Now available for free streaming in Canada on HORSEJournals.com and NFB.ca

John Ware Reclaimed follows filmmaker Cheryl Foggo on her quest to re-examine the mythology surrounding John Ware, the Black cowboy who settled in Alberta, Canada, before the turn of the 20th century.  

Born into slavery on a plantation near Georgetown, SC, Ware was freed at approximately age 20 after the American Civil War. He left the plantation and learned ranching and cowboy skills in Texas. He worked his way north, driving cattle to Montana, and eventually made his way to Canada. He is best remembered for bringing the first cattle to the Bar U Ranch in southern Alberta in 1882, helping to create that province’s ranching industry. Ware built an enviable reputation as a master horseman and hard worker, earning the respect of ranchers and cowboys.  

Watch the full screen version at John Ware Reclaimed, Cheryl Foggo, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Foggo’s research uncovers who this iconic figure might have been, and what his legacy means in terms of anti-Black racism, both past and present. 

Note: The streaming of this film is geo-restricted to Canada.