What’s in a name?

Plenty for Alberta First Nations seeking heritage recognition

If a group of First Nations get their wish, Calgary will be renamed Wichispa Oyade – Stoney Nakoda terms that roughly translate to mean elbow town.

The Stoney Nakoda have applied to have a long list of well-known places across southern Alberta changed to reflect traditional names given by their people. Their application letter to the Alberta government also includes Canmore, the Bow River, Mount Allan and dozens of other sites that they consider to be part of their territory.

“The Stoney Nakoda people are the original occupants of the land and place names should be changed to their traditional Stoney Nakoda names in order to allow the culture and history of these lands to become more known and respected,” reads the letter.

The First Nations argue that the English or Cree names any of these places have fail to reflect their specific Indigenous history.

“This lack of recognition contributes to an increasing threat that Stoney Nakoda heritage will be overrun.”

The Stoney Nations, descendants of the Sioux, include three bands with the largest reserve located west of Calgary.

They have been suing the province and the federal government over their aboriginal and treaty rights, including land and resources, in a complex case that was originally filed in 2003. The claim covers a big part of southern Alberta and the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.

Douglas Rae, a lawyer for the First Nations, said the name change application is not part of the lawsuit, but an attempt by the bands to prove their ties to the land.

“The Stoneys are asserting their rights, and good evidence of these claims is to formally ask for recognition of the Stoney Nakoda names,” Rae said.