Stoney Nakoda reclaim traditional Mn Thn name for community

Stoney Nakoda First Nations celebrated a major milestoneThursday, with the community of Morley officially undergoing a name change toMn Thn.

During the ceremony at the Stoney Tribal Administration building, Chiniki Nation Chief Aaron Young emphasized the move isn't a name change for the Stoney Nakoda people, who have long referred to the area as Mn Thn before it was ever dubbed Morley.

"We've always had this name. We've always had it and it's always been with us," Young said.

"To hold that truth to this day and to carry it on to our next generation, it is meaningful."

Mn Thn, which means "cold water," is the original Stoney name for the community, roughly 60kilometres west of Calgary.

Young said restoring the name honours Stoney Nakodaheritage and asserts their cultural sovereignty, adding that Mn Thn holds deep spiritual significance and represents an enduring connection to the nearby Bow River and Rocky Mountains.

Bearspaw Nation Chief Darcy Dixon said restoring the name Mn Thn(pronunciation:mi-NITH-nee) is part of the community's larger journey toward reconciliation. Moving forward, Dixon said this official reclamationcan act as a roadmap for other areas of change that are needed inMn Thn and satellite communities.

Mn Thn has been called Morley for more than a century, ever since Methodist missionary John McDougall named the community after his friend, a reverend named Morley Punshon, who opened a store and post office in the townsite.

The name dates back to the Morley Day School in 1873, the establishment of the Morleyville Methodist Mission Site in 1875 and the signing of Treaty 7 in 1877.

Community members with Goodstoney, Bearspaw and Chiniki First Nations who attended the Thursday celebration were treated to atraditional pipe ceremony and community luncheon.

Chiniki Nation member Lindsay Wesley said she feels empowered and hopeful about the official reclamation of the traditional name.

"Reclaiming our identity is so important to myself, my family, my community, my nation," Wesley said.

"We've always been Mn Thn, and it's good to know it will be on the map as Mn Thn."

Goodstoney Nation Chief Clifford Poucette said using the traditional namewill help preserve the community's language and culture for younger generations.

"The culture is still here. Our values, traditions, customs and the language is still here," Poucette said. "Going into the future, it will help our younger generations. Since I was a child, I've been hearing the name Mn Thn."