CANMORE – The Treaty 7 flag was proudly hoisted to the top of the flagpole in front of Canmore Collegiate High School last Thursday (June 7) as a reminder of Canmore’s Indigenous past.
The flag raising ceremony was also part of the school’s response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which recommended 94 calls to action to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of reconciliation.
“When I think of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee, the thing that resonates with me are the calls to action,” said Chris Rogers, principal for the high school.
“The TRC is not just a document that sits on the shelf. It’s about the actions we can take to have a deeper impact in terms of having Indigenous ways of learning and culture in our schools and in our lives.”
Duane Mark, a Stoney Nakoda language and cultural educator, took the opportunity to remind students, teachers and other members of the community about the Indigenous history of the area.
“Canmore has a Stoney Nakoda name which is Chuwapchipchiyânkudebi,” said Mark. “It means where they shot tree saplings.”
The story goes that Indigenous warriors mistakenly shot tree saplings in the area instead of wild game giving Canmore its Indigenous name.
Mark also briefly spoke about the symbolic importance of raising the flag.
“Traditionally, raising a flag represented eagle staff and other staff that belonged to traditional matriarchs,” said Mark. “In this case, we have the Treaty 7 flag which represents all five tribes of Southern Alberta.”
Those tribes include Stoney Nakoda, Siksika, Kainai, Piikani and the Tsuut’ina Sarcee First Nations.
In conjunction with raising the flag, a group of boys also sang a traditional song using hand drums as a sign of respect.
Following the ceremony, Mark said the flag raising was an important moment for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people because it symbolized reconciliation and brought cultural awareness to both students and the community at large.
For Dietrich Stevens, a Grade 9 student who lives in Morley, the ceremony was a spiritual moment.
“For me it means a lot of things,” said Stevens. “For me, every time I see one of our flags raised I feel all the spiritual things around us and it reminds me of the past.”
Shawntayia Twoyoungmen, a Grade 12 student, said it made her feel welcomed and a part of the school community.
“It means a lot because of the diversity in the school,” said Twoyoungmen. “It shows the school recognizes the First Nations within the school.”
