Officials at the Calgary Stampede are wrapping up 10 days of fun with a special announcement to rename the event’s Indian Village to Elbow River Camp.
Organizers held a media conference on Sunday, saying that the change was to update the title which was no longer accepted by many people.
The new name, Elbow River Camp, was chosen because it best represents the land where First Nations people have been meeting for generations.
In Dene, Stoney and Blackfoot, the world for Calgary refers to the bend in the Elbow River.
Officials say teepee owners, along with support from the Stampede, made the final decision.
“Elbow River Camp came through and had support from teepee owners from each nation and the Calgary Stampede supports their decision,” said Warren Connell, CEO of the Calgary Stampede in a release.
The Indian Village has been a part of the Stampede since 1912 and it has served to promote and preserve the relationship between the Stampede and families from Treaty 7 Nations.
Connell says that when the camp was first established, it was actually against the law for Indigenous people to preach their own culture, speak in their own language, to perform traditional ceremonies with one exception.
"That was the Calgary Stampede and that endured all the way to the abolishment of the Indian Act."
It took over two years of discussions to come upon the agreed name.
Teepee owner Violet Meguinis says that many of the people in the camp are generational owners and honour the legacy of their ancestors in setting up a teepee at the park.
"Going forward, we see another millennium of keeping our tradition and our culture strong."
The name change will take place immediately and a closing ceremony took place on Sunday afternoon.
