The entire section of the North Saskatchewan River that flows through Alberta is now officially a “Canadian Heritage River.”
A 49-kilometre stretch of the river that runs through Banff National Park is already designated.
The North Saskatchewan River is a traditional gathering place, travel route, and home to Indigenous peoples including the Cree, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Dene, Saulteaux, Anishinaabe, Inuit, and Assiniboine.
The North Saskatchewan River is known to some Indigenous communities by different names. To some, the river is known as kisiskâciwani-sîpiy, meaning “swift-flowing river” in Cree to others, Omaka-ty, meaning “the big river” in Niitsitapi (Blackfoot). This designation provides an opportunity to foster support for wider use of Indigenous languages and cultural connections to this important waterway.
There are currently 41 rivers or river segments designated under the Canadian Heritage Rivers System, covering more than 10,000 kilometers across the country.
The North Saskatchewan is the second river in Alberta outside a national park to be recognized under the program. The Clearwater/Christina rivers near Fort McMurray were designated in 2003.
“The North Saskatchewan River has always been an integral part of our heritage since time immemorial and continues to embody Treaty 6. At Fort Pitt, when Commissioner Morris indicated “as long as yonder river flows” he was pointing to this river, kisiskâciwanisîpiy. Designation as a Heritage River will serve to encourage respect and stewardship of this landscape and grow relations among river communities.”
Elder, Nôhkom Jo-Ann Saddleback
Saddle Lake Cree First Nation in Alberta
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