There is a mountain ridge west of Canmore, near the summit of Sir Charles Stewart Mountain, with an unofficial name which is considered offensive for many in the Bow Valley.
Squaw’s Tit has become a lightning rod for debate on social media for Canmore residents in the past; with many sharing concern the geographic feature is officially named in such a derogatory way.
Ron Kelland, Geographical Names Program coordinator for Alberta Culture and Tourism, said the name is in no way official and as a result of complaints he has received in the past about it, plans are underway to give the feature an official name.
“We are working with (First Nations) regarding the rather unfortunately, but unofficially, named mountain just outside of Canmore,” Kelland said. “That is not an officially registered name.
“We have received over a number of years expressions of concern about that particular name.”
He said as a result of those complaints, and an application to rename Tunnel Mountain in Banff and a lake in Waterton National Park; he has begun the process of engaging First Nations to give the Fairholme range peak an official and appropriate moniker.
“We are just beginning to have those conversations with the Blackfoot and Stoney Nakoda, and hopefully with the Tsuu T’ina,” he said. “We are hoping to discover from them if they have a traditional name for that feature, or traditional knowledge, so we can perhaps come up with a more official appropriate name.”
The Stoney Nakoda First Nation proposed to rename Tunnel Mountain to Sacred Buffalo Guardian Mountain last October. The Indigenous place name for the mountain is ‘Iinii Istako’ in Blackfoot, or ‘Eyarhey Tatanga Woweyahgey Wakân’ in Stoney Nakoda, which translates into Sacred Buffalo Guardian Mountain.
The name change came out of the historic signing of the Buffalo Treaty in Banff last fall, when 15 First Nations gathered and agreed to a resolution put forward by the Stoney Nakoda to begin the official process of renaming. The resolution sets out that the proposed name captures best the meaning of the culturally and spiritually important place.
Because Banff National Park is federally managed through Parks Canada, a parallel name change process is happening provincially and federally with the Geological Names Board of Canada, said Kelland.
The provincial process, he confirmed, has reached the point of seeking to engage all First Nations on the proposed change. He said the general public would also be engaged on changes in the future as well.
“We usually try to do some kind of public engagement or consulting,” Kelland said.
The federal name change process, on the other hand, is a function of Natural Resources Canada and is comprised of federal, provincial and territorial departments and agencies, each with specific authority and responsibility for their respective jurisdictions.
“The name reflects the belief that this sacred mountain stands guard over the many healing waters, medicines, habitat and climate conditions that the Stoney Nakoda have used and understood for generations,” stated the original resolution.
The original resolution passed at the Buffalo Treaty signing, which has led to the name change process for the peak near Sir Charles Stewart, also details how important it is to name places with correct translations in English of Indigenous languages, because historically there have been miscommunications and misinterpretations.
“As such, current interpretations and translation do not carry the full meaning important to Indigenous people,” stated the resolution.
Canmore Mayor John Borrowman knows it can be culturally challenging for a community to change such important geographical names like mountains, noting he still hears from residents who would prefer to call Ha Ling Peak by its former title – Chinaman’s Peak.
Borrowman said he is very supportive of the change being considered, and has heard from many people who find the unofficial name offensive.
The Outlook reached out to Stoney Nakoda representatives for comment, but did not hear back before press deadline.
