By Jason Black Kettle
On Feb. 6th, 2026, the Siksika Nation said goodbye to longtime employee Brian Drunken Chief, who worked as a Siksika Nation Public Safety security guard for the last 36 years. At 65, he is ready to retire.
Born in Blackfoot Hospital in Gleichen, Alberta, Drunken Chief grew up in Siksika. In 1988, he was hired by the nation’s security service.
“I [made] sure the buildings are safe, the people are safe, and even the public is safe,” he said. “Especially the elders, they sit down and tell stories.”
Joining the Siksika Nation security, Drunken Chief came during a transitional period for the nation’s administration. “When I was taking my security [training], that’s when they were moving all the stuff into the new building,” Drunken Chief said. Through employment services and public works, Drunken Chief obtained his security certificate.
Around the same time, he met someone important.
“I met a lady; her name was Maureen Sleigh.” Responsibility caught up with Drunken Chief, who finished his employment course and started a family with Maureen.
“I got five girls and one boy, and I got 17 grandchildren with one on the way.” Drunken Chief happily reflected, “When I come back from work, they’re all always by the window, [saying] Grandpa!”
Reflecting on the years he spent at Siksika security, he dealt with the transition to digital technology, the flooding in 1995, and the bustling Gleichen businesses that gradually shut down.
“We had a store, a big store, the three amigos, with a restaurant, arcades, a laundry mat, and our bank and a gas station.” Drunken Chief said. “Then slowly, everything started to die out. It was probably about 96.”
“Last one to go was the restaurant.”
Drunken Chief dealt with all types of people during his tenure, “People were intoxicated, high, even elders. I had to go up there and talk to them.” Many listened, but there were always a few who would give Drunken Chief a hard time.
During that time, he kept dutiful watch over tribal administration, but Drunken Chief always welcomed the comfort of returning home to his family, leaning on them for support.
“I was always getting threats, people come and say, I’m going to bring my gun or my knife, but I still kept going,” Drunken Chief reflects, mentioning that he relied heavily on support from his wife, Maureen.
Working in the administration buildings, close to the rail tracks, he unfortunately witnessed many people getting hit by passing trains.
He stayed through it all, becoming a familiar face to Siksika residents. “I got a lot of respect from the public. They always give me thumbs up or ‘sookapi’”
Aside from getting his security certification, Drunken Chief reflected on another decision he made at that time. He said, “I’m going to stop, just all this drinking, dealing with the law,” noting he had struggled with addiction.
Drunken Chief recalls being around 27 years old at the time he became a security guard. Noting that before, “I didn’t have a good school.” He briefly attended Crowfoot Residential School before going to day school.
Drunken Chief recalled various abuses he suffered from Canada’s residential school policies, noting he was once hit in his right ear, causing him to be sent to the hospital. He also described how nuns and priests forced him and his friends to climb a rope.
“There’s no mat. You climb up there, climb down. There’s one boy [who] fell,” Drunken Chief said.
“A lot of things have happened in my life,” he said. “I started to drink.”
Drunken Chief reflected on abuse patterns during that time, noting he was scared, even to tell his own parents about the abuse.
“I was scared of the nuns, the priests, and the supervisors,” said Drunken Chief. “I kept it in, I’m 65 now, and that must have happened in 67,” Drunken Chief admits he began to drink as he entered his twenties.
Crowfoot Residential School closed in 1968, followed by Old Sun Residential School, which closed in 1971.
Despite what he endured, Drunken Chief lived a life marked by empathy and compassion. These qualities were evident in his work, his commitment to the community, his conversations with Siksika residents, and his steady presence at the tribal administration offices.
Regarding his post-retirement plans, Drunken Chief said, “People [were] always telling me, ‘Oh, you’re going to grow old here,’ so I said, ‘No, I’m going to retire when I’m 65’”
“Right now, I’m going to relax, go for a trip,” Drunken Chief said. “Great Falls or Prince Edward Island, I’ve never been down that way.”
