William Twin

William Twin was a prominent Stoney Nakoda (Îyârhe Nakoda) guide and cultural intermediary whose expertise bridged Indigenous peoples of the Bow Valley and the settler society of Banff. Also known as Joshua Twin Wildman or “The Talking Indian,” he is best remembered for mentoring Jim and Bill Brewster; a relationship that fundamentally shaped the tourism industry in the Canadian Rockies.

Traditional expertise. Born around 1860 during profound transition for the Stoney Nakoda, Twin possessed mastery of traditional skills that became invaluable as the Canadian Pacific Railway pushed through the Rockies. He was renowned for his “keen knowledge of the woods” and “affable disposition.” An expert hunter and tracker; famously quipping to unsuccessful hunters, “You no see goat, you no got eyes”; he also handled an ice axe “like a veteran” and was skilled with a canoe, allowing him to navigate glaciers and forests. He was a master horse packer essential for expedition travel.

The Brewster mentorship. In the late 1890s Twin took the young Brewster boys under his wing while they delivered milk to the Banff Springs Hotel. A close family friend, he effectively adopted them into the wilderness, teaching trail knowledge (secret routes used by the Stoney for generations), bushcraft (camping, hunting, survival), and horse packing. This mentorship was the catalyst for the Brewsters’ transition from dairy farmers to mountain outfitters; and for Brewster Transport, which still dominates Rockies tourism today. Stoney Nakoda knowledge was woven into the DNA of the guiding culture, even when settlers claimed the credit.

Professional guiding. Twin was employed by the Yale Lake Louise Club (Wilcox, Allen, Frissell) and accompanied early mountaineering and survey expeditions; guiding parties to Mount Assiniboine and doing the trail-breaking and camp management that allowed European and American alpinists to claim “first ascents.” He served as a critical link between wealthy Victorian tourists and the rugged wilderness, a “useful institution” for park administrators and business owners.

Banff Indian Days. Twin played a central role in the establishment and management of Banff Indian Days (1890–1948). The event began informally when stranded tourists needed entertainment; Twin, as emissary for the CPR and local business, travelled to the reserve at Morley to recruit Stoney families. While the event was a colonial spectacle; parades, dances, “traditional” displays; Twin and other Stoney leaders used it as a strategic space for cultural survival. In an era when the Indian Act restricted movement and practices (e.g. the Potlatch ban), Banff Indian Days provided a sanctioned venue for the Stoney Nakoda to return to traditional territories, practice and pass on ceremonies and equestrian skills, and assert their continued presence in the Bow Valley.