Medicine River: Historical Name Context and Current Status

The Medicine River in Alberta has an interesting naming history that connects to Indigenous heritage, though there is no current formal process to change its name from "Medicine River" back to "Sundance River." The current name represents a historical translation rather than a recent name change, with important cultural context behind both terms.

Historical Name Origins

The Medicine River, a medium-sized watercourse in central Alberta, bears a name that originated as a translation from Indigenous terminology. According to historical records, the name "Medicine River" is derived from the Cree words "muskiki and nipagwasimow," which translate to "Sundance river" in English4. This translation first appeared officially on a map created by John Arrowsmith in 1859, establishing the English name that has remained in use for over 160 years4.

The river begins at Medicine Lake north of Rocky Mountain House and flows through the Rocky Mountain House Grazing Reserve before continuing southeast past Eckville. It eventually joins the Red Deer River north of Innisfail at an area known as Medicine Flats4. The river system is bridged by several provincial highways, including Alberta highways 53, 12, 11, and 544.

Indigenous Naming Context

While there is no indication in the search results of a current initiative to change the Medicine River's name back to "Sundance River," the relationship between these names reflects the historical practice of translating Indigenous place names into English rather than preserving their original forms. The river's Cree name containing "nipagwasimow" (Sundance) was converted to "Medicine" in English usage, likely reflecting European settlers' conceptual understanding of Indigenous ceremonial practices.

This translation practice differs from current approaches to Indigenous place name restoration seen elsewhere in Canada. For example, in British Columbia's Campbell River region, there are active efforts by the Wei Wai Kum, We Wai Kai, and Kwiakah Nations to restore traditional names to geographical features1367. These restoration efforts focus on returning to original Indigenous names rather than using English translations.

Current Status

As of March 2025, there is no evidence in the provided search results of any formal initiative to change the Medicine River's name back to "Sundance River" or to restore its full original Cree name. The current name "Medicine River" remains the official designation as it has since the mid-19th century.

While place name restorations are occurring in other parts of Canada as part of reconciliation efforts, any similar process for the Medicine River would likely involve consultation with local Indigenous communities, particularly Cree nations with historical connections to the waterway, as well as engagement with provincial naming authorities and local municipalities.

Conclusion

The Medicine River's name represents a historical translation from Cree terminology rather than a recent name change. While the river was originally known by a name that translates to "Sundance River," the English translation "Medicine River" has been in official use since at least 1859. Unlike some other geographical features in Canada currently undergoing name restoration processes, there is no indication in the provided search results of any current formal initiative to change the Medicine River's name back to its original form.

Citations:

1. https://www.mycampbellrivernow.com/77540/news/campbell-river/first-nations-request-place-name-changes-in-campbell-river-region/
2. https://www.medicinehat.ca/en/government-and-city-hall/resources/Documents/Historic-Context-Paper.pdf
3. https://cheknews.ca/campbell-river-now-agree-to-support-proposed-indigenous-place-name-changes-1223264/
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicine_River_(Alberta)
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicine_Lodge_River
6. https://www.pqbnews.com/home2/first-nations-seek-name-change-for-trio-of-vancouver-island-landforms-7565929
7. https://www.westerlynews.ca/home2/first-nations-seek-name-change-for-trio-of-vancouver-island-landforms-7565929
8. https://thedeepsouth.ca/?p=80
9. http://parkscanadahistory.com/brochures/hs-ab-e-1963.pdf
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicine_River
11. https://www.lethbridge.ca/media/pejj1p0z/traditional-knowledge-and-land-use-assessment.pdf
12. https://www.vancouverislandfreedaily.com/local-news/after-initial-reluctance-campbell-river-backs-indigenous-place-names-request-7641809
13. https://rdrwa.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/rdr_sowr_4_05_medicine1.pdf
14. https://www.abgenealogy.ca/uploads/files/Resources/AlbertaHistories.pdf
15. https://www.campbellrivermirror.com/local-news/chief-disappointed-by-campbell-river-councils-indigenous-placename-remarks-7607731
16. https://dspace.ut.ee/bitstreams/d947b844-6203-4a5b-927f-fb75f2209bd6/download
17. https://www.indigenoushealthnh.ca/sites/default/files/2019-11-26/T8FNNHAReport-May2015.pdf
18. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1409290
19. https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1307460755710/1536862806124
20. https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/scl/article/view/10201/10550

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Answer from Perplexity: https://www.perplexity.ai/search/medicine-river-alberta-hydrolo-oIS8.EowRN.PYVuu9GUBzg?utm_source=copy_output