With gratitude and excitement we are honoured to announce the reclaimed name for the Metro Edmonton River Valley Trail.
In close collaboration with Naheyawin, the RVA sought input from a diverse range of Indigenous voices to guide our naming process. This inclusive approach ensured a rich variety of perspectives, encompassing First Nations, Métis, and Inuit ways of knowing and
being, as well as the unique insights of Elders, Knowledge Keepers, youth, and 2SLGBTQ individuals within these communities.
Through these enlightening conversations, we came to appreciate the profound significance of names within Indigenous cultures as they shape identities, relationships, values, and worldviews. The trail’s
chosen name, graciously gifted in a ceremony by Elder Jerry Saddleback, who also offered his continued guidance and advice to the River Valley Alliance, is in nêhiyawêwin, the Cree language. This name invites everyone to “sing the song” of the river valley, nurturing a deeper sense of responsibility and belonging for all who traverse the trail.
Amisko Wacîw Mêskanaw, a name shared with us by Elder Jerry Saddleback, represents the connections we wish to make for Edmontonians between our past and our future.