The Current

Making sense of the prison death of Richard Wolfe, co-founder of the Indian Posse gang

Wolfe's death follows the fatal 2010 stabbing of his brother in a Saskatchewan prison. To what extent did their difficult upbringing inform these tragic outcomes?
Richard Wolfe, a founder of the Indian Posse gang, died May 27 while an inmate at the Prince Albert Penitentiary in Saskatchewan. (RCMP)

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On May 27, Richard Wolfe, collapsed and died at the Prince Albert Penitentiary where he was serving time. He was only 40. This follows the death of his younger brother, Danny Wolfe, who was stabbed in a Saskatchewan prison in 2010.

In the 1980's, the brothers co-founded the notorious Indian Posse gang with a manifesto to reclaim native pride by force. The Wolfes were just kids at the time, with the leader Danny being as young as 12. 

Joe Friesen, a Globe and Mail reporter, met Richard multiple times while researching his book The Ballad of Danny Wolfe: Life of a Modern Outlaw. He speaks with The Current about the life of these brothers, and what their early deaths reveal about the lasting effects of a tragic childhood upbringing. 

This segment was produced by The Current's Sujata Berry.