The Medicine River in central Alberta carries a name that reflects a significant historical translation shift from Indigenous terminology to colonial administration. The river's naming history demonstrates the complex process of how Indigenous place names were altered during European settlement.

Original Indigenous Name

The Medicine River was originally known by the Cree words "muskiki" and "nipagwasimow," which together translate to "Sundance River". This original name held deep cultural significance, referring to the sacred Sundance ceremony that was central to Plains Indigenous spiritual practices.medicineriverwatershed+5

According to historical documentation, the Cree had at least two names for the river. One was "Muskiki" and the other was described as a "tongue-twister which meant 'Sundance River'". The Medicine Lake, one of the sources of the river, was also part of this naming system.myrnapearman

First Official Mapping

The name "Medicine River" first appeared on a John Arrowsmith map in 1859. John Arrowsmith (1790-1873) was a prominent British cartographer who created detailed maps of North America during the colonial period. His 1859 map marked the transition from the Indigenous name to the colonial designation that would become official.wikipedia+5

The Translation and Colonial Context

The shift from "Sundance River" to "Medicine River" was not a direct translation but rather a deliberate alteration by colonial authorities. According to the Medicine River Watershed Society, "Since the colonial authorities did not approve of the Sundance rituals, the name would have forcibly been changed … ending up as the Medicine River … not really a translation from the Cree words at all".rdrwa

This name change occurred within the broader context of colonial suppression of Indigenous spiritual practices. The Sundance ceremony was officially banned by the Canadian government in 1895 through an amendment to the Indian Act. The prohibition specifically targeted "any celebration or dance of which the wounding or mutilation of the dead or living body of any human being or animal forms a part or is a feature".gladue.usask+2

Colonial Suppression of Sundance Ceremonies

The suppression of Sundance ceremonies was part of a systematic effort to eliminate Indigenous cultural practices. In 1885, the Indian Act was extended to allow the prohibition of the Sundance ceremony and its related music and dance for the Plains Nations. This followed the 1884 ban on potlatch ceremonies for Pacific Northwest Coast peoples.indigenousdance+1

The government's approach was explicitly assimilationist. Indian agents, missionaries, and government officials viewed these ceremonies as obstacles to converting Indigenous peoples to European ways of life. The ceremonies conflicted with European business practices that emphasized "frugality, savings, and an exact exchange of goods for money".facinghistory+1

Impact and Legacy

The prohibition remained in effect until 1951, when the Canadian government finally lifted the bans on these cultural celebrations and ceremonies. However, by this time, some traditional knowledge had been lost, though many Indigenous communities had continued practicing their ceremonies in secret throughout the prohibition period.wikipedia+2

The name change from "Sundance River" to "Medicine River" thus represents more than simple translation—it embodies the colonial policy of cultural suppression and forced assimilation. The river's current name serves as a linguistic artifact of this historical process, where Indigenous spiritual terminology was sanitized to remove references to practices that colonial authorities sought to eliminate.

Today, while the name "Medicine River" remains official, understanding its origins provides insight into the broader patterns of how colonial renaming practices systematically erased Indigenous cultural references from the landscape. The river's naming history exemplifies how place names can serve as markers of colonial intervention in Indigenous cultural expression and territorial sovereignty.yellowheadinstitute

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From "Sundance River" to "Medicine River"

The Medicine River in central Alberta carries a name that reflects a significant historical translation shift from Indigenous terminology to colonial administration. The river's naming history demonstrates the complex process of how Indigenous place names were altered during European settlement.

Original Indigenous Name

First Official Mapping

The Translation and Colonial Context

Colonial Suppression of Sundance Ceremonies

Impact and Legacy

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