George J. Lepine
George J. Lepine, a chief (Okimakahn) from southern Manitoba, created Okichitaw, a martial art reviving the warrior traditions of the Plains Cree.
Quick Facts
CanadaBiography
George J. Lepine is a chief (Okimakahn) from Treaty 1 Territory in southern Manitoba and the founder of the martial art Okichitaw. He is a direct descendant of Ambroise-Didym Lepine, who served as Louis Riel's adjutant general during the Red River Resistance in the late 19th century. He claims Plains Cree, Assiniboine and Métis heritage and grew up around Winnipeg. We have not been able to verify his date of birth.
His interest in martial arts was sparked by traditional Native American games, hunting, tracking and survival, which he learned from the age of 12. From the age of 17 he also practiced Western boxing and Eastern martial arts – judo, hapkido and taekwondo.
He assembled Okichitaw on the basis of more than 40 years of research: he went through archives and libraries and consulted elders and keepers of traditional knowledge to recreate and systematize the Plains Cree's warrior traditions, including work with the tomahawk and war club. According to the source, Okichitaw is the only Indigenous martial art in Canada built on a ranking system. Lepine contributed to the UN and the World Martial Arts Union recognizing Okichitaw, through UNESCO, as a Tangible Cultural Asset.