?ba wathtech. As a resident of Mînî Thnî (Cold Water) and member of the Stoney Nation it is my privilege to write this monthly column discussing issues that affect the Stoney community.
The Stoney Nation is comprised of the Bearspaw, Chiniki and Wesley bands. With a population of close to 5,000 members, the Stoney Nation has satellite reserves in Eden Valley, near Longview and Big Horn, near Nordegg. Morley, or what the Stoney people historically named Mînî Thnî, is the principal reserve; a small land base that represents what remains of what was once a vast territory of the Îyarhe Nakoda, or the Mountain Sioux.
The Îyarhe Nakoda are part of the Sioux Nation. According to the oral history of our people, the Îyarhe Nakoda have occupied different parts of the mid-western plains and to Rockies since time immemorial. In his book These Mountains are our Sacred Places, former chief and author, the late John Snow, writes, “Indian traditions and oral history say that my people were always present in this part of the Great Island, roaming along the foothills out onto the prairies in the east and deep into the Rocky Mountains to the west.”
Western research suggests that the Sioux occupied a vast territory. If you consider that the Mandan, Crow, Osage, Winnebago and Dakota (among others) are all part of the greater Sioux Nation, you can better assess the historic land base. The Osage now reside in Oklahoma, the Winnebago in Nebraska, the Crow and Dakota in the Dakotas, Montana and various parts of Canada. In this context, the research supports the oral history of our people. Since we have always occupied different parts of what is now North America, we can assert that we have occupied this land since time immemorial; since existence.
The Îyarhe Nakoda speak the Nakoda dialect of the Siouan language family. The term ‘Stoney’ was assigned to us by settlers, in reference to a method of cooking using heated stones. It is not the traditional name or language of our people. However, there is question now as to whether Stoney has become its own dialect.
Sioux expansion prior to settlement and resistance after are factors in why different Sioux Nations settled different parts of the plains and Rockies. In Alberta, there are three Stoney Nakoda bands – the Alexis First Nation, Paul Band and your neighbors to the west, the Stoney Nation.
As a member of the Stoney Nation, I have always been interested in Aboriginal issues. As a youth, I had the opportunity to travel to Australia, where I met various Aboriginal people, including singer, Archie Roach. I learned a great deal about the Aboriginal experience. In his song ‘The Children Came Back’, Roach speaks to generations of Aboriginal children being taken from their families to attend boarding schools. For many, the connection was lost forever. For some, the children went back.
My interests have led me to different paths. I have travelled to Africa on two occasions, and twice to London. In Switzerland, I had the opportunity to meet Elijah Harper, who was a Member of Parliament at the time. I was seated at his table along with the exiled Mufti of Albania.
I was honored to have met Mr. Harper, but left wondering what is a Mufti? In my youthful ignorance, it did not occur to me that I was seated with an important religious leader.
As a columnist discussing issues that affect the Stoney community, I bring with me different life experiences.
As I start writing on issues that affect the Stoney Nation, I invite you to sit down and have bannock and tea.
