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Jerry Potts, or Ky-yo-kosi, meaning "Bear Child," scout, guide, interpreter (b at Ft McKenzie, US 1840; d at Fort Macleod, Alta 14 July 1896).
Of Kainai (Blood) and Scots parentage, he became famous among the Blackfoot as a great warrior and hunter. Hired by NWMP Commissioner G.A. French, Potts led the police to the notorious whisky post Fort Whoop-up. He also directed them to an island in the Oldman River where they constructed Fort Macleod. Hero to the Blackfoot Confederacy and a special constable in the NWMP, Potts educated each group about the other and ensured friendly relations. His influence with the Blackfoot helped to get Treaty 7 signed and to assure that his people remained neutral during the North-West Resistance of 1885.
