Edmonton's new Indigenous ward names, explained
With the municipal election less than one month away, Edmontonians will see some familiar names and faces among the candidates, but the ward names and their boundaries are different this time around.
Approved by a council vote in 2020, the ward names are Indigenous and were carefully selected by a panel of 17 women.
The committee was made up of representatives from First Nations in Alberta Treaty areas numbered 6, 7 and 8, as well as members of the Métis and Inuit communities.
The women represented the Anishinaabe, Blackfoot, Cree, Dene, Inuit, Iroquois (Michel Band), Métis and Sioux nations.
Here are the new names they picked — what they mostly used to be, since the lines have moved — and what they represent:
NAKOTA ISGA (mostly was Ward 1)
Pronounced: NA-KOH-TAH EE-SKA
This name honours the Alexis Nakota Sioux people who settled in the area in 1880. Nakota Isga refers to the Siouan language family, according to the naming committee.
ANIRNIQ (mostly was Ward 2)
Pronounced: A-NIRK-NIK
Anirniq is an Inuktitut word meaning “Breath of Life.” It honours the Inuit people, many of whom were flown from the north to Edmonton in the 1950s and 60s for tuberculosis treatment. Anirniq was recommended because TB took the breath and spirit of many Indigenous people, the naming group said.
TASTAWIYINIWAK (mostly was Ward 3)
Pronounced: TASS-TAW-WIN-EE-WOK
This Cree word for “the in-between people” refers to the LGBTQ2S+ community. The Cree worldview recognized eight genders, and each person chose where they belonged and was free to move between roles as they wished, the committee said.
DENE (mostly was Ward 4)
Pronounced: DEH-NEH
Dene refers to various tribes and people that settled along the North Saskatchewan River and who live there now. The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, the Cold Lake First Nations and the Dene Tha First Nations are Dene communities in Alberta.
O-DAY’MIN (mostly was Wards 6 & 2)
Pronounced: OH-DAY-MIN
An Anishinaabe word that means “strawberry” or “heart berry” referring to the centre of Edmonton. Anishinaabe people live across Canada, including in the O’Chiese First Nation near Rocky Mountain House.
METIS (mostly was Wards 7 & 8)
Pronounced: MAY-TEA
A Michif word, it was chosen because Metis people developed farms near the river in this area. The shape and position of the city lots still reflect that. Métis people originated in Canada in the 1700s as European men married Indigenous women, forming a distinct culture.
SIPIWIYINIWAK (mostly was Ward 5)
Pronounced: SEE-PEE-WIN-EE-WOK
This Cree name honours the “River Cree” people of the Enoch Cree Nation. More than 2,500 members of this nation still live just west of this ward.
PAPASTEW (mostly was Ward 10)
Pronounced: PAH-PAH-STAY-OH
Papastew, which translates to “large woodpecker,” honours the leader of the Papaschase Band. According to the city record, the federal government forced the band to surrender its land south of the North Saskatchewan River after 1880. Surviving members of the band are still working to reclaim their community and land.
PIHESIWIN (mostly was Ward 9)
Pronounced: PEE-HAY-SOO-WIN
A Cree word that means Land of The Thunderbirds, this name was chosen because the naming committee decided the aerial view of the ward is shaped like a thunderbird. Pihesiwin are culturally significant to many Indigenous cultures and represent “power and reverence” in Cree.
IPIIHKOOHKANIPIAOHTSI (mostly was Wards 9 & 10)
Pronounced: E-PEE-OK-KA-NEE-PIU-TSI-YA
A Blackfoot word that honours traditional grounds where bison were harvested. The Blackfoot (Nitsitapi) people primarily lived in southern Alberta, and many nations are still centred there, but they also migrated north to the Edmonton area as they followed bison.
Karhiio (mostly was Wards 10 & 11)
Pronounced: GAR-EE-HE-O
Named after a Mohawk word that means “a tall, beautiful forest,” this ward honours Michael Karhiio, Chief of the Michel Band. The Michel First Nation first settled in the Lac Ste Anne area but due to an “involuntary enfranchisement” in 1958, members continue to fight for land today, the committee said.
Sspomitapi (mostly was Wards 10 & 11)
Pronounced: SS-POH-ME-TAH-PEE
This Blackfoot word translates to “star person” and the name was given to the Iron Creek Meteorite or the Manitou Stone once located near Viking, Alta. Blackfoot people believe this fallen star was given by the Creator to help them have a “reciprocal relationship” with bison, the naming committee wrote.
For more on the warn names and the naming committee, visit the City of Edmonton website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
OPINION No reunion between Prince Harry and the King signifies a setback for royal unity
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
NEW For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Spanish prosecutors recommend 2nd investigation into Shakira's taxes be thrown out
Spanish state prosecutors recommended Wednesday that an investigating judge shelve a probe into another alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.