Alberta’s premier now has a new name, given to her as part of a traditional Indigenous ceremony that took place in Lethbridge on Saturday night.
Rachel Notley participated in the International Peace Powwow hosted by the Blackfoot Canadian Cultural Society for the first time.
At the ceremony, she was given the name Brave Heart Woman. She says it was a ‘once in a life time experience’.
“I walk away just being incredibly grateful and humbled to be given such an amazing name and I know there are some days when you have to go into what you do with that approach but I think there are people throughout this room, throughout this building [and] throughout our province who do that every day and those are the people I am inspired by, whether they have a name or not.”
Blackfoot leaders who participated in the ceremony say the Premier has worked hard to make connections in their communities.
“It was felt that it was fitting; that it was time, so the elder was called in,” said Chief Jason Goodstriker.
He says the same honour has been given to a number of Alberta’s premiers too.
“We’ve had a number of premiers that have been a part of the seed and, of course, the sitting Prime Minister [and] former PM Stephen Harper have been a part of our fabric,” he says. “It’s just the Blackfoot way of doing things.”
Along with the naming ceremony, spectators were treated to a showcase of Indigenous culture, specifically art, clothing, dancing and music.
Notley added that the new name will also leave her with a deeper connection with the Blackfoot people than ever before.
(With files from CTV Lethbridge’s Angela Stewart)
