The group was modeled on the American group [[Up with People]] but with a style reflecting the pioneer culture of Alberta and Western Canada. The Young Canadians made television and live appearances throughout North America and attracted large crowds every year at the Calgary Stampede.<ref>{{citation |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=725kAAAAIBAJ&pg=3669,451041 |title=Young Canadians taking tunes to many exhibitions |work=Calgary Herald |date=1973-07-03 |access-date=2011-04-17 |page=16A |archive-date=2021-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020231100/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=725kAAAAIBAJ&pg=3669%2C451041 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1982, the [[Stampede Foundation]] set up the Young Canadians School of Performing Arts to offer professional training to singers and dancers between the ages of 7 and 19, paid for by scholarships from the Stampede organization.<ref>{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=117}}</ref> Two of the founders of the Young Canadians were director Randy Avery and choreographer Margot McDermott who remained with the group throughout the 1970s and 80s.

==== Sexual abuse class action lawsuit and settlement ====
In 2017, a [[Class action|class action lawsuit]] with over 70 class members was launched alleging that the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede Limited and the Calgary Stampede Foundation were negligent over their failure to alert police despite being aware of sexual abuse in The Young Canadians. In 2018, a staffer with The Young Canadians was criminally convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually exploiting six members of the group between 1992 and 2014. In June 2023, the defendants reached a settlement in which they accepted liability and would pay all damages resulting from their negligence, with [[punitive damages]] to be determined later.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Villani |first=Mark |date=July 26, 2023 |title='We are deeply sorry': Calgary Stampede admits liability in decades-long sex assaults involving Young Canadians performers |work=[[CTV News]] |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/we-are-deeply-sorry-calgary-stampede-admits-liability-in-decades-long-sex-assaults-involving-young-canadians-performers-1.6495227 |access-date=July 28, 2023}}</ref> In June 2024, the $9.5 million dollar settlement was approved by the [[Court of King's Bench of Alberta]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 28, 2024 |title=Calgary judge approves $9.5M settlement in Young Canadians abuse lawsuit |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-stampede-class-action-lawsuit-settlement-1.7250505 |access-date=July 4, 2024 |work=[[CBC News]] }}</ref>

===The Stampede Showband===
The Stampede Showband was created in 1971 to serve as the organization's musical ambassadors. The troupe features over 150 members between the ages of 16 and 21, and has been named the world champion of marching show bands seven times, lastly being in July, 2023.<ref name="Dixon119">{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=119}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=About The Showband |url=http://www.stampedeshowband.com/showband/about.html |website=Calgary Stampede Showband |publisher=www.stampedeshowband.com |access-date=August 13, 2019 |archive-date=August 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801221529/http://www.stampedeshowband.com/showband/about.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rodriguez |first=Micheal |date=July 24, 2023 |title=Calgary Stampede Showband claims 7th world championship title |url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/calgary-stampede-showband-world-championship-title}}</ref> The group has performed all over the world, in front of royalty and world leaders,<ref name="Dixon119" /> and at the opening ceremonies of the [[1988 Winter Olympics]].<ref>{{citation |last=Janofsky |first=Michael |url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB071FFC3F5A0C778DDDAB0894D0484D81 |title=An emotional opening in Calgary; Games begin on high note |work=The New York Times |date=1988-02-14 |access-date=2011-04-17}}</ref> In 2019, the Showband performed the national anthem at the [[107th Grey Cup]] accompanied by Young Canadians singer, Lindsey Kelly. The Showband performs year round, and make over 100 appearances during the Stampede alone.<ref name="Dixon119" /> They performed in the [[Tournament of Roses Parade]] in [[Pasadena, California]] for the third time in 2012 as part of the Stampede's 100th anniversary celebrations.<ref>{{citation |title=Calgary Stampede Showband in Rose Bowl Parade |work=Calgary Herald |date=2012-01-03}}</ref> The Showband also performed "[[O Canada]]" every night during the chuckwagon races with the member of the Young Canadians singing the anthem in English and French. The Stampede Showriders were created in 1985 as a precision [[equestrian drill team]] and colour guard that accompanies the Showband.<ref name="Dixon119" />

===Calgary Stampede Talent Search===
The Calgary Stampede Talent Search was created in 1981<ref>{{cite web |title=Talent Search History |url=https://talentsearch.calgarystampede.com/history |website=calgarystampede.com |access-date=8 October 2019 |archive-date=8 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008202742/https://talentsearch.calgarystampede.com/history |url-status=live }}</ref> as an annual competition for amateur artists (aged 13 to 21). Junior performers (aged 6 to 12) are showcased every evening as well. The competition takes place during the stampede and is intended to discover and develop talented young southern Albertans.<ref>{{cite web |title=Calgary Stampede Talent Search |url=https://talentsearch.calgarystampede.com/overview |website=calgarystampede.com |access-date=8 October 2019 |archive-date=8 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008202742/https://talentsearch.calgarystampede.com/overview |url-status=live }}</ref>