A new place for Indigenous people and groups to hold spiritual ceremonies, host talking circles and grow medicinal herbs opened in southwest Edmonton Friday.
kihcihkaw askî-Sacred Land, located in Whitemud Park at 14141 Fox Drive on Treaty 6 territory, will help Indigenous elders pass on knowledge to younger generations, the city said.
kihcihkaw askî (pronounced “key-chee-ask-ee”) means “this place here is sacred” in Cree.
The new ceremony grounds include room for eight sweat lodges, an area for tipis with a permanent feast fire pit, a storage building with a built-in amphitheatre and walking paths.
The $6.5-million project started construction in 2021 and will now be managed and operated by the Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom Centre (IKWC).
Clayton Kootenay, CEO of IKWC, said Friday was an exciting day for all Edmontonians.
“It’s been a long time coming — it’s been a long journey, a very arduous journey,” Kootenay said.
Lewis Cardinal, project manager for kihcihkaw askî, said what makes this place remarkable is its size and the Indigenous stewardship.
“The kihcihkaw askî-Sacred Land is about five hectares of the Whitemud Nature Reserve with the central purpose to have space for a myriad of ceremonies for healing, knowledge transfer and guidance from the many traditions of Indigenous nations who make Edmonton their home,” Cardinal said.
“The land site also contributes to reconciliation efforts for teaching and sharing on a land-based and natural setting context.
“Keep in mind that a natural environment is key.”
Kootenay called the construction of the grounds a “true act of reconciliation.”
“It’s not just for Indigenous people … it’s for all Edmontonians,” Kootenay said.
“Not just for sharing our knowledge, but also sharing our stories.”
Cardinal said there will be a chance for many different cultural groups to use the space.
“We have a Jewish congregation that comes down here, and we get to share and exchange different cultural things. And with that we see each other and each other’s stories,” Cardinal said.
Before settlers colonized the area that Edmonton now sits on, kihcihkaw askî was used as a ceremonial site, as well as to harvest medicine and ochre, a rare mineral used in spiritual and traditional ceremonies, the city said.
“For a millennium, our people gathered this space,” said Kootenay.
“When we had to reclaim the land, there was different bones, there was bison bones and teeth here.”
There will also be an open house at kihcihkaw askî for Edmontonians looking to celebrate the opening. More information can be found on the city’s website.
What opened Friday is only the first phase of the ceremony grounds, Kootenay said, adding the IKWC is hoping to install a garden for medicinal herbs on site.
The site’s working name was formerly spelled out in English as kihciy askiy.
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