Achi news desk-
If it wasn’t for the budding friendship of Duane Mark and Lloyd Templeton, this year’s Calgary Stampede boot design would never have existed.
Although the boot was only built in recent months, the process began when Templeton, a Calgary artist in his early 20s, approached Mark with a request to use images of Stoney Nakoda teepee holder and educator for the artwork he was preparing for the event. Calgary Stampede.
Click both from the start. By November, after hours together, a Temple piece featuring Mark — dressed in full regalia standing in front of the Calgary Tower among a diverse group of parade participants — was chosen as the 2024 Stampede poster artwork.
On Thursday, Templeton’s art was unveiled as the design for this year’s Stampede boot – now the second product of their friendship to be produced for this year’s 10-day rodeo and fair.
“What comes to mind is the growth of a young man called Lloyd,” said Mark, when asked what he sees in this year’s boot design.
The artwork on the exterior reflects the iconography of the Stoney Nakoda First Nation and key Treaty 7, Templeton said at Thursday’s unveiling. Stitches of the Alberta mountain range and the golden eagle flying through a rising sun—two important symbols for First Nation culture—line the outside of the boot.
The words Oyadé Gichiyabi, Ahogichopabi Îyûhabith are inscribed on the inside of the boot, which roughly translates in Stoney’s language to “be empowered to foster peace and respect,” chosen on Mark’s recommendation.
A recent graduate of the Alberta University of the Arts, Templeton is becoming a household name in Calgary’s arts community at a pace that is not to be missed.
“Last year I was only doing school projects, and a year later, people will be wearing my art. That’s crazy,” he said.
Working in three dimensions was a new challenge for Templeton. To begin with, he would tape a piece of paper to the back of the boot to get a feel for the shapes he needed to produce. He then drew the designs in pencil, scanned them into his computer and produced them into a special file that allowed him to laser engrave them onto the shoes.
“My poster was oil paint, a very traditional process,” he said. “I was kind of making it up the road to see what worked. I liked the challenge of that.”
Margaret Holloway, First Nations Princess of the 2024 Stampede, who also provided input into the design of the boot, said she was “breathless, speechless” when she first saw the design. Contrary to tradition, this year’s design will be available in five different shades of boot. Alberta Boot usually creates one special boot for each Stampede.
The 22-year-old jingle dancer is the first person from Stoney Nakoda to be named a First Nations Princess in more than 20 years.
The Holloway family’s house at Elbow River Camp has three large eagles on it, he said.
“Back home, we see the eagles flying and we feel blessed by their presence, and we are amazed by their beauty of soaring in the sky. To see that on the Stampede boat this year was absolutely unbelievable.”
With their latest creation publicly revealed, Templeton and Mark’s friendship will extend far beyond their artistic collaboration.
“He’s the coolest dude. We have a lot in common – good sense of humor, listen to the same music and movies. We make a lot of the same jokes,” Templeton said.
Mark said he had watched the young artist grow and mature before his eyes. Over the past year they have discussed a “deep Indigenous philosophy,” which Templeton has clearly absorbed into his own life, he said.
“We became best friends and we will continue to be best friends,” said Mark.
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