Joe Pierre

Joe Pierre was raised in the community of ʔaqʾam (formerly known as the St. Mary’s Indian Reserve) and is a citizen of the Ktunaxa Nation.  He attended the University of Calgary in Fine Arts.  At the U of C, Joe met several other First Nations people interested in theatre and they collaborated to form the Crazy Horse Theatre Company.  The company mounted several productions in Calgary, all of which were written by Aboriginal writers.  Joe also worked for a season with the CBC production “North of Sixty”.  Joe was a storyteller at the very first Proctor Storytelling Festival and he has presented at several other festivals throughout the Kootenays.  Currently he is employed by School District 5 Southeast Kootenay and is a member of the Board of Directors for the First Nations Education Steering Committee.  Joe served as a Councillor for the St. Mary’s Indian Band for eight years and was a member of the Board of Governors for the College of the Rookies for six years.  In the Fall of 2016, Joe was elected back to the ʔaqʾam Council, this time in the capacity of Chief Councillor.  In February 2021, Joe was reelected to a second term as Chief.  He is a husband to wife Jennifer and a father to 15-year-old Jude.  Together they are known as “Triple J”.