'We know it's lonely': Manitou Asinîy Stone to be returned to Indigenous stewardship
Manitou Asinîy, also known as the Creator's Stone or Manitou Stone, will be reclaimed by Indigenous communities and returned to its original location.
The Stone is a 145-kilogram iron meteorite that landed billions of years ago near Iron Creek, Alta., close tor the Saskatchewan border.
A new co-stewardship was announced Friday, between the Alberta government and the Manitou Asinîy-Iniskim-Tsa Xani Center, an Indigneous-led not-for-profit organization, outlining a plan to build a new prayer centre to house the stone where Indigenous communities can better access it.
Indigenous People consider the Stone to be a sacred living being and that protected the buffalo herds of the prairies. It also served as a gathering place for prayer and healing by many Indigneous communities.
"It was prophesied that the rock, if it was moved, that we would suffer," said Elder Leonard Bastien, Manitou Asinîy-Iniskim-Tsa Xani Center chair.
The Stone was first taken in 1866, by a Methodist missionary. Basiten said smallpox followed, and soon the buffalo herds would disappear.
"Since then, a lot of things have continued to keep us down," Bastien said.
Manitou Asinîy was held in Ottawa until 1972, when it was loaned to the Royal Alberta Museum (RAM). Discussions around the reclamation of the Stone began between the RAM and 33 First Nations in Alberta and Saskatchewan after it was officially transferred in 2001.
Friday it was announced that the Stone will be moved to a new prayer centre, a geodesic dome built to be open to the sky from where Manitou Asinîy fell.
"I’m at a loss for words about how much I appreciate what has happened today," Bastien said. "This is a day of celebration, let’s celebrate this together in our heart and spirit and look forward to a better tomorrow."
Blaine Favel, former Chief of the Poundmaker Cree Nation, said the new facility will cost $7.5 million to $10 million and will be designed by Douglas Cardinal. The centre will provide a space for ceremony and give Indigenous communities greater access to the Stone.
Land negotiations and fundraising are currently underway, Favel said.
"I think of the many hundreds of millions of billions of dollars that were invested into the destruction of our culture – I think to preserve our culture deserves a few million to keep us around and to keep our elders to transmit our sacred teachings to our next generation," Favel added.
Premier Jason Kenney said it will take years before the centre is ready for the Stone to be moved in. He added the Alberta government has spent $500,000 on seed funding for the planning stage with more to follow.
"There will be significant additional funding to follow to help the centre finance the construction of both the prayer centre and eventually the interpretive centre," Kenney said. "And you better get a transcript of this so you can show my successor and my successor’s successor what I just committed to."
Until it can be moved, Manitou Asinîy will remain at the RAM on a bed of soil from the original site, which was collected in 2017. The Stone is in a pre-admission area of the RAM, so anyone can come view it, with smudging ceremonies held twice a week on the advice of Elders.
"To us in the Blackfoot worldview it’s animate, so it’s alive and we know it’s lonely, we know it wants to come home to our people," said Nicholle Weaseltraveller, an Elder's daughter who received recognition for her dedication to visiting the Stone.
"I know when they built this facility they made it more open and more accessible but you can still feel that heaviness because it is an animate object for us and the prophecy states that if it was taken we’ll see hardships so now we’re hopeful that things will change."
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Amanda Anderson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.